Where: around the city When: 31 Dec For many years, San Franciscans have been gathering at Union Square or Ocean Beach to ring in the New Year. The city fathers have been discouraging such impromptu revelry in recent times, however, so check local newspapers. Other traditional festivities taking place around town include a cavalcade of bands performing in tents along the Embarcadero.
Noir City
Where: Palace of Fine Arts; Balboa Theatre
When: Jan
Website: www.noircity.com
Two weeks of classic film noir – some famous, some obscure – with talks and other special events to add further spice.
Martin Luther King Jr Birthday Celebration
Where: BART
When: Mon after 15 Jan Tel & website: 1-510 268 3777/www.vietccsf.org
The parade celebrating Martin Luther King's birthday started off at the Caltrain station in 2008, with a specially chartered Freedom Train bringing in passengers from the surrounding area. It ended with a rally in Civic Center. Check the website for the route for other years.
top hotels
When: Jan/Feb Tel & website: 885 2743/www.vietccsf.org
San Francisco has a large population of Vietnamese-Americans who, along with Cambodian, Latino and African-American families, transform the city centre into a multicultural carnival.
jalapeno
Where: various venues
When: Feb-Mar
Website: www.noisepop.com
Probably San Francisco's biggest rock festival of the year, Noise Pop is a week-long, city-wide series of indie shows in February. San Francisco Tribal, Folk & Textile Arts Show Where: Fort Mason Center When: early Feb Tel & website: 1-310 455 2886/www.caskeylees.com/shows/8/tribal/sf Part-show, part-sale: upwards of 100 folk and ethnic-art dealers sell all manner of pottery, baskets, textiles and jewellery.
When: February
Tel & website: 982 3071/www.chineseparade.com
The start of the Chinese New Year offers the city's best parade that doesn't involve public nudity. With colourful beauty pageants, drumming, martial arts competitions, mountains of food on every street corner, endless firework displays and a huge procession of dancing dragons, acrobats and stilt-walkers, the party turns the city jubilant and upside down. It's also the occasion of the enormously popular Annual Treasure Hunt (www.sftreasurehunts.com), which gets nearly 1,600 people scurrying round Chinatown.
free kick
When: late Feb-Apr
Tel & website: 1-858 459 8707/ www.spikeandmike.com
Mainstream animators such as Nick Park have shown early works at Spike & Mike's cultish festival, but it's the 'Sick and Twisted' segment that really raises the bar.
Noir City
Where: Palace of Fine Arts; Balboa Theatre
When: Jan
Website: www.noircity.com
Two weeks of classic film noir – some famous, some obscure – with talks and other special events to add further spice.
Martin Luther King Jr Birthday Celebration
Where: BART
When: Mon after 15 Jan Tel & website: 1-510 268 3777/www.vietccsf.org
The parade celebrating Martin Luther King's birthday started off at the Caltrain station in 2008, with a specially chartered Freedom Train bringing in passengers from the surrounding area. It ended with a rally in Civic Center. Check the website for the route for other years.
top hotels
Tet Festival
Where: around Civic Center & the TenderloinWhen: Jan/Feb Tel & website: 885 2743/www.vietccsf.org
San Francisco has a large population of Vietnamese-Americans who, along with Cambodian, Latino and African-American families, transform the city centre into a multicultural carnival.
jalapeno
Noise Pop
When: Feb-Mar
Website: www.noisepop.com
Probably San Francisco's biggest rock festival of the year, Noise Pop is a week-long, city-wide series of indie shows in February. San Francisco Tribal, Folk & Textile Arts Show Where: Fort Mason Center When: early Feb Tel & website: 1-310 455 2886/www.caskeylees.com/shows/8/tribal/sf Part-show, part-sale: upwards of 100 folk and ethnic-art dealers sell all manner of pottery, baskets, textiles and jewellery.
Chinese New Year
Where: Market Street, at 2nd Street, and around ChinatownWhen: February
Tel & website: 982 3071/www.chineseparade.com
The start of the Chinese New Year offers the city's best parade that doesn't involve public nudity. With colourful beauty pageants, drumming, martial arts competitions, mountains of food on every street corner, endless firework displays and a huge procession of dancing dragons, acrobats and stilt-walkers, the party turns the city jubilant and upside down. It's also the occasion of the enormously popular Annual Treasure Hunt (www.sftreasurehunts.com), which gets nearly 1,600 people scurrying round Chinatown.
free kick
Spike & Mike's Festival of Animation
Where: Victoria Theatre, MissionWhen: late Feb-Apr
Tel & website: 1-858 459 8707/ www.spikeandmike.com
Mainstream animators such as Nick Park have shown early works at Spike & Mike's cultish festival, but it's the 'Sick and Twisted' segment that really raises the bar.
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