Comments (0) Best Occasion to Pretend You're on Vacation - 2008
Aloha Festival
If you're chary of time-honored local events like the Folsom Street Fair, the Pacific Islanders' Cultural Association's annual event might seem pretty desirable compared to San Francisco's more outlandish revelry-making. Now in its 14th year, the Aloha Festival is all about clean, family-friendly fun. Besides, it's great to see the Presidio transformed into an island paradise, complete with leis, ocean outriggers, and lilting ukulele tunes. Despite the tourist-choked crowds, the two-day festival draws plenty of Hawaiian transplants thirsty for some authentic aloha spirit — from local Polynesian dance to traditional pupu platters and shaved ice to stave off the summer heat. If you're interested in shopping, check out the selection of sarongs, kukui nuts, and Hawaiian arts and crafts. If you'd rather fantasize about swinging in a hammock on some pristine beach far from the madding crowd, drag up a lawn chair, soak in some performances, and dream away.
