It ’s that prison term of class again when a spate hegira of hippies and hipsters ( and , you know , regular folks ) will San Francisco to spend a calendar week half - nude and “ discover themselves ” in a dusty prehistoric lake seam they ’ve turned into “ a temporary metropolis dedicate to community , artwork , self - face , and self - reliance . ” Yup , that ’s right : Burning Manis back .
Well over 67,000 peopleattended the Burnlast year , and while it ’s tantalizing for those of us who do n’t partake in the hedonism to spend the entire workweek turn over our eyes at those who do , we paint a picture that you be a little more productive . Thirty - nine percentof burner in 2015 were also Californians , so expend your Labor Day weekend doing all of the SF thing that’re so much better when the Burners are n’t here .
Stay in the city all weekend
The best part of living in San Francisco is often escaping the metropolis for sunlight and sport on the weekend . But when a good fortune of the City heads to Nevada desert for a calendar week , an empty San Francisco is exactly where you need to be . Yes , even if Karl insists on blanket the metropolis with fog the integral sentence .
Eat brunch atZazie
Sure , there ’ll probably still be a wait at this Gallic bistro in Cole Valley , but the line for miracle pancakes and eggs Monaco is pretty much guaranteed to be well shorter even if you show up at noon with a group of six . Take your time in the back garden , then walk off your meal in the Haight , where the sidewalk will be slightly freer of Burners .
Indulge in a croissant fromArsicault Bakery
Ever sinceBon Appétitnamed this Inner Richmond spot“Bakery of the Year”because of the buttery and bizarre croissants , the lines have been around the block . That means the clock time to go is when all of your friends are await in billet to get into Black Rock City .
Picnic off the grid at Fort Mason
Who needs fine art cars when there are food trucks ? Spend Friday night feed food for thought from over 30 vendors . Plus , there ’s live euphony and a couple of bars and , effective of all , you get to sleep in your own bed later .
Get an ice cream cone atBi-Rite Creamery
Do you know who loves to wait in super - long line to get Bi - Rite Creamery ’s hand - made small - heap ice cream ? Hipsters . Do you know who bed to go to Burning Man ? Hipsters . In other words : cut Man is the perfect clock time to get a twofold scoop of salt caramel and enjoy all the costless lawn quad at Dolores Park . talking about soaking up summertime .
Park everywhere
There are only a few time of year when you may park wherever the hellhole you desire and this is one of ‘ em , so take advantage ( also , street sweeping and permit parking rulesaren’t enforcedon Labor Day , so you give your car in that killer smirch ) . come up September 6th , the street are going to be filled with masses double parking and drop all their detritus - hide playa crap .
Order pancakes atMama’s
Even tourists have it away to line up for the famous brunch at Mama ’s in North Beach , but with most of the city surviving on MREs , beef jerky , and no nap C of knot away , this is the time to get your Mama ’s blueberry pancake fix . You may even be able-bodied to slumber in a turn before the demarcation starts .
Drink beer atBiergarten
Now you could in conclusion go to this lovely beer garden in Hayes Valley and not spend the entire time just hold off in line to get your next beer . rank up a couple rounds of German lather and spend some serious time linger in the sun .
Finally dine atState Bird Provisions
You ’ve been wanting to eat the dim sum - style pocket-size plate at State Bird ever since it opened in 2012 , but with only a few dozen paseo - in spots and hoi polloi lining up before it even open , you ’ve repeatedly put it off . burn Man is the sentence to hold back procrastinating and eat one of the best meals of your life , then brag about it to your Burner friends when they return from the desert .
Explore the Exploratorium
You do n’t have to go to a dusty desert to line up coolheaded , interactive art that will challenge your perceptual experience and bung your curiosity . The Exploratorium is 330,000sqft of hands - on exhibits that are as cool as anything you ’ll see on the playa . you’re able to even wear furred boots and goggles if you really want . ( Except , seriously : please do n’t . )
Learn how to AcroYoga
If there ’s one thing burner love , it ’s doing yoga and acrobatics at the same time ( usually in public , showoffs ) . But first , they have to learn to fly or base . If finding a radical of acroyogis in the parking area is too close to the Burn , nous to one of the XII or so yoga studio offering stratum – all of which should be very , very , very empty since the regulars are exert their trust muscle while half - naked in a rubble bowl .
Savor a morning bun fromTartine
Before you die , it is imperative that you corrode a sunrise bun fresh out of the oven at Tartine Bakery . There ’s normally a line , but it should be short the first workweek of September .
Hang out in Dolores Park
Fact : Dolores Park kind of sucks(it ’s crowded , there ’s trash , and the bath line … we just ca n’t ) . Other fact : it will suck a quite a little less when all of the hula-hula hoopers and juggler are hoop and juggling elsewhere .
Go to the rock climbing gym
rock-and-roll mounting is A-one - fun and great example , but there ’s nothing worse than wait around at the gym to go up a wall . The good newsworthiness is that the same people who go to Burning Man are the one who fill up SF ’s rock candy climbing gym . While those climber spend the week on the playa with utterly nothing to climb except the occasional piece of art , this is the perfect time to climb and boulder in peace .
Make new friends
If you ’re not at Burning Man , there ’s a honorable fortune it ’s because staying up all night , terpsichore , and doing drugs ( or not , we find out drug utilization is n’t a required activeness ) with masses who wear ridiculous costume and take themselves super - gravely does n’t sound like a in effect sentence . Well guess what ? Those masses are all out of town , so you may meet novel peeps and feel positive they ’ll never give you a “ Burner Name ” or refer to you as their “ Playa Family . ”
Eat the best pizza in town
Una Pizza Napoletanain SoMa is all about veritable , Neapolitan Proto-Indo European made in a huge wood - fired brick oven . We ’d run through it every night if we could , but it ’s only open Wednesday through Saturday , there ’s always a farseeing - ass hold , and when the dough runs out , the shop shuts down . Which is why Burning Man is the well fourth dimension to get in on that delicious pizza pie action .
Throw a bonfire at Ocean Beach
If you ’re feeling a lilliputian left out that you ’re in the Bay and all of your champion are play pyro in the desert , just direct to Ocean Beach where you’re able to burn a few things ( except just forest and newspaper ) of your own . While you ’re probable to have society on the beach , we promise you wo n’t be beleaguer by 60,000 - summation of your cheeseparing and dearest .
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Off The Grid
Arsicault Bakery
Bi-Rite Creamery
Flickr/Joanne Wan
State Bird Provisions
Exploratorium
Flickr/Whitney Porter
Eddy Galeotti/Shutterstock
Una Pizza