San Francisco (January 20, 2004) –San Francisco celebrates the City’s edible icon, the Dungeness crab, with the second annual San Francisco Crab Festival throughout February 2004.

The centerpiece of the month is the San Francisco Convention & Visitor’s Bureau and VISA’s Crab & Wine Marketplace, presented by ATA, taking place on February 28-29, 2004. This year, the Second Annual Marketplace event expands into both the Festival and Herbst Pavilions at Fort Mason Center, located at Marina Boulevard and Buchanan Street in San Francisco’s Marina District. Also new for 2004, Sunset Magazine sponsors a food and entertaining stage, where cooking demonstrations are offered by some of San Francisco’s most celebrated chefs including: Joey Altman of The Food Network and KRON-TV’s Bay Café; Jeffrey Amber, executive chef, Moose’s; Linda Anusasananan, recipe editor and Sara Schneider, senior editor, food and entertaining, Sunset Magazine; Stephen Barber, executive chef, MECCA; Armen Jeghelian, chef, McCormick & Kuleto’s; Robbie Lewis, chef de cuisine, Jardinière; Peter Osborne, executive chef and owner, MoMo’s; and Marc Schoenfield, chef, Red Herring. The Crab & Wine Marketplace offers plentiful food and wine tastings and samples of epicurean specialties from top Bay Area restaurants and wineries.



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San Francisco Crab Festival
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The Marketplace festivities also include the Kids Crab Cove (a children’s recreation area) and non-stop entertainment, including live music and performances by the Baron Tyler Group, Royal Deuces, Kiss My Brass and The Fabulous Bud E. Luv Trio. Unique shopping opportunities for culinary items, fresh seafood, select wines and fine arts and crafts also are available. 2004 Festival sponsors include: Visa, ATA, See’s Candies, Sunset Magazine as well as Calistoga, KitchenWorks, Inc./Renewal by Andersen, KQED, Pilsner Urquell, San Francisco Magazine and Viansa Winery & Italian Marketplace.



The month-long Crab Festival includes events throughout the City including Union Square, Fisherman’s Wharf, North Beach, the Mission District and other neighborhoods (see attached calendar listings).

Several San Francisco hotels also will participate by offering Crab Season packages and promotions in honor of the Dungeness crab. Hotel package information is available at www.sfvisitor.org under the San Francisco Crab Festival icon.

General admission for the Crab & Wine Marketplace is $20.00 for adults, which includes a commemorative wine glass, three wine tasting tickets and an event gift bag. Admissions for those 5-20 years is $5.00 and children under five are free. For information or to purchase tickets online visit www.sfvisitor.org, call 415/391-2000 or visit the Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Visitor Information Center in the lower level of Halladie Plaza, near the Powell Street cable car turnaround.

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