Newsroom – David Perry & Associates

FleetFest in Fisherman’s Wharf Returns This Weekend

Written on October 9, 2026.

Media Contact: David Perry / (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com

Fleet Fest returns to Fisherman’s Wharf
Tomorrow and Sunday, October 10–11

Music, food, classic cars and family activities
welcome locals and visitors to the waterfront

Two-day celebration beside the SkyStar Wheel
highlights San Francisco Fleet Week

9 October 2026 – San Francisco, CA: “Give us one year, and if there is a city more hospitable, I’ll eat your hat.” That was then Mayor Dianne Feinstein’s challenge to U.S. Navy Admiral Thomas Hayward in 1981, ahead of San Francisco’s first Fleet Week, as recalled by the San Francisco Chronicle. This October, Fisherman’s Wharf is ready to extend that welcome again.

Fleet Fest returns to Fisherman’s Wharf Saturday and Sunday, October 10–11, welcoming residents, visitors and service members for a waterfront celebration featuring live music, food, a beer garden, classic and military vehicles, and family activities beside the SkyStar Wheel and Boudin Bakery. The gathering at the Triangle Lot on Taylor Street is part of San Francisco Fleet Week, taking place October 4–12.

The Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District is partnering again with the San Francisco Fleet Week Association and the Port of San Francisco to bring Fleet Fest to the Wharf, programming the Wharf adjacent to the Sky Star Wheel and Boudin Bakery. The collaboration builds on the event’s successful move to Fisherman’s Wharf last year and invites guests to spend the weekend exploring the neighborhood’s restaurants, shops and attractions.

“At the heart of Fleet Fest is community, and at the heart of what we do, is community. Bringing Fleet Fest to Fisherman’s Wharf last year created a wonderful connection between our neighborhood, our visitors, and those who servein our military as well as our emergency response services,” said Bri Maughan, Executive Director of the Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District. “We’re excited to build on that success with another weekend that welcomes families to the waterfront and brings people through the doors of our local businesses.”

Fleet Fest runs from 10am to 7pm Saturday, October 10, and 10am to 5pm Sunday, October 11. Visitors can also explore the Service & Safety Expo presented by PG&E at Pier 27 and tour visiting ships at Piers 27 and 35. Separate ship-tour schedules and entry requirements are available at fleetweeksf.org.

“Fleet Fest is yet another exciting event bringing people to Fisherman’s Wharf, connecting residents and visitors with our waterfront and the people, businesses, and maritime traditions that are unique to San Francisco,” said Michael Martin, Executive Director of the Port of San Francisco. “Fleet Week is always a highlight of the Port’s year, and we are also always looking for ways to make it even better. The Port is proud of our partnership with the Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District and Fleet Week Association as we welcome everyone to this celebration of the men and women who serve our country.”

The weekend gives families an opportunity to meet service members and first responders while enjoying the Wharf. At the Service & Safety Expo, visitors can explore emergency-response equipment, see demonstrations, and learn about disaster preparedness and careers in public safety and the military.

“Fisherman’s Wharf is part of the everyday life of District 3 as well as a destination for people from around the world,” said Supervisor Danny Sauter. “Fleet Fest is an invitation for San Franciscans to come down to the waterfront, enjoy the neighborhood and support the small businesses that help make the Wharf special.”

Visitors are encouraged to use public transportation and allow extra travel time during Fleet Week. Entertainment and operational schedules may change; check the official event websites before arriving.

Event details
What: Fleet Fest at Fisherman’s Wharf
When: Saturday, October 10 (10am–7pm); Sunday, October 11 (10am–5pm)
Where: Triangle Lot on Taylor Street adjacent to SkyStar Wheel and Boudin Bakery, Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco
Featuring: Live music, food, beer garden, classic and military vehicles, and family activities
Related activities: Service & Safety Expo presented by PG&E at Pier 27; visiting ship tours at Piers 27 and 35, on separate schedules
For more information and current schedules, visit https://www.fishermanswharf.org/event/fleet-fest/2467/

About the Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District:
Established in 2005, the Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District is a nonprofit public benefit corporation dedicated to promoting, advancing and maintaining Fisherman’s Wharf as a world-class waterfront destination. The FWCBD works to enhance public spaces, support local businesses, improve the visitor experience and celebrate the history, culture and vitality of San Francisco’s most visited neighborhood. https://www.fishermanswharf.org/

About Fisherman’s Wharf:
Fisherman’s Wharf is one of San Francisco’s most iconic and beloved destinations, known for its historic fishing fleet, seafood restaurants, waterfront views, PIER 39 sea lions, family attractions, maritime heritage and enduring role as a gathering place for locals and visitors from around the world. https://www.fishermanswharf.org/

About the Port of San Francisco:

The Port of San Francisco oversees 7.5 miles of waterfront encompassing maritime facilities, visitor attractions, historic districts and small businesses. Its work supports maritime commerce, recreation and economic development while promoting environmental stewardship and financial sustainability for San Francisco, the Bay Area and California. For more information, visit sfport.com.

About the San Francisco Fleet Week Association:

The San Francisco Fleet Week Association organizes San Francisco Fleet Week, honoring the United States Armed Forces and advancing civilian and military cooperation in humanitarian assistance. Begun in 1981 under then-Mayor Dianne Feinstein, Fleet Week features an air show, a parade of ships, community events and humanitarian assistance training. Visit fleetweeksf.org.

2026 ship-tour schedule

Wednesday, October 7: 10am–1pm — Pier 27
Thursday, October 8: 10am–4pm — Piers 27 and 35
Saturday, October 10: 10am–4pm — Piers 27 and 35
Sunday, October 11: 10am–4pm — Piers 27 and 35
Monday, October 12: 9am–noon — Pier 35

All ship tours are free, with entry on a first-come, first-served basis. No ship tours are listed for Friday, October 9. Schedules are subject to change. Review entry requirements and the latest schedule at fleetweeksf.org/events/ship-tours/.

Rainbow Honor Walk Honoree Fereydoun Farrokhzad

Written on October 8, 2026.

Today, on the anniversary of his birth, we celebrate the life and legacy of Rainbow Honor Walk honoree Fereydoun Farrokhzad (October 7, 1936 – August 4, 1992).

An Iranian singer, actor, poet, writer, humanitarian, and pioneering television and radio personality, Farrokhzad became one of Iran’s most recognizable entertainers through his enormously popular variety program Mikhak-e Noghrei (The Silver Carnation), which helped introduce a generation of Iranian performers.

Farrokhzad lived openly and challenged prevailing attitudes toward homosexuality at a time when doing so carried enormous social risk. After the 1979 Iranian Revolution, he lived in exile in Germany and became an outspoken critic of the new government, advocating for a free and open society.

He was murdered in Bonn, Germany, on August 4, 1992. His killing remains officially unsolved, and he is remembered today as an enduring Iranian cultural figure and LGBTQ+ pioneer.

www.RainbowHonorWalk.org

#RainbowHonorWalk #FereydounFarrokhzad #LGBTQHistory #IranianHistory #LGBTQVisibility CastroDistrict SanFrancisco

Balcony on the World Screens October 24th in San Francisco

Written on October 5, 2026.

media contact: David Pery / (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com

“A Balcony on the World” returns to the big screen
October 24 at San Francisco’s Marina Theatre

Documentary reveals the art, architecture and public vision
behind the Aquatic Park Bathhouse

6 October 2026 – San Francisco, CA: The San Francisco Maritime National Park Association, in partnership with San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, will present a screening of “A Balcony on the World” on Saturday, October 24, at the Marina Theatre in San Francisco (2149 Chestnut Street, San Francisco). Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; the film begins at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at balconyontheworld.eventbrite.com.

The documentary brings the story of San Francisco’s Aquatic Park Bathhouse Building, now home to the San Francisco Maritime Museum, to the big screen. Constructed during the Great Depression as part of the New Deal’s Works Progress Administration, the Streamline Moderne landmark was envisioned as a “democratic country club”: an art-filled public place where people could gather, swim and enjoy the Bay.

“The Bathhouse was created for everyone, and seeing its story on the big screen is a wonderful way to bring people back to the art and public spirit at its heart,” said Darlene Plumtree, CEO of the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association. “We hope this screening inspires audiences to visit the museum and discover the building for themselves.”

The film traces the Bathhouse’s changing fortunes, from public gathering place to private lease and its 1951 transformation into the Maritime Museum. It brings viewers close to the Surrealist murals of Hilaire Hiler and the tile work of African American Modernist Sargent Johnson, revealing how art was built into this public space from the beginning.

The documentary also follows conservator Anne Rosenthal’s work to restore the murals. Her investigation recovered details of their color, abstraction and symbolism that had faded from view, adding a present-day chapter to the building’s history.

Filmmaker and San Francisco native John Rogers explores the artists, architects and civic leaders who shaped the Bathhouse. The film is also personal: Rogers’s father, a Navy veteran and Matson Line purser, first introduced him to the museum when he was a child.

Among those offering perspective in the film are National Park Service architectural historian Todd Bloch, National Park Ranger David Pelfrey, New Deal historian Gray Brechin, author and San Francisco Chronicle contributor Gary Kamiya, and art curator Lizzetta LaFalle-Collins.

“A Balcony on the World” debuted on Bay Area PBS station KQED in August 2025. The October 24 screening offers audiences an opportunity to experience the film together in a theatre and take a fresh look at one of San Francisco’s public treasures.

Screening details

Film: “A Balcony on the World”
Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026
Venue: Marina Theatre, San Francisco
Doors: 5:30 p.m.
Screening: 6 p.m.
Tickets: balconyontheworld.eventbrite.com

About the San Francisco Maritime Museum:

Housed in the historic Aquatic Park Bathhouse, the San Francisco Maritime Museum is part of San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. Operated by the National Park Service, the museum shares the region’s maritime history through exhibitions and public programming. The building also houses a senior center operated by Sequoia Living. Learn more at https://www.nps.gov/safr/index.htm.

Lights ON! Brings the BROADWAY Sign Back Over North Beach on October 15

Written on October 3, 2026.

For immediate release · October 3, 2026 · Updated October 4, 2026

The Building Where the Ramones, Blondie and the Dead Kennedys Played Turns Its Lights Back ON

A free sidewalk countdown on October 15 celebrates the restored BROADWAY sign and the next chapter for Mabuhay Gardens: live performance, art and a place to create together.

Thursday, October 15, 2026 · 6–9 p.m.

435 Broadway, North Beach, San Francisco

6–7 p.m.: Free sidewalk countdown. No ticket needed.
7–9 p.m.: Upstairs celebration. Tickets from $5, fees included.

Get upstairs tickets on Eventbrite →

Media contact

David Perry
news@davidperry.com · (415) 676-7007

SAN FRANCISCO — The Ramones, Blondie and the Dead Kennedys played Mabuhay Gardens at 443 Broadway. So did Devo, Patti Smith, the Go-Go’s, Black Flag, the Avengers and the Nuns. The Filipino supper club became one of San Francisco’s defining punk stages, and comedians Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg also made early appearances.

On Thursday, October 15, 2026, everyone is invited to Lights ON!, a celebration of the restored BROADWAY sign and the next chapter for the building beneath it. The night starts at 6 p.m. on the sidewalk at 435 Broadway, free and open to everyone; no ticket is needed. Restoration lead Michael Sturtz, Tom Watson of Mabuhay Gardens, and Andres Acosta of Lights ON Broadway will say a few words before the street counts down and the sign comes on.

From 7 to 9 p.m., the celebration moves upstairs to On Broadway, starting with a slideshow of every bulb dedicated on the sign so far. The evening includes live music and art, an energy healing and wellness table with Rosalyn of Live Heal Travel (LHT), a first look at new Mab programming, and a tribute for Filipino American History Month. Upstairs tickets start at $5, fees included; space is limited.

The team’s vision is to preserve the historic building, build a creative community around it, and give San Francisco artists a place to perform, learn and make work together. Tom Watson’s latest plans for Mabuhay Gardens include a museum and library, a community print club, flexible classroom space and a vinyl listening room, alongside live music and dance. These spaces are being developed as part of the building’s next chapter.

After years dark, the BROADWAY sign was restored by hand in work led by Michael Sturtz and funded by community gifts. Its bulbs are now being dedicated, one at a time, to the people and nights this city doesn’t want to forget. The building has held San Francisco’s culture since 1919: Italian mutual-aid societies, the Filipino Dimas-Alang Temple, Ginsberg’s Kaddish, the On Broadway Theatre and, fifty years ago this year, the punk stage of Mabuhay Gardens.

The BROADWAY sign before restoration, during repairs and rewiring, and with its completed red-and-white finish. — The restoration of the BROADWAY sign at 435 Broadway. Image: Lights ON Broadway.

Headlining the upstairs celebration is Michael Brunswick, a performance artist and owner of Ace Tiger Gallery, who is flying in from Torrance, California. In his live canvas performance, he paints with the canvas itself rather than a brush. Explore his artistic process and follow @michaelbrunswick on Instagram.

Michael Brunswick tilts a canvas, allowing white paint to drip onto the surface below. — Headlining artist Michael Brunswick at work, painting with the canvas itself.

Live music comes from GamperDrums Live with ADAPTYVE: Simon Russell, keys & vocals; Brian Pardo, guitar; Ryan Price, bass; and Chris Gamper, drums. Boogie Racers will present a showcase featuring Hot Wheels tracks, RC cars and dancing, plus a special guest race with prizes.

“San Francisco once had an independent stage on nearly every block. Most went dark. This one didn’t,” said Andres Acosta, Lights ON Broadway Campaign Director. “When the sign is full, every bulb overhead will be somebody’s story. That’s a neighborhood turning its own lights back on.”

“I rewired, scraped, and repainted this sign bulb by bulb to bring it back to life the way it looked in the sixties,” said Michael Sturtz, who led the restoration. “The Bay Area has been losing creative spaces, live music venues, and theatres at an alarming rate. This is how we keep the magic alive.”

Gifts are tax deductible, received by Point Foundation, a 501(c)(3), for its FAB MAB restricted fund. “Point Foundation is honored to receive these gifts on behalf of a building that has held San Francisco’s culture for over a century,” said Danica Remy, President of Point Foundation. “Every contribution supports the restoration and community life of 435 / 443 Broadway — including the sign overhead — and preserves this history for future generations.”

Event poster

Lights ON! poster for Thursday, October 15, 2026, 6–9 p.m. at 435 Broadway in San Francisco. Free outside from 6–7 p.m.; upstairs tickets from $5 from 7–9 p.m. — Open the full-size poster (PNG)

Details at lightsonbroadway.org/lighting. Tickets at Eventbrite.

Tokyo, Godzilla, Kyoto & Temples

Written on September 27, 2026.

Tokyo, Godzilla, Kyoto & Temples

— David Eugene Perry

27 September 2026: Today: Dock Tokyo and train to Kyoto!

We get off the ship in one of the easiest, if not the easiest, debarkations ever. So early, in fact, that we’re able to change our Uber reservation to an earlier ride. Ten minutes later we’re in a lovely, clean taxi speeding toward Tokyo Station.

The first thing we notice is, as Alfredo says, it reminds us of our first time in China — just impeccably clean, although of course central Shanghai and Beijing are flawless, but not like this. We see no trash, no graffiti. Everyone is quiet and polite. And when we get to the massive train station, people actually come up and volunteer help. Local English speakers — though seemingly somewhat rare — cordially and proactively offer information, including a teenage English student anxious to practice with us.

Tokyo Station is amazing: a classic façade combined with a contemporary extension. Alfredo’s brother told us to be prepared: it’s immense and one of the busiest train stations in the world. Like the streets outside, there’s not a lick of dirt, graffiti or filth.

We decide to walk about a little bit once we ascertain where our gate is, coming outside to enjoy the cloudy but cool weather and just people-watch.

First impressions of Tokyo: count me impressed.

I find myself thinking about how extraordinary it is that Tokyo looks and functions the way it does considering how many times the city has essentially had to reinvent itself. Edo was devastated by the Great Fire of Meireki in 1657, Tokyo was shattered again by the Great Kantō Earthquake in 1923, and then enormous sections of the city were burned to the ground during the American firebombing of World War II, particularly the catastrophic raid of March 9–10, 1945. Add centuries of lesser fires and disasters, and rebuilding seems almost woven into Tokyo’s DNA.

Of course, as a lifelong Godzilla fan, I can’t resist adding the fictional destruction to the tally. Godzilla has stomped, blasted and otherwise demolished substantial portions of Tokyo repeatedly since his first appearance in 1954 — yet somehow the place keeps coming back looking better than ever. I’ve always been fascinated by Godzilla, and being here makes the films seem just a little more tangible. There is something peculiarly appropriate about a monster born from postwar Japanese anxieties repeatedly attacking a city that has itself repeatedly risen from destruction.

We wile away our two-hour wait by having a Japanese whisky and getting bento boxes for lunch on the train. Kiosks selling them are numerous and wonderfully diverse right by and on the train platform, along with beer, snacks and, of course, sake.

The train is right on time and soon we’re on our way to Kyoto. Our bento box lunches are works of art, as if designed by a high end boutique window dresser. Each of Alfredo’s sushi was wrapped in a leaf and my katsu was worthy of a photo shoot — and oh yes: yummy. Like us, woman opposite had two small “traveling companions”: small dolls that she photographed posed against her seat rest. Since we travel with a plush toy duo of Loch Ness Monster and raccoon, I guess we’re not the only crazy ones.

To our right, although hidden by clouds, is Mount Fuji. Classified as an active volcano, it last erupted in 1707 and 1708. Japan has 111 active volcanoes, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. “Active” means they have erupted within roughly the last 10,000 years or currently show significant fumarolic activity. That’s about 7% of the world’s roughly 1,500 active volcanoes, which is extraordinary for a country Japan’s size. The JMA continuously monitors 50 of the 111 particularly closely.

We arrive to a cold and rainy Kyoto. Evidently the typhoon down south is affecting the weather, and we’re expecting three “atmospheric”days. Nonetheless, we check in to our hotel, The lovely and centrally located Hilton Garden Inn Kyoto Shijo Karasuma, and instantly set out for the Kiyomizu-dera temple complex.

A taxi takes us up into the hills of eastern Kyoto to this one of the city’s most celebrated Buddhist temple complexes. Despite the rain, the place is packed. Kiyomizu-dera was founded in 778, centered around the spring at Otowa Falls. Fires destroyed it again and again over the centuries, so most of what we see today dates from a 1633 reconstruction. Its famous wooden stage juts out over the hillside. About 13 meters above the slope. Held together by an interlocking wooden framework without nails. From here the city usually spreads out below, but today the view is softened by sheets of rain and mist. After making our way through the complex, we start downhill along Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka. Ancient approach streets that have funneled pilgrims to this temple for centuries. Those pilgrims have long since been joined by waves of tourists, and today the narrow stone lanes are wall-to-wall with teahouses, sweet shops, ceramics, and every imaginable souvenir, many tucked inside traditional wooden Kyoto houses. At one turn, Yasaka Pagoda suddenly appears above the old rooftops, a classic Higashiyama view, made even moodier by the storm rolling in.

We walk all the way back to our hotel, taking about an hour, umbrellas constantly in use. We stroll through some wonderful old residential districts of Kyoto. And we decide to check out the Irish pub next to our hotel.

Unfortunately, much to our surprise — and disgust — smoking is still allowed, and the place was dense with a nauseating haze. The very lovely barista behind the bar, a woman, said, “oh, the non-smoking section is over there.” But of course, a “non-smoking section” inside a bar full of smoke, doesn’t make much sense. So even though the Irish pub is what we consider to be the international sign of welcome, we decided to come back to our lovely tobacco free Hilton, have a drink, and then decide what we’re going to do for dinner. I have ramen on my mind.

And again: after three taxi rides today, a high speed train from Tokyo and now 10,000 steps through multi and varied neighborhoods: not ONE piece of trash on the ground.