Haight-Ashbury Street Fair This Sunday, June 12th

The 39th annual Haight-Ashbury Street Fair (HASF) is happening this Sunday, June 12th from 11am to 5:30pm along Haight Street between Stanyan Street and Masonic Avenue. 

According to the Fair's website, since 1978, HASF has produced the annual, one-day street fair that allows the community to celebrate the cultural contributions this district has made to San Francisco. This festival provides the neighborhood with the opportunity to showcase the variety of mercantile, cultural and community services available in this district. By creating a festival atmosphere, the street fair creates a stage for many artisans, musicians, artists and performers to present their work to the public. And, as a community service, HASF enables many non-profit organizations a chance to conduct outreach campaigns.

Since the event began, every Haight-Ashbury Street Fair has its own poster image that "reflects the many facets that make this event memorable and one of the most anticipated events in San Francisco." A contest is held annually, with poster submissions coming from anyone who wishes to contribute.  Many of these original works of art have become highly sought after collector Items.  This year's winner of the 39th Haight Ashbury Street Fair poster contest is Lily Prillinger, whose work is shown below.

Click here for more information on the Haight Ashbury Street Fair. 

Two stages offer live music through the day, including Crystal Garden and American rock band, Jefferson Starship. Amazing food and a variety of artisan crafts and products are also available for sale. A fair like to no other, HASF honors the legacy of the Upper Haight.

The Haight-Ashbury Street Fair embodies the unique diversity and culture of San Francisco that residents and visitors alike appreciate about this amazing City. The Costa Group is proud to serve the residents of San Francisco! 

Break Out Your Craziest Costume for the 104th Bay to Breakers

On May 15th, thousands of runners and walkers will participate in the 104th annual Zappos.com Bay to Breakers. This 12K race starts at 8am at Main and Howard Streets in San Francisco and finishes with a festival at the Ocean Beach parking lot on the Great Highway.

Since its inaugural race in 1912, almost 2 million people have completed the race, many decked in wild and crazy costumes. In fact, Bay to Breakers has been voted among the top 10 most iconic races in the United States. Encompassing all that is wild and wonderful about San Francisco, Bay to Breakers is so much more than just a foot race. It celebrates culture, traditions, athleticism and individualism all in one. There are outrageous costumes (including birthday suits), quirky traditions (like the centipede, in which a minimum of 13 runners are linked together), tortilla tossing and live music. 

Image courtesy of San Francisco Running Events

Bay to Breakers, also known as Bare to Breakers for its large number of unclothed participants, is also renown for the significant number of bandits it attracts. Unregistered participants, bandits 'crash' the race and often significantly add to it's total participants. It is definitely something to see and an event that people participate in year after year, be they serious athletes or those who love don their favorite costume. All ages are welcome and discounts are offered to active military, veterans and their family.

The Expo kicks off on Friday, May 13th and continues on Saturday the 14th at Pier 35 located at 1454 The Embarcadero. Race packets can be picked up with valid ID and order confirmation number. Open to the public, the Expo features the latest in fitness technology, gear and nutrition.

Image credits: Dogomedia

Bay to Breakers was originally called the Cross-City Race and began in an effort to lift the city's spirits as it rebuilt from the 1906 earthquake. Eventually renamed, the race gained its first taste of fame in 1986 when it gained a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the World's Largest Footrace for having 110,000 participants, including the infamous bandits.

If you've never participated or seen Bay to Breakers live and in person, its most definitely something to add to your bucket list!

14 Paint Colors That Make Rooms Look Larger

Just like furnishings, materials and artwork, paint gives our home a very specific feel and ambiance. A crucial part of our decor, paint color conveys personality, warmth, and can lend a feel of spaciousness or make a room feel dark and closed in.

Pros in the know including designers and top paint companies like Benjamin Moore have insights into colors that have both staying power and the ability to make rooms look larger.

1. Light colors & neutral tones are perfect options for small spaces but if you choose a bold color, offset it with softer tones for furnishings an accessories.

Best All-Around Colors

2. Paint the walls and trim the same tone in small rooms that don't have much natural light. This minimizes 'breaks' by offering one consistent color palette. It can also make ceilings look higher.

Colors for Both Walls & Trim

3. Bold accent colors can be used to make spaces feel cozy and intimate. The hues you use depends upon the 'feel' you're trying to achieve, be it warm, relaxed, energetic.

Bold Accent Colors

4. The key factor in choosing the perfect palette for your home is how much natural light each rooms receives. The lighter the color, the larger and brighter the room will appear. In general, the less natural light, the lighter the hue. If your goal is to boost the feel of spaciousness, opt for bright colors with a light reflectance value higher than 50. These reflect more light than they absorb, making that tight space feel more open and airy.

Colors to Create Illusion of Spaciousness

These classic colors are sure to enhance the rooms of your Marin or San Francisco home! 

Article excerpt from Huffington Post.