A menagerie of creatures filled last
year’s petting zoo, held
within the Noe Valley Ministry parking lot. This year,
the petting and
picture-taking will take place on Noe Street north of
24th Street. Photo by
Sylvia Buettner
Ready for some fun? Then mark your calendar for
Saturday, June 16,
when the third annual Noe Valley SummerFest will bring
hayrides, a petting zoo,
a bouncy house, clowns, and more to 24th Street.
While many of the activities will be geared
toward kids, organizers
are making sure no grown-up is left behind. Adults can display
their
chalk-drawing skills, sway to Hawaiian music, marvel at the
skills of Circus
Finelli, groove to the a cappella sounds of the Clef Divers,
or enjoy cooking
demonstrations and food tastings outside Whole Foods Market.
What’s more, aside
from a modest charge for feed for the petting zoo animals,
it’ll all be free.
The festival, running from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., is
being co-produced
by the Noe Valley Merchants and Professionals Association and
the Noe Valley
Association—the community benefit group responsible for, among
other things,
the hanging flower baskets, street benches, and
spiffy sidewalks
along 24th and Castro streets.
Hayrides will get the festivities rolling, with
the horse-drawn
wagon departing from Walgreens, at Castro and Jersey streets,
every 20 minutes
between 11 and 3. Riders can also get on or off at 24th and
Sanchez streets,
where the horses will turn back toward Walgreens. The rides
are sponsored by
Zephyr Real Estate.
Also starting at 11 will be the petting zoo and
bouncy house,
located on Noe Street just north of 24th. (The section of Noe
Street between
the Pomodoro cafe and Chase Bank will be closed to traffic
during the event.)
Like last year, a menagerie of friendly llamas, goats, and
sheep will be
visiting from All About Animals mobile zoo. Youngsters petting
and feeding the
animals or playing in the bouncy house, which is sponsored by
First Republic
Bank, must be supervised by a parent or guardian. Both
attractions will be open
until 5.
If those aren’t enough to keep the kids
entertained, Funnybone
the Clown will perform magic tricks and make balloon animals
at 24th and Noe
from 11:30 to 1:30.
Just west of the parklet in front of Just for
Fun will be an
old-fashioned photo booth, where festival goers can mug for
the camera between
11 and 3. Subjects will have a choice of black-and-white or
color photo strips.
Circus Finelli will send in the clowns from 2
to 4. The
merriment will begin in the Noe Valley Ministry parking lot
between Sanchez and
Vicksburg and then move west along 24th Street.
Meanwhile, hula dancers will perform two
30-minute shows, at 1
and 3, in the parklet in front of Just for Fun. Hawaiian
shaved-ice drinks may
be purchased for $3 between 11 and 4, with proceeds helping to
defray festival
expenses. Smitten Ice Cream will also be churning out treats
from 1 to 3
outside the Hill & Co. Real Estate office at 24th and
Vicksburg. Each
creamy scoop is made to order.
Also stepping out from the Ministry parking
lot, at 3:30, will
be the Clef Divers. With an eclectic repertoire of rock, pop,
jazz, and country
songs, you never know what they might sing as they make their
way along 24th
Street.
The day’s events will culminate in a
chalk-drawing contest on
the sidewalk in front of the old Real Food store. There will
be two categories:
kids under 12 and everyone else, with first-, second-, and
third-place winners
each receiving prizes provided by Just for Fun and Whole
Foods. Judging will
commence at 4:30. Because participation is limited to 50
squares, would-be
competitors are encouraged to register early. They may do so
at Just for Fun,
starting at 10 a.m.
Also underwriting the event, which will cost an
estimated
$25,000 to produce, are Alain Pinel Real Estate, Cliché Noe,
Edward Jones
Investments, and One Medical Group.
Kids can look forward to nuzzling goats,
sheep, and other animals
at the June 16 SummerFest and petting zoo on 24th
Street. Photo
courtesy Sylvia Buettner
