Hello friends as we come to the end of this month, there is never a shortage of unique things to do here. Experience the grandeur and oddities of the Edwardian Age at the annual Edwardian Ball this weekend. Napa is alive and well and there is an adorable way to go wine tasting, via a Tuk Tuk – fun and no designated driver required. The Magic Theatre, that Avant-garde space that takes creative risks presents a new work, REEL TO REEL and yes you read that correctly- Art at the dump! View the exhibit that features art created directly from our local dumping ground. You know the saying one tomatoes trash is another’s treasure – a whole new take on that!

Jan. 26 & 27. The Edwardian Ball

An elegant, whimsical celebration of art, music, theatre, fashion, technology, circus, and the beloved creations of the late, great author and illustrator Edward Gorey await you at this annual event. Set in a re-imagined Edwardian Era, you best dress the part to enjoy all of the live music, the nonsensical oddities, alluring sideshows and parlour games.

In this setting literary aficionados rub elbows with chimney sweeps. You may know the famed illustrator Edward Gorey, upon whom much of this event is centered, from his animated credits for the PBS mystery series. This one of a kind event features two full nights of outstanding, unusual entertainment, shopping, dining and gawking. You can also just visit during daylight hours on Saturday to browse and shop at the over 50 curated vendors presenting bizarrely beautiful items. www.edwardianball.com

Napa in a Tuk-Tuk

A brand new way to visit the Napa Vineyards is via a fleet of open-air Tuk-Tuks. Chic modern-day versions of the rickshaw, that also happen to be 100% electric. Laces and Limos is the clever name of the instagram-ready new tour company. Each tuk-tuk can carry up to 6 people, plus the driver. Best news is that you will be plenty cozy with heated seats and a waterproof hood. You can rose all day, no matter the weather.

The tri-wheeled vehicles can’t be taken on highways above 40 mph, so no highway 29 for you. However, this limitation enables Laces and Limos to offer a different kind of wine country experience. You can tuk-tuk around downtown Napa with its modern tasting rooms and wine bars. Or discover Coombsville, an up and coming growing region still uncharted by tourists and accessible through lovely back roads. Curated tours are available, you think it, and they provide it. Get the details.

Jan. 31-Feb. 25. Reel to Reel

Magic Theatre, if you haven’t been, takes bold risks on the productions they stage. Thought provoking, insightful and a night that will definitely leave you wondering is how their plays are intended to be. Their latest world premiere is REEL TO REEL written and directed by John Kolvenbach. This one is for us tomatoes. Fascinated by the relationship between sound and memory, Kolvenbach has written the story of a fifty-five-year marriage as told through the simple sentiments of recorded conversations, arguments, and household noises. What emerges is a collage of life captured on audiotape.

The older couple is played by Magic Theatre veterans from the 80’s: Their younger counter parts will be played by Magic actors from the current decade. Enticing, unusual and an evening that will have you talking for hours about your own relationships. At the Magic Theatre in Fort Mason. January 31 – February 25^th. Magictheatre.org

Jan. 26, 27, 30. Art at The Dump 

Only in California…that’s what I call this very special program/exhibit. At Recology, they have an artist in residence program! Yes, they believe that art plays a unique role in inspiring and educating the public. By supporting artists who create work from materials that have been thrown away, the Recology Artist in Residence programs encourage us to see discarded materials in a new light and reflect on our own consumption practices. Let’s recycle Tomatoes, but know that when we do throw away, our junk is being repurposed by the artists in residence.

It’s time for their annual exhibit this weekend, where you can see the culmination of four months of work by the artists who have scavenged materials from the dump to make art and promote recycling and reuse. One example of the work being shown is by Beth Krebs. She explores the lure of the stuff we buy—especially cheap plastic items—and its insidious impact on the environment.  Krebs entices viewers with bright colors and appealing forms and textures, creating a wonderland from masses of packaging material, Styrofoam, and components from children’s toys. However, this playful exhibit also shows how consumerism has run amok. Definitely worth a visit. Tonight, from 5 – 8, tomorrow 1-3 and Tuesday the 30^th 5- 7 where you can meet the artists. 503 Tunnel Avenue in SF. Recology.com

Resident artists are provided with access to materials at our facilities, studio space and a stipend, and exhibitions are held at the end of each residency. After their residencies, artists leave artwork to be kept in Recology’s permanent collection. These pieces are shown in exhibitions that promote the power of reuse.