August 2012 Hotel Manager's Picks | Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf Hotel

Greetings from Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco's #1 visitor destination. If you are planning an adventure to San Francisco in August, be prepared to experience a multude of fun attractions, things to do and see, and places to dine and relax.

August marks the end of summer and is ushered in again this year with SF Chefs | 2012, San Francisco's premier food, wine, and spirits festival set at venues throughout the City culminating with the Saturday Night Grand Tasting Event on August 4th at Union Square: Decadence after Dark, the most delicious things happen after dark!

The Grand Tasting Tent transforms into a steamy, sultry, sexy affair. Sip fine wines and expertly crafted cocktails while mingling with the chefs, winemakers and mixologists who make this delicious event possible.

One of the busiest and well known attractions in North America, Fisherman's Wharf is best known for being the location of Pier 39, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, the Cannery, Ghirardelli Square, a Ripley's Believe it or Not museum, the Musée Mécanique, the Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf, Forbes Island and restaurants and stands that serve fresh seafood, most notably Dungeness crab and clam chowder served in a sourdough bread bowl.

Some of our restaurants, like Pompeii's and Alioto's #8, go back for three generations of the same family ownership. Nearby Pier 45 has a chapel in memory of the "Lost Fishermen" of San Francisco and Northern California.

To help plan your stay, visit our Local Events page on our website for details of some of the more interesting events that are happening in San Francisco this month. Regardless of what you have planned, enjoy visiting our beautiful city.

What's your favorite spot in San Francisco? Let us know at sheratonsf@ihrco.com or Share on Facebook.

Happy Travels ... Craig Schwan, General Manager

America's Cup World Series
The first racing in the host city of the 34th America's Cup will be at the AC World Series San Francisco with racing open in San Francisco from August 22-26, 2012 along the Fisherman's Wharf waterfront. This is the first opportunity for the teams of the 34th America's Cup to compete on the iconic San Francisco Bay race course area ahead of the 2013 Louis Vuitton Cup and America's Cup Finals.

Each AC World Series regatta will be a combination of practice and championship racing, with additional practice sailing on-site ahead of each event.

It all began when the yacht America, representing the young New York Yacht Club, out sailed the best the British could offer on an August day in 1851. San Francisco is one of the first stops on the 2012-13 America’s Cup World Series circuit. Teams from France, Italy, Korea, China, New Zealand, Sweden, the United Kingdom and ORACLE TEAM USA will compete August 21-26, 2012. This marks the first time the teams will race in the host city of the 34th America's Cup in 2013.

For further information, visit http://www.americascup.com/.

SF Chefs 2012
San Francisco’s premier food, wine and spirits festival returns, July 30 – August 5. Mingle with the Bay Area’s finest chefs, bar stars, and wine experts in the epicenter of culinary inspiration – San Francisco. Join fellow foodies on the legendary Union Square as it becomes transformed into a culinary wonderland under the Grand Tasting Tent this summer.

A thrilling selection of wines and spirits are the perfect accompaniment to showcase dishes from San Francisco’s most coveted chefs including Gary Danko, Charles Phan, Traci Des Jardins, Tyler Florence, Hubert Keller, Emily Luchetti, Thomas McNaughton, Martin Yan and many more.

With classes, demonstrations, tastings, competitions and parties – there’s something for every palate.

The festivities have already begun! Get your tickets for the remaining Dinner Party Project, demos with top chefs at the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market, the exclusive 49 Square Mile Party, and Food Arts Industry Series with impressive panels.

Get all the details and your tickets www.sfchefsfoodwine.com.

Outside Lands Music & Art Festival
Mixing music, art and food is what San Francisco is all about. Now in it's 6th year, the Outside Lands Music and Art Festival that features more than 60 bands playing over three days.

Outside Lands is not just a rock concert. It's an all-encompassing minaiture city that rises in the middle of Golden Gate Park and bustles with great local food, beautiful people and nonstop music from every imaginable genre on about a half dozen stages.

The lineup for this summer includes Stevie Wonder, Metallica, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Jack White, Foo Fighters, Beck, Skrillex, Sigur Ros, Justice and Norah Jones.

Taste of the Bay Area will feature dozens of local restaurants; concertgoers will also have access to the Wine Lands, where some 40 wineries will be pouring.

For further information, visit: http://sfoutsidelands.com/ 

Afternoon Sailing Adventure on San Francisco Bay
Take a romantic sailing adventure on San Francisco Bay aboard the 1891 National Landmark scow schooner Alma. Relax, feel the waves, breathe salt air, handle the lines and learn the stories.

Before highways and bridges, hundreds of scow schooners like Alma plied San Francisco Bay, hauling goods as the “flatbed trucks” of their day. The last of her kind, the 60-foot Alma will transport you to a long
ago era on this unique educational program with the National Park Service.

Join National Park Service rangers to haul line, raise sails, and immerse yourself in history. Take in dazzling views and California history: Native Americans,Spanish explorers, the Gold Rush, lighthouses, the Barbary Coast, Fisherman’s Wharf, earthquakes, fires, shipbuilding, and more.

For Reservations and Information call (415) 447-5000 or purchase tickets same day only, at the Hyde St. Pier ticket booth (booth opens at 9:30am daily) at Fisherman's Wharf.

Les Miserables at the Orpheum Theatre
Cameron Mackintosh presents a brand new 25th anniversary production of Boublil & Schönberg's legendary musical, Les Miserables, with glorious new staging and dazzlingly reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo.

This new production has been acclaimed by critics, fans and new audiences and is breaking box office records wherever it goes. Based on Victor Hugo's classic novel, Les Miserables is an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit.

The magnificent score of Les Miserables includes the classic songs "I Dreamed a Dream," "On My Own," "Stars," "Bring Him Home," "Do You Hear the People Sing?," "One Day More," "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables," "Master Of The House" and many more.

For more information, visit: http://www.lesmiz.com/. Now playing at the Orpheum Theatre. For further information and to purchase tickets, call: (888) 746-1799.

Walt Disney Family Museum
Celebrating their third anniversary, the Walt Disney Family Museum's three historic buildings within the nearby Presidio houses 10 galleries devoted to the inspiring story of Walt Disney, the creator of Mickey Mouse, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," Disneyland and the global yet distinctly American company that bears his name.

Disney's story is impressively portrayed through drawings, storyboards, the narrow-gauge train built for Disneyland along with film clips, concept art, scripts, musical scores and cameras used by Disney and his staff.

Using a mix of historic materials and artifacts, Disney's achievements really comes to life through innovative displays that include listening stations, interactive media, and more than 200 video monitors. Much of the material is being generously lent by the Walt Disney Company and private collectors.

Located at the nearby Presidio. For information and tickets call (415) 345-6893.