Guide To This Weekend's (Many) Events

There's no shortage of awesome activities, events and concerts this weekend. From the Blue Angels to the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, this is one of the biggest weekends all year. Check out our event guide for great ideas for the whole family, and be aware that traffic around the Bay, especially in San Francisco, will be very heavy.Check the CBS 5 Weather Page before you head out and KCBS Traffic Updates before you hit the road.

Our complete events listings for this weekend can be found HERE.

Fleet Week
3950 Scott St.
San Francisco, CA 94123
(650) 599-5057
www.fleetweek.us
Dates: October 4-8, 2012Price: Free to the public; Reserved seating $15--$37.50 or $40 at the door, children under four free; Flight Deck Club ($120 to $125 a day) with a full buffet and drinks. For tickets, click here.

The 32nd Fleet Week in San Francisco arrives by air and sea for five days of living legends. Performers, both military and civilian, will demonstrate breathtaking, life-saving skills and patriotism with aerobatic shows.

Check out this video of the Blue Angels arriving at SFO.

Related: Our Complete Guide to Fleet Week

America's Cup World Series
October 3-7, 2012
Marina Green, San Francisco
www.americascup.comCome to the gorgeous Marina Green to enjoy the America's Cup World Series San Francisco during Fleet Week. Check our world class sailing in a world class location. The America's Cup Village is free and open to the public October 2-7 from 10am to 7pm. Ticketed seating for the event will be available for race days from October 3-7 in bleachers located on the peninsula near Golden Gate Yacht Club.Tickets are on sale now, $40-$125. You can purchase seating here.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival
Golden Gate Park
Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
FREE
More information2012's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival is of one of the largest (and free-est) music festivals in the country. The 2012 lineup includes Patty Griffin, Les Claypool, Cowboy Junkies, Emmylou Harris, Chuck Prophet, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Elvis Costello, Dwight Yoakam, Lloyd Cole, Patti Smith, Steve Earle, Vince Gill, Nick Lowe and more. Bring a blanket and a picnic and get there early! Parking around the park is tough, so check plan accordingly.

Related: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival Preview

Castro Street Fair
Intersection of Castro and Market Streets
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 841-1824
www.castrostreetfair.orgFree admission but donations strongly encouraged
Sunday, October 7th from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Founded in 1974 by Harvey Milk, California's first openly gay politician elected to public office, the Castro Street Fair is San Francisco's most popular LGBT festival. The fair is always the first Sunday in October and is held in the Castro District of San Francisco, centered around the intersection of Market and Castro Streets. The first fair attracted 5,000 visitors and last year's garnered over 50,000 attendees and raised $85,000 for local non-profits.

The annual Castro Street Fair encompasses the standard street-fair fare of live music, street food and art booths, but does so with a special kind of kinky San Franciscan flair. While remaining a bit tamer than other more risqué San Francisco LGBT street fairs like the Folsom Street or Dore Alley Fairs, the vibe at Castro is somewhat more family-friendly. However, discretion is still advised.

Related: Our Guide to the Castro Street Fair

Italian Heritage Parade for Columbus Day
Foot of Jefferson and Stockton Streets at Fisherman's Wharf
South through North Beach on Columbus Avenue to Washington Square
(415) 703-9888
www.sfcolumbusday.org
Sunday, October 7, 2012 at 12:30 p.m.The Italian Heritage Parade provides a day full of Italian musicians, performance artists and celebrities destined for Washington Square Park in the heart of North Beach. Additional events include a Ferrari car show. Take part in open-air dining, wine and food specials along the way as you watch the hand-crafted floats.

Giants Playoff Games
Saturday & Sunday, 6:30pm, AT&T Park

49ers vs. Buffalo Bills
Sunday, 1:15pm, Candlestick Park

If you're lucky enough to have tickets to any of these great games, lucky you! If not, it's probably best to avoid the traffic near AT&T Park and Candlestick.

Swing by the CBS SF Sports Page for stats, scores, games and more. Stock up on fan gear at the CBS SF Fan Shop.

Check KCBS Traffic Updates.

Madonna's 2012 World Tour
HP Pavilion
525 West Santa Clara Street
San Jose, CA
More Information
Saturday & Sunday, 8pm

Madonna is having a huge party and everyone's invited. The Madonna 2012 World Tour comes to San Jose this weekend. Tickets are still available, and can be purchased here. If you're not headed to the concert, heads up that traffic around the HP Pavilion will be jam-packed.

Check KCBS Traffic Updates.

Justin Bieber
Oracle Arena
7000 Coliseum Way
Oakland, CA 94601
Saturday, October 6th, 7pm
More Information

OMG! Justin Bieber is coming to the Oracle Arena. If you (or your tween) can score tickets to this concert, you're in for a huge show. Not only is Justin famous for his on-stage antics, his opening act is Carly Rae Jepsen of "Call Me Maybe" fame. If you're not headed to the show, be aware that traffic in the area will be almost as intense as a 12-year old's Bieber-fever.Check KCBS Traffic Updates.