🌁 The Great Dickens Christmas Fair

Good morning readers! Welcome to The Fogline, a newsletter created to share our love for the city we live in and to promote community connection. We aim to give you the scoop on neighborhood events, tasty new pop-ups and restaurants, and spots to gather, play, shop, and enjoy this beautiful city we share.

In today’s news:

For five weekends starting on November 22, the Cow Palace hosts the Great Dickens Christmas Fair, a Victorian-themed holiday celebration complete with characters from Charles Dickens’s novels. The fair recreates Victorian England with theater performances, pubs, dancers, and specialty shops.

The first thing you notice upon entering is the warm, sweet smell of cinnamon-roasted almonds. Volunteers in costume warmly engage visitors, act as shopkeepers and performers, and play their roles with enthusiasm and cheer. They really get into it, which makes the experience a lot of fun!

Wander the halls and you may bump into Father Christmas, Ebenezer Scrooge, the Ghost of Jacob Marley, Tiny Tim, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, and many more characters around every corner.

Visit the grave of Ebenezer Scrooge. Dress up in Victorian costume and have your portrait taken. Buy a hand-carved candle. Add a new corset to your wardrobe. Just don’t run afoul of the London Peeler, or you might end up behind iron bars with only a rat for company. Or do, have a hilarious photo made and create a new holiday memory!

Check out the Great Dickens Christmas Fair here!

Every Sunday at 9 p.m., Madrone Art Bar transforms into a neighborhood jazz hub. The B3 Sessions, led by trumpeter Mike Olmos and pianist Adam Shulman, has turned into my go-to Sunday night ritual. You might recognize Olmos from his shows at Royal Cuckoo or Club Deluxe (which is set to reopen soon), while Shulman plays regularly at Keys Jazz Bistro and special gigs like his Charlie Brown Christmas set at SFJAZZ.

The evening begins with a set from the hosts, but don’t leave after the first set. The real magic happens around 10:30 p.m. when the open jam begins. Throughout the night, Bay Area musicians drift in carrying saxophones, taking turns on the drum kit and organ, while vocalists like Veotis Latchison join the mix. Some nights there's even a xylophonist. There's no cover charge (a rarity these days), but make sure to buy drinks and tip the band.

Are you already something of a scientist yourself? Or, if not, would you like to know more about astronomy in general? Astronomy on Tap offers an opportunity to surround yourself with smart and friendly people in the science community to listen to presentations on astronomy topics in a relaxed environment. This week, two talks were held at Black Hammer Brewing Company, a small-production brewery located in SoMa.

This week’s talks were From Astrophysics to Axions: The Glorious Hunt for Dark Matter by UC Berkeley PhD student Orion Ning and Exploring the Early Universe with Metal-Poor Stars by San Francisco State University Associate Professor Charli Sakari. The talks were fascinating and accessible to the layperson. Attendees also had opportunities to ask questions at the end of each presentation.

Find more information at the Astronomy on Tap website.

Alushe Coffee Bar is a new addition to the coffeehouse scene in the Inner Richmond on Geary Boulevard and 6th Avenue. We have watched the space transform since the business changed hands from the previous Café Coco. The proprietors have made charming updates that reflect the café’s Mayan theme, with wall hangings and colorful murals. Our favorite thing about the café is the warm hospitality of the owners. Each visit feels very welcoming, and guidance is always offered when selecting from the extensive menu. There is a rotating selection of creative hot beverages, including holiday-themed lattes. On our visit, we had a spicy mocha and honey-cinnamon latte. There is also an sizeable breakfast and lunch menu featuring tamales, bagels, chilaquiles, breakfast burritos, and plenty more.