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The Bard in the park

Summer is a great time to enjoy the outdoors: from story-telling around bonfires on your favorite beach to camping under towering redwoods. But summer is also the time when the art community comes out in full force. From now till fall, art shows happen almost every weekend in main streets around the Bay Area, and many cities offer free concerts in parks and school grounds. But today, we’ll look at a quieter, less commonly known art treasure: Shakespeare in the Park.

Free performances

The first time I came across free Shakespeare was a few decades ago in Golden Gate Park. A crowd had gathered in one of the big meadows and I thought to myself: “This looks gemütlich, let’s see what might be going on.” My friendly neighbors offered me a spot on their blanket and a glass of wine, and so it began. Little did I know then that Shakespeare in the Park is a tradition, and one not limited to San Francisco.

Below are some places where you can see Shakespeare performed for free. Of course, there are many, many more places all around the Bay Area, where you can enjoy his works on the beach or in the forest with a ticket (and a glass?) in hand!

Silicon Valley Shakespeare

Shakespeare in Willow Glen’s Bramhall Park, San Jose

–Bramhall Park, Willow Glen

Silicon Valley Shakespeare chose A Midsummer Night’s Dream as their free 2019 play (the photo is from a prior season).

San Francisco Shakespeare Festival

–Amador Valley Community Park, Pleasanton
–Memorial Park, Cupertino (enjoy English poetry mixed with the sound of local ducks 🙂
–Grounds of Sequoia High School, Redwood City
–Main Post Parade Ground Lawn, Presidio, San Francisco
–Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, McLaren Park, San Francisco

The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival brings you As You Like It this year. They play in different parks from June to September.

Vallejo Shakespeare in the Park

–Hanns Park Amphitheater, Vallejo
–Rithet Park, Crockett
–Susanan Park, Martinez
–Peralta Hacienda Historical Park, Oakland

Vallejo Shakespeare in the Park will perform Henry V from July to August at several East Bay locations.

Tips

Like many other free programs, free Shakespeare depends on donations. If your wallet allows for it, please drop a few bills in the hat at the end of the evening. Some of the companies also offer merchandise like shirts and sweaters.

This is Northern California and it tends to get cold after sundown. Plan accordingly (or buy that sweater!)

Food can be purchased at booths or food trucks at some of the festivals, but do not count on it. Bring your own picnic. That’s half of the fun anyways!

Blankets and low chairs are always allowed. Do check the performance websites for rules on taller chairs though.

Here are some more tips from the SF Shakespeare Festival site:
http://www.sfshakes.org/programs/free-shakespeare-in-the-park/tips-for-attending-free-shakes

Now go and grab that blanket, because “nothing will come of nothing!”

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An apple a day

During my recent trip to Germany I visited the Alte Land, a beautiful sleepy region near Hamburg. This marshland stretch along the river Elbe is famous for its half-timbered houses and endless orchards. It is also Northern Europe’s biggest contiguous fruit-producing area, and apple harvest was in full swing. Farm stands offered a wide variety of apples and related products like apple spirits or freshly baked cakes. Even my bed-and-breakfast was on the bandwagon and offered delicious cold-pressed apple juice from the neighboring farm.

Apple orchard near Hamburg

Where can we go to get our fix of fresh apples in the extended Bay Area, you might ask? While wine has largely taken over areas that used to be producing cherries and apples, there are still some great places to discover.

Please note that some of these farms mentioned below do not allow dogs or outside food. Make sure to check their websites before you go. I am planning to visit at least one of the farms this weekend 🙂

Apple picking from Watsonville to Sebastopol

My favorite place to pick apples is just north of Davenport at Swanton Pacific Ranch. This little u-pick orchard operated by Cal Poly University has a nice variety of apples (some of which are unusual) and a low-key vibe. During some visits, we have had the place to ourselves; during others, we enjoyed seeing families with little kids picking apples and then picnicking on the property. Since this is not a big orchard, the picking season often ends earlier than in other locations. I believe this might be the last weekend to go, but best to check their website.

Apples at Swanton Pacific Ranch

A popular place to visit is Gizdich Ranch in Watsonville. Gizdich has a lot to offer (and is therefore sometimes quite crowded), from their famous fresh pies to jams to freshly pressed juices, an antiques shop, nice picnic grounds, and u-pick opportunities. Check their website for more information.

Apple orchard at Gizdich Ranch

Other orchards in the Watsonville area are Clearview Organic Orchards and Live Earth Farm. Clearview’s season of weekend apple picking usually goes till the end of October. This friendly family farm also offer squashes, local honey, lavender, apple butter, and baked goods on the premises. Find more information here. Live Earth Farm is an organic CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm. They have special weekends dedicated to specific varietal picking. Check their schedule for the next apple picking dates. They have a nice farm stand on the premises and currently also a pumpkin patch.

Farm stand at Clearview Orchards

One of the original fruit areas of Northern California was located around Sebastopol. While a lot of the original orchards have been converted to vineyards, there are some reminders – like the annual Apple Blossom Festival and Gravenstein Apple Fair – that this once was a prime apple-growing region. Here are some farms you can visit while in the area: Gabriel Farm (membership is required for this CSA, please check their website) and Apple-A-Day Ratzlaff Ranch (long picking season, picnic tables, award-winning juice).

More apple-y stuff

My favorite, favorite, favorite apple is the Cox Orange Pippin. We even planted a tree in our backyard despite the fact that San Jose has nowhere near the climate this apple likes. This year, the little tree delighted us for the first time ever with not the usual 2 apples but some 30 or so! In the end, we still only got 2 because a mob of irreverent squirrels looted the tree long before harvest time. They just gnawed their way through the netting… There is ONE farm I know of that sells Cox Orange and that unfortunately is a bit of a drive up north. But whenever I am up in Anderson Valley, I make sure to stop at the Gowan’s Oak Tree farm stand. This 100+ year old farm along Highway 128 offers an incredible variety of apples as well as cider, peaches, and plums. This is not a u-pick destination. Also in Philo and close to Gowan is The Apple Farm. Here you can peruse the farm stand but also rent cottages or book one of their Stay & Cook packages.

Liquid apples

Finally, if you prefer to drink your apples, check out The Cider Junction in San Jose. Opened exactly a year ago by a fellow German from Hanover, this bistro has 26 rotating hard ciders from California and select countries on tap and offers 30 more in bottles or cans (they also have a few beers on tap). The best thing to do at the Junction is choose a flight and let your taste buds experience different fruits, regions, and alcohol levels! Just be aware that hard cider tends to go to your head, so make sure to pair it with some food. The Cider Junction offers a simple but tasty menu to make sure you are covered.

The Cider Junction

Enjoy!