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Discover SF -- Road to Autumn Moon Festival, Chinatown
Sat, Sep 19, 6:30 PM**"海上生明月,天涯共此时"** === **"As the bright moon rises above the ocean, we share this very moment from all corners."** === \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- There is a way to **marvel** at the beauty of the city, and that of life. There is a way to turn a group of strangers, into a group that have sweated and laughed with you **together**, sharing the bread. We started this "**Road to**" format in North Beach festival, improved it for the Japantown Nihonmachi (thanks Tony), now we are doing it again for the Autumn Moon Festival, Chinatown, on Sat. Sep 19th. It involves a walk through city landmarks, then visit the festival in small groups, then regather for a group coffee/tea/dinner together. Autumn Moon Festival is the Chinese **Thanksgiving**, a time for family gatherings. Its iconic food is the moon cake. It would be celebrated for two days in Chinatown, starting with a parade at 11am Sat.. https://www.moonfestival.org/ Chinatown sits in a bowl underneath two of the best hills in San Francisco. So we're not going to show up at the Moon Festival. We're going to walk down into it from above. We start with coffee on Polk. We climb a hidden wooden lane that most people who live in this city have never found. Twenty minutes later you're standing on a terrace looking at Coit Tower, Alcatraz, the Bay Bridge — and straight below you, the rooftops of Chinatown. That's the destination. You get to look at it before you walk into it. Then we cross the ridge to Nob Hill, stop at the winding house where the actual cable car cables turn, cut through Grace Cathedral's courtyard, and come out at the corner where California Street drops away toward the bay with cable cars grinding up it. We descend into Chinatown, stop inside a church built in 1854 by Chinese laborers out of granite shipped across the Pacific, and then walk under the Dragon Gate into a street closed to cars, packed with lion dancers, mooncakes, and several thousand people. By the time we get there you'll know the people standing next to you. That's the actual product. The festival is the reward. And needless to say, that Chinatown itself is a district rich in culture and SF history. *** ## The arc **11:30 — Fueling Station Cafe, 2436 Polk St** (Polk & Union). Coffee, introductions, nobody left standing alone at the counter. Grab something — we're on our feet for a while. **12:00 — Step off.** Ten minutes of real climb east up Union. **12:15 — Macondray Lane.** A hidden wooden-plank lane between the buildings. Single file, so you talk to whoever's next to you. **12:35 — Ina Coolbrith Park.** The view, and our Friend Circle — a short structured round on the terrace so you leave knowing the people you walked with, not just their faces. Group photo. Then we point at Chinatown down below and go get it. **1:00 — Cable Car Museum.** Free, indoors, and genuinely great. The machines that run the whole system are right there spinning. **1:15 — Huntington Park & Grace Cathedral.** Nob Hill's front lawn. Second join point lands here. **1:40 — Mason & California.** The postcard corner. Look east and the whole city drops toward the Bay Bridge. **2:05 — Old St. Mary's.** Cool, quiet, and older than almost everything around it. **2:15 — The Dragon Gate.** We gather under it, take the photo, and walk in together. **2:25 — Grant Avenue.** Lion dancing, mooncakes, food stalls, six blocks of closed street. **3:45 — Regroup at Portsmouth Square**, one block off the noise. **4:00 — The alleys.** Waverly Place, the temple balconies, Ross Alley and the fortune cookie factory. Ninety seconds off Grant and it's a completely different city. **4:30 — Dinner in Chinatown.** Big round tables. Optional but strongly encouraged — this is where the day actually lands. *** ## Three ways to join You can't be late to this event. You can only be early for the next door. 1. **The Full Road** — 11:30 AM, Fueling Station Cafe, 2436 Polk St. The whole arc: the lane, the terrace, both hills, the descent, the gate. 2. **Mid-Join** — 1:15 PM, Huntington Park (California & Taylor, by the fountain). Skip the climb, catch the second half and the walk into Chinatown. Look for the TownFlame marker. 3. **The Gate** — 2:15 PM, the Dragon Gate at Grant & Bush. Join for the festival, the alleys, and dinner. Each door has a hard clock. We move on time. *** ## What you're actually getting Every TownFlame event comes with three things, and this one is no exception: * **A welcome buddy.** Someone whose job that day is you. If you're coming alone and you don't know anyone, you will not be standing by yourself. * **Friend Circle.** A short structured round partway through, so the walk produces names and stories instead of six strangers looking at a view. * **A social after, and a crew chat.** Dinner in Chinatown, and a group chat spun up afterward so the day doesn't evaporate on Sunday morning. *** ## The honest part About 2.2 miles with two real hill climbs, including roughly 130 steps on the Russian Hill segment. Good shoes. This is a hike, not a stroll, and the views are the reason it's worth it. If that's not your day, the 1:15 mid-join at Huntington Park skips every stair and drops you straight into the good part. No apology needed, no explanation required — that's why the door exists. Layers. It's warm on Polk and cold on the ridge, always. *** ## Getting there **To the 11:30 staging cafe (Polk & Union):** the 45 Union-Stockton runs from Caltrain up through Chinatown and along Union Street — get off at Union & Polk and you're at the door. From Civic Center BART, the 19 Polk goes straight up Polk. **To the 1:15 mid-join (Huntington Park):** the 1 California bus or the California Street cable car stops at the corner. **To the 2:15 gate:** five minutes' walk uphill from Powell Street BART. Driving is a bad idea. Grant Avenue is closed between California and Broadway all day and the whole neighborhood is a parking dead zone. If you must, the Portsmouth Square Garage at 733 Kearny is the closest option. We are **growing**, talk with our hosts, if you are interested in being a walk captain, or regional anchor, of our Golden Hour Sunset walks. **Join [TownFlame](http://www.townflame.org/), Make Life Happen.** **Liability Waiver:** Participation in TownFlame events is voluntary and involves social interaction in public spaces. Activities are designed to be inclusive and respectful. Participants assume all risks and release TownFlame, its organizers, volunteers, and affiliates from liability for injury, illness, or damages, except in cases of gross negligence or intentional misconduct. By attending, participants acknowledge that photographs, audio, and video recordings may be taken during events, and grant TownFlame the right to use such media for promotional and marketing purposes, in any format or platform, without further consent or compensation.

SAN FRANCISCO: Double Banner Drop for Save the Dogs and Factory Farm Watch
Fri, Sep 11, 12:45 AMPlease join us right after the Genentech protest to do a double banner drop on Thursday, September 10th meeting at 5:45pm. We will be there for an hour. We will be at the 23rd St overpass over US 101 Bayshore Freeway between Kansas St and Vermont St in San Francisco. We will be doing a double banner drop for Save the Dogs and also to promote [FactoryFarmWatch.org](http://factoryfarmwatch.org/?fbclid=IwcGRvZgFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBFbVA4d2tXb3NrNlNyNk1Tc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHp7Y3bKvrqJqZlgB6CaN_NSJUrqLC7HJCBiyPN9O8Wx6-hhmgrd7uO2wtC6Z_aem_gyqRNTt6vcKfW9Dm7zNndQ)! We'll have two huge banners to hold. Please come if you can, we need a lot of hands! Parking is available. \-\-\- **WHEN:** Thursday, September 10th at 5:45pm **WHERE:** Meet at the 23rd St overpass over US 101 Bayshore Freeway between Kansas St and Vermont St, San Francisco **WEAR:** Anything you like, weather appropriate **WHO:** Everyone is welcome! \-\-\- Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) is a grassroots network of animal rights activists. Through open rescue, demonstration, and disruption, we help build a world where every animal is safe, happy and free. DxE cultivates a welcoming and supportive community. We ask that all those who attend our events (online and offline) respect our Code of Conduct which can be reviewed at [dxe.io/conduct](https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fdxe.io%2Fconduct%3Ffbclid%3DIwcGRvZgFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBFbVA4d2tXb3NrNlNyNk1Tc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHr-QOEw7oXlE331F0rhnVm1PA5paW5Vqrgwmv9bXVDU9-eo_vuLYfruYRcAU_aem_sAHtOxRQG55Hu4BRUNFk9Q&h=AUChMPTmk96W6w9NtlsjgNIazHhr_ZGqBR7fCGS9cfLl7UmNoXyhDmmJ_qbno7Qt4zfhmOTF-sOz8qyvoc0l0OyP7LFb847goOriTIjGiWi9cEIwBeXnTE8Bc9MAwb1yLFg83SHFC023biNsFv23iNFI0w0Z9haj&__tn__=q&c%5B0%5D=AUBvw9Fi_M1pft2XF2Ik0GnDh74o9qkyDD2jTizpBCpcEC9CkQ4wVvQ7xlNtVA3Ow7Y8AVuKnIWogThMsjvq_axMojpGbbdKOsEvHF5cHaYRkzxbHfoGDpAQhO1t9OBiX_p8oYk77MOIHVXAYvJoJIDH3P9EzPkrLJ8). To learn about our vision, goals, strategy and more check out the San Francisco Bay Area chapter Activist Handbook here: [dxe.io/handbook](http://dxe.io/handbook?fbclid=IwcGRvZgFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBFbVA4d2tXb3NrNlNyNk1Tc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHp7Y3bKvrqJqZlgB6CaN_NSJUrqLC7HJCBiyPN9O8Wx6-hhmgrd7uO2wtC6Z_aem_gyqRNTt6vcKfW9Dm7zNndQ)

Botanical Garden Coffee Walk - starting at Saint Frank!
Sat, Sep 19, 9:00 PM**RSVP via:** https://app.gistirl.com/event-details/SxtWK1tnc6pVUogEIoTR **Early Bird Discounts | More $ Later** Hey coffee lovers, Grab your favorite iced drink and join me for a relaxed afternoon wandering through the lush, shaded paths of the Botanical Garden. We will kick things off with about an hour of app-paired chats to get to know each other, and then head out in small groups to explore the greenery together. Let's spend the first part of the afternoon chatting one-on-one with other neighborhood locals who appreciate a good roast and a leisurely stroll. The Gist IRL app takes the guesswork out of mingling by pairing you up directly, so you always know who you are talking to next and can just focus on the conversation. After we break the ice, you get to choose the people you vibed with the most to keep the afternoon going. By the time the rounds wrap up, you will be strolling through the botanical garden with a crew of 4-6 people you just met and clicked with. Whether this turns into your regular weekend walking crew or just a beautiful afternoon enjoying the blooms in good company, it is going to be a great time. The Plan: - 2:00PM: Check-In. Follow the link to set up your quick profile on your phone. - 2:05PM - 3:25PM: One-on-One Rounds. The app pairs you for focused chats. Find out who shares your favorite local roasters, neighborhood spots, and weekend routines. - 3:25PM+: Form Groups. Reconnect with your favorite matches, form groups of 4-6, and head into the Botanical Garden together to walk and relax — your group leaves together this afternoon. Instead of just swapping favorite cafe recommendations but never hanging out again, we are actually going to walk through the botanical garden today. My hope is that you find the people you will invite on future garden walks and park strolls to explore together. Plus, the app makes it incredibly easy to keep the momentum going. You can stay in touch with everyone you met today right through the platform, without ever needing to swap phone numbers. I cannot wait to soak up the afternoon sun and explore the gardens with you all. **RSVP via:** https://app.gistirl.com/event-details/SxtWK1tnc6pVUogEIoTR **Early Bird Discounts | More $ Later**

Native plant habitat restoration at Grandview Park
Wed, Sep 23, 7:00 PMPlease join us this week as we continue work at the amazing, scenic, (and windy) Grandview Park! We've made great progress with restoring swaths of the hillside for native plants and we look forward to reclaiming even more territory. \*\*[Here ](https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Grandview_Park)\*\*is a fascinating local San Francisco history article about this week's location: Grandview Park. Enjoy breathtaking views of the Pacific while helping preserve this dune plant community. **Meet at the stairs on Noriega Street near 748 Noriega St.** **Please register with SF Rec and Park [here](https://sfrpd.my.salesforce-sites.com/SFRPDJob?sShiftId=a09Pi00000AdGWz)**[ ](https://sfrpd.my.salesforce-sites.com/SFRPDJob?sShiftId=a09Pi00000AdGWz)if you are not yet a regular Wednesday CNPS volunteer. SF Rec & Park will provide gloves and tools (or bring your own if you prefer). Wear long pants and closed toed shoes. Bring water, a hat, sunscreen. Questions? Contact Cathy Lewis at [cathyyerbabuena@gmail.com](cathyyerbabuena@gmail.com)
Meetup on Orient Express - Visit Paris Venice Prague Vienna Budapest Istanbul ..
Mon, Sep 21, 2:00 AM
Pigeon First Aid & Companion Animal Care
Sun, Sep 13, 6:00 PM**MEETING LOCATION** \- Street level in front of the bank ATM\. There is a HUGE flock of pigeons there\. **Exact coordinates are: 37.784545,-122.408296** What if you could spend one afternoon directly changing the lives of animals who desperately need our help? Learn more about pigeon first aid: [https://dxe.io/pigeonfirstaid](https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdxe.io%2Fpigeonfirstaid%3Ffbclid%3DIwcGRvZgFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFtYWl2bDQ3dzBweWwyRHh5c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHp3iG5AjdsXMT7PuRe86Z65BUPMvsgAPkSMl7uD3TztS-eH0_M-qAukw6B_V_aem_1HsTDgfLtsZ2CO5nTryZOg&h=AUDw2psDPbnKyNaEaKINg2wFzJyUaObCBQZysxgOjhUANDamIKr6wCPAKgUA1SIUmhcBXu3tOH_9qkOIURmnNfCOxJGPNp9hqYr6SMKtvY0rkvK4lu-nZtW9WDkIKH6reFYFp4GhMg7GRfmDaWiF2qrBXIVSfuIJ&__tn__=q&c%5B0%5D=AUC87guuXfJ_th2UmsmRcaHTNeXfAmViVkn_7KGlRGXifFZgo5L9w7FjHQsRC3ZJnasHG5v0TUTzAmxf3WLF7KOUCrYXUdObckqOXWHdXajlK8LiQa2ToQY-1aZ6HKIn_V2q9wLDAScRkiyjssu_IdoZ_yPJcv7zb98) Join us in San Francisco for a unique, hands-on experience where you'll learn how to rescue injured pigeons, provide life-changing first aid, and support companion animals living alongside our unhoused neighbors. Every day, pigeons in San Francisco suffer from a hidden danger: string, fishing line, hair, and other debris that wrap tightly around their toes and feet, causing immense pain, infections, and sometimes the loss of entire limbs. During this event, we'll teach you how to safely spot, catch, and help these incredible birds before releasing them back to their families and flocks. We'll also be carrying food and toys to share with companion animals belonging to our unhoused neighbors because compassion doesn't stop with one species. This event is about building a kinder city for all animals. Whether you're a lifelong animal advocate or simply someone who wants to make a difference, this is your chance to turn empathy into action. You'll leave with new skills, amazing stories, and the incredible feeling that comes from knowing you made someone's world a little better. No experience necessary. We'll provide all the training and supplies. Just bring: Compassion Comfortable shoes A willingness to help animals who are too often ignored Come discover just how much good one afternoon can do. **ARRIVE ON TIME!** We’ll begin promptly at 11am with a brief about essential safety and training. If you arrive late, we will be out and about and hard to contact and find so please be on time. **Meeting location:** Powell Street BART Station (37.784545,-122.408296) Questions? Contact Carla at carla@dxe.io Come learn a unique skill, meet kindhearted people, and help make San Francisco a safer place for pigeons and companion animals alike. \-\-\- Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) is a grassroots network of animal rights activists. Through open rescue, demonstration, and disruption, we are creating a world where every animal is safe, happy and free. DxE cultivates a welcoming and supportive community. We ask that all those who attend our events (online and offline) respect our Code of Conduct which can be reviewed at [dxe.io/conduct](https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fdxe.io%2Fconduct%3Ffbclid%3DIwcGRvZgFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFtYWl2bDQ3dzBweWwyRHh5c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHqZPPpCRa1i9BtyWAF_wDoCZUV4_ZaMUHJqyl0WozbwQ_8JBqPScuayVJ3kU_aem_6OgLiQvwuPu1x1j1uI87ig&h=AUDYel9FX7DUAwlJKILKPayrNq3il35Dmpip4iwmENF19sIAKbycWKk5C6O4RvVFDhhF1gbETL53W8qb0_YILFcPb4bIxCW3zrPBLFFTAd1wLnrez7A6YJRRZhodcaLnFtnwiuq3sSZEq6PJe1CMmVqZr8KOZoZM&__tn__=q&c%5B0%5D=AUC87guuXfJ_th2UmsmRcaHTNeXfAmViVkn_7KGlRGXifFZgo5L9w7FjHQsRC3ZJnasHG5v0TUTzAmxf3WLF7KOUCrYXUdObckqOXWHdXajlK8LiQa2ToQY-1aZ6HKIn_V2q9wLDAScRkiyjssu_IdoZ_yPJcv7zb98) To learn about our vision, goals, strategy and more check out the San Francisco Bay Area chapter Activist Handbook here [dxe.io/handbook](http://dxe.io/handbook?fbclid=IwcGRvZgFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFtYWl2bDQ3dzBweWwyRHh5c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHmyjjK7jy-iHRHRcttxgr81ZIh32zd7xImZ9dyCfS6oo5-jeBx0ruyMVqYkf_aem_bZ-qPHJAr6u7RNnHhR0Jpg)
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