It’s the first day of Spring and we can’t wait to celebrate by attending some great events this weekend! As usual, there are tons of awesome things going on in the Bay Area. At ABCey, we did some digging and are bringing you our top picks!
FEATURED EVENT: 7th Annual Disposable Film Festival | Thursday, March 20th | Castro Theatre | 10pm | Opening Night kicks off with a festival favorite, our Competitive Shorts Premiere! The evening showcases a curated selection of the best of thousands of disposable films made on a variety of devices from around the world. All films are rated by an expert panel of judges. Fans get to vote for their favorite films for the Audience Choice Award! Be the first to see this year’s collection of the best disposable films made on everyday devices like cell phones, pocket cameras, and webcams.
1. Magnolia Cocktails | Thursday, March 20th | San Francisco Botanical Garden | 5:30pm | Celebrate the first day of Spring by coming out to enjoy evening cocktails garnished with magnolia petals in a relaxing secluded garden! Wander through the lovely, hidden nooks of the Exhibition Garden, and learn more from the docents about the Garden’s magnificent magnolias.
2. BOOKSWAP: Farm Fresh Edition with Novella Carpenter | Friday, March 21st | The Booksmith | 6:30pm | Join the first Bookswap of 2014! Never been to one before? Here’s how it works: You pick a book you love. The Booksmith closes the store early, opens the wine, serves some dinner, hands you a coupon, and turn you loose inside the bookstore with 30 of your new friends. At the end, there will be a big, rowdy, white elephant-style swap. You’ll part with your book, and leave with a book someone else adores! You will be joined by Novella Carpenter, who’s memoir Farm City has been chosen for One Book and One Marin. Get the chance to ask her any questions you’d like, and about her new book Gone Feral coming out in June.
3. Jemima Kirke: New Paintings | Friday, March 21st | Fouladi Projects | 6pm | Fouladi Projects Gallery is pleased to present new portraits of women by painter and RISD alumni, Jemima Kirke. Jemima has by now become widely known for her role as “Jessa” on HBO’s series “Girls”, but her intrinsic identity is as the artist in her studio, painting idiosyncratic oil on canvas portraits of friends and family. She was recently named one of Forbe Magazine’s “30 under 30” for Art and Style! You don’t want to miss out on her inspirational work!
4. DASH | Saturday, March 22nd | Un-scripted Theater Company | 10pm | DASH is a brand-new late night improv comedy show from the San Francisco improv veterans Un-Scripted Theater Company. It’s a hour-long madcap romp, incorporating your suggestions into a fast-paced, no-holds-barred, completely original show each week! Come early and enjoy a wide variety of microbrews, sodas, and snacks in the Salon across the hall. This event will take continue to take place every Saturday!
5. Aca-West A Cappella Festival | Sunday, March 23rd | University of San Francisco | 9am | This awesome festival is hosted by ASUSF Voices and features Deke Sharon, Vocal Producer for Universal’s hit film, “Pitch Perfect” and NBC’s “The Sing Off.” Workshops will be held earlier in the day covering a broad range of topics like vocal percussion, song writing, vocal arranging, and behind the scenes of Pitch Perfect and the Sing-Off. The festival will also feature a concert in the evening with performances by Vocal Rush (from “The Sing Off”), The Riveters, and The House Jacks.
How will you choose how to celebrate the beginning of Spring?! Which picks were your favorite? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!