The festival offers hobbyists, engineers, and anyone with an imagination a chance to show-off their creations — from dizzying pieces of art to solar-powered inventions.

More than 100,000 attendees turned out to explore the inventions, which included everything from the practical to the downright bizarre. The festival is in its eighth year, with more than 900 exhibitors signing on to show off their projects in this year’s event.

Organizers call their event “the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth.”

Contact Nathan Wyss at news@californiabeat.org.

Tens of thousands turned out to party on the streets during the 102nd running of the Bay to Breakers footrace in San Francisco May 19, 2013. (CALIFORNIA BEAT PHOTO)

Some came dressed like Waldo, pirates, or the Super Mario Brothers.

Others came wearing nothing at all.

Tens of thousands of costumed revelers crowded sidewalks and streets Sunday morning for the 102nd annual running of the Bay to Breakers 12K footrace, a quintessentially San Francisco event that brought out fun, frivolity, and — despite an official ban on alcohol — booze-fueled partying on the streets. 

The unseasonably warm weather led to even higher turnout than usual, leaving a 7.46 mile east-west corridor from Downtown San Francisco to Ocean Beach crowded as far as the eye could see.

The competition part of the 12K run was finished long before the buzz set in for many participants. Ethiopian Tolossa Gedefa Fufi, 23, completed the course in 35:01, while Diane Nukuri-Johnson, 28, of Burundi won the women’s race in 40:12.

Despite a beefed up police presence, authorities reported no problems other than several arrests for public intoxication and unruly behavior. However, a man suffered life-threatening injuries when he fell four stories from the roof of a Fell Street apartment during a race watch party.

Contact the Beat at news@californiabeat.org.

A driver proceeds cautiously around fallen rock on Skyline Boulevard in Oakland. ANDREW LEONARD / CALIFORNIA BEAT PHOTO

After a brief respite from an onslaught of stormy weather Saturday morning, another powerful storm to moved into the Bay Area at night bringing with it more rain, wind and the prospect of flooding along two swollen rivers.

Heavy rain began falling during the evening hours Saturday. The brunt of the storm, the third in the past four days, will strike Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

Flood warnings have been issued for the Napa and Russian Rivers, and public safety agencies have warned residents and property owners to prepare for the potential of flooding. The Napa River was expected to over top its banks near the town of St. Helena Sunday afternoon, the National Weather Service said.

The Russian River was expected to reach flood stage early Monday morning in the community of Guerneville in Sonoma County.

Both rivers have historically been prone to flooding after several days of intense rain.

High winds could also pose a problem for falling trees and power lines. The National Weather Service forecast called for wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour along the coast and in higher elevations of Northern California. A flash flood warning was also issued and remains in effect through Sunday evening.

Two storms which blew into the Bay Area Wednesday and late Thursday brought down dozens of trees and left tens of thousands of residents without power.

Contact the Beat at news@californiabeat.org.

One of Hawker Fare’s most popular dishes is Kao Mun Gai, poached chicken served with salted mung bean sauce, fresh cucumber, cilantro leaves atop rice. (Vanessa Guerra/ CALIFORNIA BEAT)

In the space of a few short years, Uptown Oakland has grown into a culinary destination, with foodies in search of a good bite to eat flocking to the neighborhood to sample offerings from new — and hot — restaurants like Hibiscus, Flora, Plum and Hopscotch.

But one restaurant that’s made a big splash in the neighborhood keeps regulars coming back for more and entices curious visitors to come see what the buzz is all about.

Graffiti and vintage music posters gives Hawker Fare a hip feel to Uptown Oakland diners. (Vanessa Guerra/ CALIFORNIA BEAT)

It’s hard to imagine a better way to start your culinary adventure in Oakland than by hitting up Hawker Fare for inexpensive Asian food.

The chef-owner is famed James Syhabout, who also owns Commis, the Michelin-starred restaurant across town. Syhabout, who grew up in Uptown, opened Hawker Fare last year in the space that used to house his mother’s Manyda Thai Cuisine restaurant.

The first thing customers will notice is the graffiti artwork on the yellow wall that reads, “Hawker Fare: To sell goods by outcry in the street.” A variety of music vintage posters hung underneath the graffiti gives the restaurant a used record-store coolness.

The restaurant typically sees a line out the door during lunch, drawing a diverse crowd of working professionals, families and neighborhood residents.

The Southeast Asian street food rice bowls for which the restaurant is known are all priced under $10. It’s a hard deal to beat in the burgeoning Uptown neighborhood.

One of Hawker Fare’s most popular dishes is Kao Mun Gai, poached chicken served with salted mung bean sauce, fresh cucumber, cilantro leaves atop rice.

“Our goal is to make hearty and soul felt dishes that you can find at Sunday dinners with grandma,” Executive Chef Justin Yu said.

Yu said he’s passionate about serving good quality food at reasonable prices and says he focuses on consistency.

Another must-try dish is the Satay Short Ribs marinated in coconut milk, turmeric, garlic and savory peanut sauce, served with a scoop of rice and grilled scallions. With a variety of different beers and a rotating tap from Oakland’s Linden Street Brewery to wash things down, it’s no wonder why Hawker’s Fare is another Uptown hit.

Hawkers Fare is located at 2300 Webster Street (at 23rd Street) in Oakland. Find them online at hawkerfare.com.

Contact Vanessa Guerra at vguerra@californiabeat.org.

Production of the movie “Fruitvale” on July 28, 2012 at an East Bay BART Station. (CALIFORNIA BEAT PHOTO)

A movie about the New Year’s Day 2009 shooting of BART passenger Oscar Grant by a police officer has been selected to compete for best dramatic film in the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, festival organizers announced Wednesday.

“Fruitvale” depicts the hours before Grant’s slaying by BART Police Officer Johannes Mehserle at the Fruitvale BART Station in Oakland. The shooting was captured on numerous cameras by witnesses and immediately went viral on the internet.

Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer and ”Chronicle” actor Michael B. Jordan play the roles of Wanda Johnson, Grant’s mother, and the shooting victim respectively.

The production is one of 16 independent movies selected for the US dramatic film competition, the Sundance Institute, which organizes the film festival, said.

• CALIFORNIA BEAT’S IN-DEPTH COVERAGE: BART Police Shooting Special Section

The film is directed by Ryan Coogler, an Oakland native who wrote the screenplay at a Sundance Screenwriters Lab. Filming was done at several BART stations in the East Bay and in Downtown San Francisco in July and August.

The movie is currently in post-production and is expected to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, which will be held in Utah from January 17-27.

Contact the Beat at news@californiabeat.org.

Kittens and puppies up for adoption from the San Francisco SPCA are on display at Macy’s Union Square during the holiday shopping season. (Steven Luo/ CALIFORNIA BEAT)

Puppies and kittens are striking a pose for holiday shoppers at Macy’s Union Square during the holiday shopping season as part of the San Francisco SPCA’s adoption event to find homes for the shelter’s cats and dogs.

As predicted when this year’s window display was unveiled earlier this month, it’s another big hit.

Here are some photos of the kittens up for adoption this year:

Contact Steven Luo at sluo@californiabeat.org. 

The sights and spirit of the holiday season greeted thousands of people who watched Macy’s 2012 Christmas tree light up Friday evening at San Francisco’s Union Square.

The 83-foot tree has been decorated with 33,000 energy-efficient LED bulbs from top to bottom. The tree itself isn’t real — it’s reusable.

Here are some photos from the tree lighting celebration:

Contact Steven Luo at sluo@californiabeat.org. 

One of the deadliest crashes happened Saturday evening when a 2004 Toyota Prius crossed the center line and slammed head-on into a van on Highway 50 east of Placerville.

Three people in the Prius, the man behind the wheel, a woman and a boy, were killed in the crash. A fourth passenger in the Prius — a child — survived the crash with moderate injuries.

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s office identified the dead as 38-year-old Sheng Kun Su, the driver;39-year-old Shu Zhen Zhao, the mother of the children; and 8-year-old Shawn Su, all from Oakland. The surviving passenger from the Prius was identified as 10-year-old Elly Aili Su.

A 4-year-old passenger in the van was also killed. Sheriff’s officials identified her as Nora Elizabeth Temple, 4, of Pollock Pines, Calif.

Four others in the van, a 35-year-old woman who was the driver, a 51-year-old male passenger and two 1-year-olds, suffered minor to moderate injuries.

Meanwhile, a series of Bay Area traffic collisions claimed the lives of pedestrians and motorists on the roads during the holiday weekend.

• A 23-year-old El Sobrante man was killed in a fiery crash on westbound Highway 80 at 2:20 a.m. Sunday when his 2005 BMW slammed into the back of a big rig truck and caught fire, the Highway Patrol reported. His passenger, a 21 year-old-man from San Pablo, was seriously injured. Neither the big rig driver or his passenger were hurt in the crash, which shut down all lanes of the freeway for three hours following the collision.
• A head-on collision claimed the life of a 59 year-old San Jose man when he drove the wrong way in the southbound lanes of San Tomas Expressway and slammed into another vehicle just north of Williams Road at approximately 9 p.m. Saturday.
• An unidentified woman walking on the northbound side of Highway 101 near the Oyster Point Boulevard off-ramp in South San Francisco was struck and killed by three cars at around 8:20 p.m. Saturday. The Highway Patrol said the car that initially struck the woman did not stop after the crash and drove away from the scene. Two subsequent drivers that struck the woman’s body did pull over to the side of the roadway. The incident closed all lanes of the freeway for three hours until the coroner could remove the body.
• A 33-year-old woman was killed when her car collided with a tree at  Leigh Avenue and Potrero Drive in San Jose at 5:45 p.m. Saturday, police said.
• A 67-year-old man was killed while waiting for a bus on the 1700 block of South Delaware Street in San Mateo at 11:30 a.m. Saturday when the driver of a Chevrolet Camaro lost control and slammed into a cement garbage can at the bus stop. The can landed on the victim and crushed him to death, authorities said. The driver of the Camaro stopped to check on the man but got back into his car and fled before authorities arrived. Using information from witnesses, police later arrested Josue Lopez, 26, on felony hit and run charges. Police said a 5-year-old child was in the back seat of his car at the time of the collision.
• In Vallejo, a 61-year-old woman was killed while crossing Sonoma Boulevard and Winchester Street at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday when she was hit by a pick-up truck, Vallejo Police reported. The impact of the crash threw her several feet. Authorities were investigating whether speed or alcohol was a factor in the crash.
• On Friday, two sisters in their twenties from San Bruno were killed when their family’s SUV flipped on the northbound lanes of Highway 101 in Palo Alto at 7:30 a.m. near the Oregon Expressway exit. The Highway Patrol said the driver of the vehicle rear-ended a parked CHP cruiser on the right shoulder of the freeway and then overturned. Four other family members and a CHP officer were also injured in the crash.

The Highway Patrol said Saturday morning there they were investigating an increase in the number of traffic fatalities during this year’s Thanksgiving holiday weekend compared to last year’s, but reported a decrease in the number of people who were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Contact the Beat at news@californiabeat.org.

The latest killings occurred at 6 a.m. Sunday on the 3900 block of Brookdale Avenue near Minna Street in East Oakland where two women were found with gunshot wounds. Both were taken to Highland Hospital where they were pronounced dead.

Police did not release their names, ages, or a possible motive in the killings.

The double killing comes after an 18 year-old mother was shot to death at 7 a.m. Saturday on the 1800 block of 28th Avenue. Police said another man in his late teens was shot to death in front of a liquor store on the 5900 block of San Pablo Avenue in North Oakland later the same day at 3 p.m.

Police also responded to a rash of  non-fatal shootings that began Friday night in several parts of Oakland that left at least seven victims hospitalized with varying injuries.

Sunday’s killings brings Oakland’s homicide total for 2012 to 115. The city recorded 110 murders in 2011.

Contact the Beat at news@californiabeat.org.

US Congressman George Miller joins OUR Walmart strikers at the store in Richmond, Calif. (Nathan Wyss/ CALIFORNIA BEAT PHOTO)

Amid the Black Friday shopping frenzy, workers, protesters, labor groups launched what they called a nationwide strike against big box retailer Walmart in protest of the company’s treatment of employees.

The company said the strikes, which took place at select stores around the country, were “made for TV” events attended largely by non-Walmart employees.

“The number of associates that have missed their scheduled shift is more than 60 percent less than Black Friday last year,” said David Tovar, Vice President, Corporate Communications for the company.

But the group Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart) — an association formed in response to what some Walmart employees call troubling working conditions at stores — is calling for better pay, hours and treatment of workers.

“I’m not working today to protest against Walmart’s attempts to silence and retaliate against associates who have spoken out against things like Walmart’s low take home pay, unpredictable work schedule, and unaffordable health benefits,” said Raymond Bravo, who

Walmart strikers held a protest Black Friday at a store in Richmond, Calif. (Nathan Wyss/ CALIFORNIA BEAT PHOTO)

joined a group of 150 strikers at the Walmart store on Hilltop Mall Rd. in Richmond. “I believe in a better Walmart and that attempting to silence and retaliate against associates who want to make Walmart a better place to work takes the company in the wrong direction.”

The Richmond store protest was one of four  in the Bay Area organized by OUR Walmart, but the events also brought out long-held sentiments about the nation’s largest big box retailer and its impact on local communities.

“When we shop here, we are subsidizing a multi-billion dollar corporation,” California State Senator Loni Hancock said. “It isn’t about survival for them, it’s about greed.”

The retailer said late Friday it had its strongest Black Friday sales ever, buoyed by early store openings on Thanksgiving Day and a new “one-hour guarantee” for shoppers that locked in a price on several door buster deals so long as shoppers were in the store late Thursday.

“It was proven last night – and again today – that the OUR Walmart group doesn’t speak for the 1.3 million Walmart associates,” Tovar said in a statement. “We had our best Black Friday ever and OUR Walmart was unable  to recruit more than a small number of associates to participate in these made for TV events.”

Contact the Nathan Wyss at news@californiabeat.org.