If you find yourself with leisure time on weekdays, or you're looking for something fun to do on your lunch/coffee break, here are this week's highlights. A shout-out of course goes to the folks at FunCheapSF for the heads-up on a few of these events.
Daily: The People in Plazas lunchtime jazz concerts are going strong with bands playing daily in plazas throughout downtown along Market Street. This week's genres include traditional jazz, gypsy jazz, roots music, Reggae/Caribbean, and Cuban. See who's playing in your neck of downtown!
Today: UC Berkeley hosts its popular Caltopia IX Campus Festival, featuring lots of free deals and free stuff, along with live music, a karaoke contest, a treasure hunt, free massages, and martial arts demos.
Tuesday: Four Barrel Coffee is having a 3rd Birthday Bash at its Valencia storefront, featuring free coffee and espresso drinks all day long, along with Skee Ball, free slices of Tartine cake, and a photo booth at Noon. Pizza Hacker will also be making an appearance at lunchtime. Get there early as for the inevitably long queue!
Wednesday: Gypsy rock ambassadors, Diego’s Umbrella, who capture "California’s cultural multiplicity with enthusiasm, humor and decadence," bring their "urban gringo mariachi" act to Union Square's Jewels in the Square series, which happens at lunchtime on Wednesdays.
Thursday: Sawai Koto USA, who have set out to expose the world to koto music, will be at Yerba Buena Gardens on Thursday at lunch-time. The group has worked not only with other Japanese musicians from the traditional genres, but also with major performers from Western classical, jazz, avant-garde, and other world music. traditions.
Friday: Head over to the de Young for their first-ever Fair Trade Bazaar. Get first dibs on unique items including jewelry, textiles, native handcrafts, and decorative accessories reflecting the many cultures represented in the museum's collection. The bazaar runs through Saturday.