Here is a the 2013 summer movie schedule for Film Night in the Park, which presents free outdoor movies on a giant screen in various parks throughout Marin and San Francisco. Show time for all the movies is 8 pm, but arrive a little early for music, a raffle, and a cartoon. Reminiscent of the drive-in movies of yesteryear, Film Night in the Park is noted for its audience participation, with cheers for heroes, boos and hisses for villains, sing-a-longs, and hearty applause.
This season's offerings are a fun mix of recent hits like Pixar's Brave, Lincoln, and Moonrise Kingdomand classics including The Princess Bride, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Hitchcock's The Birds. There's definitely something for everyone.
Grab your blanket, pillow and pack the picnic basket—because Film Night in the Park is coming soon to a park near you. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. Popcorn, candy, and sodas will be available for sale. For more information call (415) 272-2756 or visit www.filmnight.org.
This summer, San Rafael's Country Club Bowl will be participating in Kids Bowl Free, a summer activity program where any child aged 18 and under can bowl two free games a day! There's no catch to Kids Bowl Free—all you do is register online, and you'll receive a weekly printable coupon that allows your children to bowl for free. Kids Bowl Free was created as a way to give back to the community and offer a safe, secure, and fun way for kids to spend time this summer.
Kids Bowl Free also helps local teachers with their classroom costs—elementary and middle school teachers can apply for grants to help offset the cost of classroom supplies. For more information, visit www.kidsbowlfree.com.
Kids Bowl Free times at Country Club Bowl are Monday and Tuesday from 11 am–7 pm, Wednesday–Friday 10 am–7 pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 11 am–1 pm, May 6–September 1. All participants must wear bowling shoes (bring your own or rent them at the bowling alley), and the family pass coupon is not good for daycare, business, or club outings, birthday parties, or league and tournament play.
One of our favorite destinations for a quick family getaway is California's Gold Country in the Sierra Foothills. It's a relatively short 3 hour drive from the Bay Area, and there are plenty of things for families to do. You can visit historic mining towns, pan for gold, explore caves, go wine tasting (for mom and dad, of course), take a ride on a 19th-century steam train, hike, fish, and more.
The highlight of our visits to the Gold Country always Columbia State Historic Park in the Tuolumne County town of Columbia. In fact, much of Columbia is the park itself. While most of the small Mother Lode towns along Highway 49 are filled with California history, Columbia takes this to an extreme—its downtown has been preserved to represent its mid 19th-century heyday, and in fact it's the best preserved Gold Rush town in California.
Columbia is kind of like California's answer to Colonial Williamsburg, but on a smaller scale. It's a fantastic place for families with children since there's a lot to do and see. The downtown state park part of Columbia is also closed to vehicular traffic for much of the year (stagecoaches excepted), so it's safe and families literally have the run of the place.
This summer, Cinemark's Summer Movie Clubhouse offers fun weekly summer movies for kids at the bargain price of only $1 per show. You can even purchase a punch card admitting you to 10 shows for only $5! 10-show discount punch cards are limited in quantity and must be purchased in advance at the theater box office. All films are rated G or PG. For more info, visit their website here.
Participating theaters in Marin include the Century Rowland Plaza in Novato at 44 Rowland Way, and CinéArts Marin in Sausalito at 101 Caledonia Street. Here's the schedule for this summer:
Century Rowland Plaza, Novato (all films start at 10 am)
Surf's up today at Novato's Hamilton Community Pool at their Family Fun Day from 1 to 5 pm.
Admission to the pool from 1 to 5 is half price—Novato residents pay just $3 for adults and $2 for youths and children, whil non-residents pay $4 for adults and $3 for youths and children. Have a great time at Novato's newest community pool, which features shaded picnic areas, lawns, and a fun waterslide and water play structure in the kids' pool. Read our review of the Hamilton Pool here.
For another $5, you can take part in additional Family Fun Day activities. Your wristband entitles you to a raffle for great prizes like a free season pass, and private lessons,unlimited bounce house entry, games and activities like a diving contest and swim race, and sno-kone, too!
In honor its newest exhibit, Snakes & Lizards: The Summer of Slither, the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park is offering a special edition of its popular Penguins + Pajamas sleepover for kids ages 5 and older and their adult chaperones. These sleepovers feature an exclusive overnight stay at the Academy, special live animal presentations, access to all exhibits including Snakes & Lizards, a late night snack, and breakfast. Right now through August 20 you can save $20 by entering promo code PPAUG20 when you purchase your sleepover tickets online.
During your very own night at the museum, you can explore the entire Academy, take in an after-hours planetarium show and special animal presentations, and slither through Snakes & Lizards, where you’ll discover more than 60 reptiles from around the world with incredible adaptations like projectile tongues and remarkable camouflage. Before bedtime, whisper good night to Lemondrop the 15-foot-long albino python, and settle in for story time with cookies and milk to learn about Pierre—the Academy’s famous wetsuit-wearing penguin.
This summer the Osher Marin Jewish Community Center presents its Summer Nights series of outdoor concerts at its campus in San Rafael. Bring a picnic, your blanket, low-backed lawn chairs, and dancing shoes—there's fun for the whole family! Dinners from a variety of favorite local restaurants along with beer, wine, non-alcoholic drinks, and snacks will be available for purchase, and for kids there's a playground available for supervised play and an art room that will be open for coloring fun.
This summer's outdoor concert lineup features Bluegrass Night with Hot Buttered Rum and Jugtown Pirates on Saturday, July 9 (dinner from Roadside BBQ), an evening in Puerto Rico with Plena Libre on July 16 (dinner from Sol Food), Balkan Romani Night with Brass Menazeri on July 23 (Middle Eastern food), and some cultral fusion infusion with Rupa and the April Fishes on July 30 (dinner from Mi Pueblo). All concerts start at 7 pm; doors open at 6:15 pm, and there's a dance lesson at 6:40 pm.
Advance concert tickets are $20 (order by midnight the Friday before concert). Day-of tickets are $25 general and $20 for JCC members. Kids 6–17 are $5, and children 5 and under are free.
To celebrate the first day of summer, all of the over 100 National Parks that normally charge an entry fee will be free to everyone on Tuesday, June 21! This is the third in this year's series of fee-free days at the National Parks. Other upcoming fee-free days include September 24, 2011 (Public Lands Day) and November 11–13, 2011 (Veterans Day weekend).
Guest contributor Barbara McVeigh shares some great resources for summer sailing and nautical fun for kids and families.
The America’s Cup sailing race is yet two years away, but the excitement in the maritime communities is beginning to build just like the wind before a full blown gale.
There are lots of family fun sailing events planned this summer with activities promising to please the youngest of sailors to the crustiest of old salts. Treasure hunts, model boat building, schooner sails and pirates in Vallejo are just some of the teasers to lure a landlubber into the magical world of sailing.
Youth sailing camps start in June. The sport encourages teamwork and develops self reliance and confidence unlike any other activity. For a child, this can be the beginning of lifelong knowledge of the sport and art of sailing, as well as a connection to the natural elements of sea and wind. Kids laugh and have fun sailing!
Here is a the 2013 summer movie schedule for Film Night in the Park, which presents free outdoor movies on a giant screen in various parks throughout Marin and San Francisco. Show time for all the movies is 8 pm, but arrive a little early for music, a raffle, and a cartoon. Reminiscent of the drive-in movies of yesteryear, Film Night in the Park is noted for its audience participation, with cheers for heroes, boos and hisses for villains, sing-a-longs, and hearty applause.
This summer, San Rafael's Country Club Bowl will be participating in Kids Bowl Free, a summer activity program where any child aged 18 and under can bowl two free games a day! There's no catch to Kids Bowl Free—all you do is 
This summer, Cinemark's Summer Movie Clubhouse offers fun weekly summer movies for kids at the bargain price of only $1 per show. You can even purchase a punch card admitting you to 10 shows for only $5! 10-show discount punch cards are limited in quantity and must be purchased in advance at the theater box office. All films are rated G or PG. For more info, 
Surf's up today at Novato's Hamilton Community Pool at their Family Fun Day from 1 to 5 pm.
In honor its newest exhibit, Snakes & Lizards: The Summer of Slither, the .jpg)
This summer the Osher Marin Jewish Community Center presents its Summer Nights series of outdoor concerts at its campus in San Rafael. Bring a picnic, your blanket, low-backed lawn chairs, and dancing shoes—there's fun for the whole family! Dinners from a variety of favorite local restaurants along with beer, wine, non-alcoholic drinks, and snacks will be available for purchase, and for kids there's a playground available for supervised play and an art room that will be open for coloring fun.
To celebrate the first day of summer, all of the over 100 National Parks that normally charge an entry fee will be free to everyone on Tuesday, June 21! This is the third in this year's series of fee-free days at the National Parks. Other upcoming fee-free days include September 24, 2011 (Public Lands Day) and November 11–13, 2011 (Veterans Day weekend).
Guest contributor Barbara McVeigh shares some great resources for summer sailing and nautical fun for kids and families.
