What's New in San Francisco – December 2006
“What's New” is a listing of new venues, attractions and activities compiled by the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau (SFCVB). Past editions of “What's New” and a list of “Recent and Coming Attractions” are available in the Media section of the SFCVB's Web site, www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com The next edition of “What's New” will be sent in January 2007.
City News
It’s HolidayFest Time in San Francisco Through Jan. 1, 2007
It’s the season for Snow Queens and gingerbread houses, for tap dancing Christmas trees and magical music. The San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau (SFCVB) has teamed with Visa to present the second annual HolidayFest through Jan. 1, 2007. The holiday spirit starts the moment passengers arrive at San Francisco International Airport (be sure to request an SFO Holiday Savings Passport at airport information booths or download at www.flysfo.com) and won’t subside until the last pop of the Champagne cork on New Year’s Eve. The partnership between the SFCVB and Visa also includes special hotel packages and added value offers from Visa. Many of the hotel packages include a “stay and shop” component with special offers at local stores and several waive hotel parking fees. These hotel packages can be booked at www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com or by calling 888-330-6739. The Web site also includes a complete calendar of more than 100 HolidayFest events. To request a free HolidayFest visitor kit (international postage fees may apply), e-mail HolidayFest@sfcvb.org or order online at www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com Media contact: Laurie Armstrong, 415-227-2603, larmstrong@sfcvb.org
Florida State Faces UCLA in Emerald Bowl on Dec. 27 at AT&T Park
In one of the marquee match-ups of the 2006 bowl season, UCLA will oppose Florida State in the 2006 Emerald Bowl, San Francisco’s college football post-season bowl game. UCLA is the first Pacific-10 Conference team to play in the Emerald Bowl. Florida State has never before played a game in Northern California. The Seminole’s last West Coast appearance was a 17-7 victory over USC in 1997. This season marks the 25th consecutive year (36th bowl appearance overall), Florida State has been invited to a bowl game. The two teams have never met before. “It’s an honor to invite two of the most storied names in college football to this year’s Emerald Bowl,” said Gary Cavalli, Emerald Bowl executive director. “We’re thrilled to bring Bobby Bowden, the winningest coach in college football history, and his Seminoles to San Francisco to meet UCLA, another of the premier programs in the country. Kick-off time for the fifth annual bowl is 5 pm on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2006. The game will be televised on ESPN at 5 pm (PST), 8 pm (EST). For information and to purchase tickets, call 415-947-BOWL (2695) or visit www.emeraldbowl.org Media contact: Doug Kelly, 916-202-0552, dkelly1416@emeraldbowl.org
100 Restaurants Participate in Sixth Annual San Francisco Dine About Town Jan. 1-31, 2007
Foodies everywhere are already planning their pilgrimages to San Francisco for January 2007. The San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau (SFCVB) and Visa will once again offer the popular prix-fixe restaurant promotion, “Dine About Townâ„¢ ” for the entire month of January, 2007. For the first time, the program will also include a few restaurants from neighboring cities. One hundred of San Francisco’s finest restaurants will offer three-course prix-fixe menus at $ 21.95 for lunch and/or $ 31.95 for dinner. A la carte menus will be available as well. Available exclusively to Visa cardholders, “Dine About Town” gives diners the rare opportunity to try out hot new restaurants and revisit some favorites at tempting prices. Reservations will start to fill as soon as the link from the SFCVB home page, www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com, goes live in mid-December, 2006. The site will list all of the participating “Dine About Town” restaurants, searchable by cuisine and location, and reservations can be made online through a partnership with OpenTable.com. The “Dine About Town” site will also include a link to a collection of “Dine-N-Stay” hotel packages, to make a dining experience into a full-fledged getaway. Media contact: Laurie Armstrong, 415-227-2603, larmstrong@sfcvb.org
February Is “Romance Season” in San Francisco
San Francisco has often been described as the “cool, grey city of love” and it’s a perennial favorite for honeymoons and wedding anniversary celebrations. Visitors planning a trip to the city this February should check out the Web site of the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau at www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com and take advantage of special hotel packages that are available throughout the year. Editor’s note: Special “Romance Season” content will be posted in mid-January, 2007. Media contact: Laurie Armstrong, 415-227-2603, larmstrong@sfcvb.org
The Piers Project Transforms Piers 1 ?, 3 and 5 Near San Francisco’s Ferry Building
Within the last 15 years much of San Francisco’s waterfront has gotten a new point of view. With the removal of the Embarcadero Freeway starting in 1991, the transformation of the Ferry Building into a bustling marketplace in 2003, and the restoration of Piers 7 and 14, the public was given unprecedented access to more and more port property. As of Nov. 15, 2007 with the opening of The Piers, a $54 million, mixed use project at the foot of Washington Street, three condemned, unoccupied piers at Piers 1 ?, 3 and 5 with only “location, location, location” going for them have been transformed into 60,000 sf of office space, approximately 17,000 sf of restaurant, café and retail space. When combined with the Bayside History Walk and PortWalk stretching along the entire bayside perimeter of the project, nearly an acre of public access has been added. Pier 1 ? was once the passenger waiting room for the Delta King and Delta Queen steam wheel paddle boats that ferried passengers between San Francisco and Sacramento. Berths for water taxi service and private yachts (for up to two weeks) will also be available. For more information, visit www.thepierssf.com Media contact: Alicia Esterkamp, 415-675-2102, aesterkamp@pacificwaterfront.com
Queen Mary 2 Makes Maiden Call to San Francisco on Feb. 4, 2007
The largest ocean liner in the world, Cunard’s flagship Queen Mary 2 (QM2) will make her maiden call to San Francisco on Feb. 4-5, 2007. Docking at Pier 27 on Sunday, Feb. 4, the QM2 measures 1,132 feet from stem to stern – almost four times the height of San Francisco’s famed Telegraph Hill – and towers 200 feet above the waterline. The rare overnight visit falls on the 26th day of QM2′s maiden “Around the World in 80 Days” cruise; she will have some 2,620 guests onboard and an additional 1,253 ship personnel. From San Francisco, she strikes a southwesterly course towards the South Seas, Australia, China, India, Egypt and the Mediterranean. As befits a queen, San Francisco will give the majestic ship a royal welcome. Media contacts: Jackie Matthews, Cunard Line, 661-753-1035, jmatthews@cunard.com or Maria Andriano, Redpoint Marketing Public Relations, 212-229-0119, andriano@redpointpr.com, Renee Dunn, Port of San Francisco, 415-274-0488, renee.dunn@sfport.com
November 30, 2006
Posted in: United States West