Series Of Big Events To Crowd San Francisco This Weekend
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - San Francisco will be bursting at the seams with activity this weekend, as an unusual convergence of high-attendance sporting and entertainment events is expected to bring as many as a million people into the densely-populated city.
The weekend will include the opening games of the San Francisco Giants divisional playoffs, a San Francisco 49ers game, the annual Fleet Week celebration featuring the Blue Angels and the America's Cup World Series yachting races.
Add to that mix a highly popular bluegrass festival in Golden Gate Park and street festivals in North Beach and elsewhere and you have the makings for jam-packed streets and transit challenges.
Fleet Week, a celebration of the nation's military, will include the usual events like flyovers of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, as well as new features such as public tours of Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy ships at Piers 30-32 and 80 and a chance to meet military canines.
Starting Friday at 12:30 p.m., the team will be part of an air show that continues throughout the weekend on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and Sunday at noon with a full Fleet Week air show featuring the squadron's engines roaring at 3 p.m. on both weekend days.
KCBS' Jeffrey Schaub Reports:
The city is also hosting more America's Cup World Series sailing races on the Bay between Tuesday and Sunday, the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in Golden Gate Park starting Friday, two San Francisco Giants Divisional playoff games at AT&T Park on Saturday and Sunday, a San Francisco 49ers game at Candlestick Park on Sunday, as well as the Castro Street Fair and the Italian Heritage Parade in North Beach.
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City officials say they are prepared for the crowds, but they are strongly encouraging people to use public transportation.
"It's unprecedented," San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency director Ed Reiskin said. "We've had overlapping events before but not so many stacked up in such a short period of time."
KCBS, CBS 5 and SF Chronicle Insider Phil Matier Reports:
Reiskin likened the weekend to "the World Series of transportation for us, or the Super Bowl," and encouraged people to take public transportation or bike or walk around the city rather than driving.
Mayor Ed Lee said, "We have departments that have been working around the clock to make sure these are managed well."
Lee said, "We're not going to be a victim of our own success."
The SFMTA is running extra buses and light-rail vehicles to and from the waterfront and to the music festival in Golden Gate Park, while BART, Caltrain and other regional transit agencies are also providing extra service.
The mayor also was focused on the financial windfall the city will receive from hosting all of the various events.
"I think there's going to be a tremendous economic impact," he said.
Officials encouraged residents or people coming into San Francisco to visit sfmta.com or 511.org for information on how to get around the city.
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