Park and Rec events week of September 24th 2014

e-News from the SF Recreation and Park Department

National Public Lands Day at Youngblood Coleman on September 27  In partnership with the Friends of Youngblood Coleman Playground, B-Magic, Parks 94124 and the YMCA, Rec and Park will host a special volunteer event in honor of National Public Lands Day at Youngblood Coleman onSeptember 27, from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will help with weed removal, litter pickup, baseball field improvements and a tile project on the park's chess tables. Last year, volunteers spent 183,000 hours of their time improving our parks and programs. If you want to volunteer onSeptember 27, email recparkvolunteer@sfgov.org.

Saturday in the Park McLaren Concert on September 27  The Friends of Jerry Garcia Amphitheater present a special Saturday in the Park McLaren event with Charity and the JAMband, which brings award-winning concerts to children and their families, Saturday, September 27, at 1 p.m. at the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater in McLaren Park. This free event is perfect for kids of all ages.  Bring a picnic basket and enjoy the afternoon.  Click here for more information.

Save the Date: Scaregrove Halloween Event at Stern Grove on October 24   Celebrate Halloween with Rec and Park on October 24! Our annual Scaregrove event at Stern Grove is fast becoming one of the city's premier Halloween destinations for families.  Come dressed in your favorite costume and enjoy carnival rides, a haunted house, live entertainment, music, food for sale, hay rides and much, much more!  Cost is $8 per person; children under 2 years old are free.  Click here to download our event postcard, or visit sfrecpark.orgfor more information, including how you can purchase advance tickets. WANT TO VOLUNTEER FOR THIS EVENT? Email recparkvolunteer@sfgov.org.

Volunteers Tidy Up City Parks in Observance of California Coastal Cleanup Day    Every year, on the third Saturday in September, people join together at sites all over California to take part in the state's largest volunteer event, California Coastal Cleanup Day. In 2013, over 58,000 volunteers removed almost 750,000 pounds of trash and recyclables from California's beaches, lakes, parks and waterways. On September 27, Rec and Park joined the effort to divert even more waste from entering our precious bodies of water by serving as site captains at three different locations in San Francisco-- Heron's Head Park, and the Murphy Windmill and North Lake in Golden Gate Park.  In all, 126 volunteers came out to our sites to pick up trash and clean our parks.  A hearty thank you to everyone who pitched in.  We couldn't have done it without you.

Rec and Park Kids Making Big Strides in Tennis and Baseball  Rec and Park GM Phil Ginsburg and the Recreation and Park Commission were proud to welcome some talented young athletes to City Hall on September 18.  The youths took time out of their regular school schedules for a special recognition of some pretty spectacular sports accomplishments.    First, Rec and Park's Golden Gate Park 14 & Under Coed Tennis Team qualified for the USTA Junior Team Tennis Sectional Playoffs in Fresno this past August, where they overcame an early deficit to capture the NorCal 14U Coed Sectional Championship title.  Throughout its run, the team was able to beat some well-established tennis programs from all over the Bay Area and will now travel to South Carolina in October to compete in the USTA Nationals! Also, Rec and Park's PONY League Mustang Division 10 & Under All-Star Baseball team had a similar run this past summer, winning the PONY West Zone Regional Championship and the PONY NorCal Super Regional Championship in July.  The team then went on to compete in the PONY West Zone tournament in Los Alamitos, the only team from Northern California to do so. Congratulations to all of our young athletes, who are proving that public recreation is alive and thriving.

Mobile Rec at Visitacion Valley Middle School Family Play Day on September 27   Come out to Vis Valley Middle School (450 Raymond Ave.) for a Mobile Rec event on Saturday, September 27, from11a.m. - 2 p.m. This free recreation event features non-traditional sports like a climbing wall, slack lining, disc golf, skateboarding and BMX bikes . We provide the gear and safety equipment on site. Get out and play.

Tricycle Music Fest with the Library Kicks Off on September 27 The San Francisco Kids' Public Library announces the 6th annual Tricycle Music Fest, bringing more concerts, more bands, and more opportunities to rock, play, and learn at the library! San Francisco Public Library and San Mateo County Library are teaming up again to present the biggest little music fest on the West Coast. The 2014 Grammy Award-winning lineup will be coming to your library on weekends in September and October. Tricycle Music Fest features 20 free events from the coolest and most acclaimed kindie rock performers. For more info, click here.

Intro to Fishing Classes at Lake Merced Begin September 27  Come and fish at San Francisco's beautiful Lake Merced this fall beginning Saturday, September 27, from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.  These classes are perfect for fledgling anglers,ages 8 and up, and will cover basic fishing techniques taught by our experienced staff.  Lake Merced is home to common species such as rainbow trout, catfish, black bass, carp and sunfish.  We provide the equipment; all you need is a fishing license if you're 16 or older.  Meet at the Lake Merced Boathouse at 1 Harding Drive.  Fishing licenses can be purchased via the California Fish & Wildlife website at dfg.ca.gov/licensing or at your local fishing shop. $25 per student. Register online at sfreconline.org.For more information, email rex.biteng@sfgov.org. See the class flyer here.

Explore and Play in Celebration of SF's Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights on October 18 Come out to Mountain Lake Park on October 18, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., for a day of fun and exploration in celebration of the San Francisco  Children's Bill of Rights.  Featuring lawn games, wildlife viewing, bike rodeo, and much, much more!  For more information, visit sfcan.org.

This Month in Parks    Bob Palacio, Rec and Park's Superintendent of Recreation and Community Services, talks about fall programming and some of our event highlights from the past month.