OCTOBER 1
Castro Street Fair
Castro Street, 415-841-1824
Arts and crafts booths, live entertainment, dancing and music are all part of the fun at this gay-friendly street festival.
OCTOBER 2-9
Fleet Week San Francisco
Aquatic Park and Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf
Fleet Week is the Bay Area's opportunity to honor the nation's men and women of the Navy and marine services. Navy ship tours and air show. Reserved seating and corporate packages available.
OCTOBER 5-15
Mill Valley Film Festival
CineArts@Sequoia and 142 Throckmorton (Mill Valley), Century Cinema (Corte Madera) and Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center (San Rafael), 415-383-5256
Presented by the California Film Institute, the Mill Valley Film Festival celebrates the best in independent and world cinema; founded in 1978 it has established an impressive track record for launching new films and filmmakers.
OCTOBER 6-8
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
Hellman Hollow, Golden Gate Park
OCTOBER 6-14
Litquake
Citywide
A San Francisco literary festival showcases hundreds of the Bay Area's finest writers for a week of readings, discussions, films, cross-media happenings and more.
OCTOBER 12-NOVEMBER 12
ArtSpan/SF Open Studios
Various locations, 415-861-9838
San Francisco's most exciting artists open their doors to the public and reveal their latest projects, how they work and what's for sale.
OCTOBER 13-14, 20-21
Grand National Rodeo, Horse and Stock Show
Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Ave., 415-404-4111,
Bareback riding, steer wrestling, barrel racing, saddle bronco riding, team and tie-down roping and bull riding are among the competitive events.
OCTOBER 19-22
Sundance Stompede
Various locations, 415-820-1403
San Francisco's annual Country Western weekend for the LGBT community and friends. Join hundreds of cowboys and cowgirls as they dance their feet off with three days of workshops and three nights of open dancing.
OCTOBER 20-23
San Francisco Dance Film Festival
Brava Theater Center
www.sfdancefilmfest.org
A four-day event featuring the best dance films from around the world - and San Francisco's own backyard. From feature documentaries on choreographic luminaries to innovative experimental shorts, the festival offers something for dance aficionados and newcomers alike.
OCTOBER 21
Potrero Hill Festival
Potrero Hill, 22nd Street between Missouri and Arkansas Streets
www.potrerohill.biz
The Potrero Hill Festival returns with a full day of fun, food, music and community activities. There will be special activities for the kids, including a puppet show and a petting zoo.
OCTOBER 21-22
San Francisco Trolley Dances
www.epiphanydance.org
Site-specific performances parallel major Muni routes; artists and ensembles are matched with specific sites to create 8- to 15-minute pieces in response to the physical environment, architecture and history of the area.
OCTOBER 26-29
San Francisco Fall Antiques Show
Fort Mason Center, 415-989-9019
The oldest continuously operating international antiques show on the West Coast. The show includes 60 distinguished antiques dealers from America and Europe selling a broad range of antique merchandise.
