Beer Friday
Start the holiday weekend out right at Devil’s Canyon Brewing Company in San Carlos for its Beer Friday. Besides excellent hand-crafted ales and IPAs at the brewery’s warehouse event area, enjoy live music from two bands and food from three food trucks. Kids and chill dogs welcome (when accompanied by an adult). Bring a growler and fill ‘er up for the weekend ahead. Friday, 8/29, 4-11pm, 935 Washington St., San Carlos.

Monterey County Fair
Racing pigs! Need I say more? The 78th annual Monterey County Fair going on now through Labor Day makes for a great excuse to visit our favorite central coast cities, with a full slate of daily events that includes cooking demos, wine tastings, rodeo, livestock competitions and live music all day. If that’s not enough, you can also check out Marina’s Labor Day parade & festival, or the final night gala of the Big Sur International Short Film Screening Series. Now through Monday, 8/27-9/1, all day.

Kings Mountain Art Fair
Come for the art among the redwoods near Kings Mountain Fire Department on Skyline Blvd (Hwy 35) in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and stay for a hike at one of many parks and trails in the area. There’s some decent art here, but it’s the setting that sets this fair apart, set as it is among the cathedral of trees. Proceeds of the fair benefit the volunteer fire department. Lunch at nearby Alice’s, or drive down to Pescadero. Saturday – Monday, 8/30-9/1, 10am-5pm. 13889 Skyline Blvd in Woodside.

Shakespeare in the Park  / Picnic at the Presidio
The Presidio’s main post parade ground lawn is the scene for a production of Taming of the Shrew, one of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies. Part of the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, the event starts with a “Green Show” 30 minutes prior to curtain, for background and introduction to the play. Come on Sunday and enjoy Off the Grid’s Picnic at the Presidio from 11am-4pm, with numerous food tents, trucks and bars, and various sponsored activities. Saturday – Monday, 8/30-9/1, 2pm showtime.

Begonia Festival
Every year at this time some 3 million of the colorful perennials bloom on 43 acres in Capitola, celebrated in an annual event with a varied schedule each day of the weekend. Saturday sees a sand sculpture contest and flower mural, Sunday a nautical parade and chalk art, and Monday a fishing derby, hula hoops and rowboat races. Friday – Monday, 8/29-9/1, 10am-8pm.