Hello Everyone,
This will be a kind of brief note this month because I've got a bunch of stuff going on, both at Haight street and at the shop in general. You can expect an update on the building process in the regular store newsletter shortly and here I'm just going to touch on a few upcoming events.
First off (and the most time-sensitive) -- Rina Weisman at SF in SF has gotten a block of sneak preview tickets for "A Wrinkle In Time" for us. But, the show is really soon (one week from today) and the tickets are going to go fast. If you're interested in coming, check the end of this email for all the details on how to get your tickets.
Second, we have sponsor hoodies back on hand. If you pre-ordered one, come on down to pick it up. If you're out of town, you should be hearing from Scott shortly with shipping information (if you haven't already gotten a note from him). If you didn't pre-order one -- have no fear, we got extras in all sizes so we should be able to take care of you, just stop by and grab one (or, drop us an email with your size and we'll hold one for you or make arrangements to ship).
Third, John Picacio will be in town for an event at the store on Thursday, March the 15th. If you'd like to join us for a bite to eat before the event, you've got a chance to do so. See the details later in this note. John is one of my best friends, not to mention being one of my favorite artists, and hanging out with him is always a treat.
And that just about wraps it up except for one thing -- the World Science Fiction Convention is going to be in San Jose in August. It's really a hell of a lot of fun and Borderlands will have a big presence there (big setup in the dealers' room, a party for sponsors and even our own hospitality suite). If you haven't gotten your membership (and hotel reservation) yet, it's not too late -- http://www.worldcon76.org .
All Best,
Alan
Upcoming Sponsor Events
The bonsai version:
(2) Thursday, March 15th at 5:30 pm -- Dinner with World Con Artist Guest of Honor, John Picacio. Limited seating, must RSVP.
(3) Thursday, March 15th at 6:00 pm at The Mint (1942 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94102) -- Karaoke with Seanan McGuire and Mishell Baker. Please RSVP.
(4) Friday, March 16th at 8:00 pm -- Roller Skating at Church of 8 Wheels
(5) Tuesday, March 27th at 6:00/7:00 pm. - Sponsor Cocktails and Visit Borderlands West. Join us at the new store (1377 Haight St. at Masonic) for show-and-tell at 6:00 pm, and then join us for cocktails at HQ Bar and Restaurant at 1568 Haight Street from 7 to 10 pm.
(6) Saturday March 31st 1:00-5:00 pm -- Visit Borderlands West and hear about our plans for the new space.
(7) Saturday March 31st 7:00-9:00 pm -- Sponsor General Meeting at Borderlands Cafe.
(8) Saturday, April 21st at 5:30 pm -- Alcatraz Nighttime Tour. Currently at capacity.
(9) Saturday, May 12th at 7:00 pm -- Mark your calendars for our next Sponsor Social.
(10) Friday, June 8th (time to be determined) -- Bowling at Presidio Bowl in San Francisco.
The sequoia version:
(2) Thursday, March 15th at 5:30 pm -- Dinner with World Con Artist Guest of Honor, John Picacio. We've known John Picacio practically since he started his career as an illustrator in our field. This year he will be the Artist Guest of Honor at the 76th World Science Fiction convention in August at the San Jose Convention Center. He's in town this month to do some promotion for the convention, especially to the Latino community, and while he's here we're going to host an event with him at the store. But, prior to the event, he and I will be having dinner in the neighborhood. We thought it would be nice to invite a few sponsors to join us. So, if you'd like to meet John one-on-one, chat about fantastic art and our field in general, please reply to this email for details. We're only inviting a limited number of folks to join us so it'll be first-come, first-served.
(3) Thursday, March 15th at 6:00 pm at The Mint -- Nebula Award winning author, singer/songwriter, snake handler, Borderlands sponsor, and all-around amazing person Seanan McGuire has graciously offered to return as our special host for Borderlands Sponsors' Karaoke Night, and she'll be joined by the incredibly cool & talented Southern California author Mishell Baker, who was also one of our Year One sponsors! This will be an enormously entertaining event, and we hope you'll join us to show off your vocal prowess (or your irrepressible attitude -- that's great, too, if you happen to lack vocal prowess). The Mint is located at 1942 Market Street, San Francisco, and we have reserved space for sponsors. Some pertinent info about The Mint: it is a bar, so this event will be for those 21 and over. There is no cover charge, but there is a 2-drink minimum. Guests are welcome, and please RSVP so we know how many people to expect.
(4) Friday, March 16th at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm -- Roller Skating at Church of 8 Wheels. Housed in the 118-year-old former location of Sacred Heart Church (554 Fillmore Street at Fell Street in San Francisco) The Church of 8 Wheels welcomes anyone over the age of 18 to Friday night roller disco. Admission is $10.00 and skate rentals are an additional $5.00. Personal skates and roller blades are allowed and should weather dictate layering, there is a coat check at the door. This year, we've also reserved the small break area at the back, so we will have our own seating and area to set our stuff. We can have food, but they ask that we only bring and/or consume water. http://www.churchof8wheels.com/. Please feel free to bring as many friends as you would like. We'll follow up with drinks at The Toronado (over 40 beers on tap - http://www.toronado.com), 547 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117.
(5) Tuesday, March 27th at 6:00/7:00 pm. -- Sponsor Cocktails and Visit Borderlands West. We thought it would be nice to give you chance to see our new building and so, for the next few months, we'll be having drinks on Haight St. Join us at the new store (1377 Haight Street at Masonic) for show-and-tell at 6:00 pm, then join us for cocktails at HQ Bar and Restaurant (formerly Martin Mack's at 1568 Haight Street) from 7 to 10pm.
(6) Saturday March 31st 1:00-5:00 pm -- Visit Borderlands West and hear about our plans for the new space. Immediately prior to our annual general meeting, I'll be at the new building at 1377 Haight Street showing any interested sponsors the place and talking about our plans for it. Since the process of moving the store is likely to be a major topic of conversation at the meeting, I thought it would be good to give people a chance to look at it first. Feel free to stop by anytime but be aware that I'll be shooting right out the door at 5 pm sharp so I can make it to the meeting.
(7) Saturday March 31st 7:00-9:00 pm -- Sponsor General Meeting. If you've never attended, the General Meeting is sort of like a cross between a share-holders meeting and a big advisory board. Alan will outline where Borderlands and the Sponsor Program stands and then ask for comments, opinions and ideas. We hope to see as many of you there as possible, because this is where we get guidance on where we should go with the sponsor program, and Alan would love to hear your thoughts. If you can't attend in person, feel free to email with your comments (we'll email a report on the meeting a week or two afterwards). Obviously, the major topic this year will be our new building and what the process of moving will be like, so bring your questions and Alan will do his best to answer them.
(8) Saturday, April 21st, 5:30 p.m. -- Alcatraz Night Tour. Unfortunately, we have passed the deadline for buying group tickets, but there are many more fun adventures to share in the coming year. The tour of Alcatraz Island at night is supposed to be much cooler than the usual daytime one. For those joining us; we are awaiting our actual departure time from the Park Service, but you will receive more info in the very near future. We can expect to leave sometime between 5 and 6 pm from Fisherman's Wharf. From the Alcatraz website: "Enjoy a tour of Alcatraz Island after dark on one of our Alcatraz night tours from San Francisco. The Alcatraz night tour is a unique program limited to just a few hundred visitors per evening. It includes special programs, tours, and activities not offered during the day. This tour includes: roundtrip ferry transportation, a live boat narration, a guided tour from Dock to Cellhouse, the Cellhouse Audio Tour, a keepsake souvenir brochure, recreation use fee, and a variety of special programs and presentations offered only at night."
(9) Saturday, May 12th at 7:00 pm -- Mark your calendars for our next Sponsor Social.
(10) Friday, June 8th (time to be determined) -- Bowling at Presidio Bowl in San Francisco. More details to follow...
Teaser Alert: coming down the pipeline, many more exciting events in and around our fair store. . . . including a Sponsor party at World Con in San Jose, a new location for our Fall picnic/BBQ and a chance to travel back in time to Victorian London at the Dickens Fair, with details to come. If you are interested in attending WorldCon 76 itself, you may purchase your membership here: https://www.worldcon76.org/membership/how-to-register
