Watching two reindeer in the California Academy of Sciences’ East Gardens on a cloudy day, a child recently asked, “Will they be OK when it rains?” The mother, probably not a spelling bee winner, replied, “Sure, they are reindeers!”Better known as caribou in North America, the Arctic deer, with their spectacular antlers, are perhaps the most popular part of the Academy’s current show, “’Tis the Season for Science.” The male is called Miles; the name of the female will be supplied by the winner of a contest sponsored by the Academy. Read More

Contemporary Jewish Museum tribute: Museum officials, patrons and city leaders honored CJM director Connie Wolf, who is leaving the post to assume directorship at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University. The City proclaimed Nov. 16 “Connie Wolf Day” at the event, which also kicked off the institution’s newest exhibition, “California Dreaming: Jewish Life in the Bay Area from the Gold Rush to the Present.”  Read More

It’s not exactly a winter wonderland, but the Bay Area has enough singing, dancing and just plain laughing to make spirits merry. Read More

For a weighty reference to Handel’s “Messiah,” consider that Beethoven spoke of it as one of the great works in all music. And so it is, of course, a global favorite since its premiere in 1741. Read More