Museums, theme parks join growing list of virus closures
San Francisco’s centerpiece museums joined the list of venues temporarily closing doors as the coronavirus pandemic continued to exert its profound influence over the Bay Area’s recreational landscape.
The Asian Art Museum, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco — which includes the de Young Museum and the Legion of Honor — and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art are all closing, it was announced Friday.
The Asian Art Museum and SFMOMA will tentatively reopen to the public on March 28, and the Fine Arts museums plan to reopen on March 31.
Other museums that have announced they are closing include Oakland Museum of California, through March 27; the Contemporary Jewish Museum, which says it will reopen “as soon as it is safe to do so”; The Exploratorium in San Francisco, through March 31; The Tech Interactive in San Jose, through March 31; and the UC Berkeley
Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, through March 29.
The San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art will close its doors starting Monday and has canceled programs through the end of the month.
Theme parks also felt the impact as Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and Six Flags Magic Mountain said they would close through March 31. And California’s Great America in Santa Clara is postponing its park opening until April 4.
Some big names in the world of pop music are postponing concert tours. Rage Against the Machine says its heavily anticipated reunion tour, including two Oakland shows, is postponed (no makeup dates yet). Bay Area altrock band Third Eye Blind has rescheduled a tour that includes a concert at Oakland’s Fox Theater. And Celine Dion is postponing the remainder of her Courage World Tour, which included three stops in Northern California — the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on April 7, the Oakland Arena on April 9, and the Chase Center in San Francisco on April 10.
It was unclear what caused the postponements. Earlier, Dion had postponed performances in Washington, D.C., and Pittsburgh, saying she was suffering from a common cold, and her team was quick to dispel fears the singer had contracted COVID-19.
Jack London Square announced Friday it has suspended all public events through March 31, though restaurants and businesses remain open at this time.
Sonoma Raceway has canceled a number of events through the end of March, including this weekend’s NASA Pro Racing event; the Wednesday Night Drags & Drift, March 18 and 25; challenge of America ROK Kart race, March 27-29; and Bracket Drags, March 28-29.
The Oshman Family Jewish Community Center in Palo Alto, which hosts a wide array of classes, workshops and arts programming, has announced it is postponing all events expected to draw more than 50 people through April 4. Makeup dates will be announced.
Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga is postponing all concerts, classes and public events through April 11, effective immediately.
Livermore Valley Wine Association’s Barrel Tasting Weekend, set for March 21-22, has been canceled and refunds will be offered. Wineries on the the Painted Barrel Trail, which features 11 full-size wine barrels hand-painted by area artists, expect to be open this weekend and next.
Whiskies of the World, which gathers more than 200 brands from around the globe, has canceled its San Jose event, which had been scheduled for March 27. Organizers are planning to reschedule.
Can you spell “disappointing”? The East Bay Times Spelling Bee, which had been scheduled for March 21 in Walnut Creek, has been canceled.
The Friends of Wagner Ranch Nature Area have postponed its annual Wildlife and Olive Festival, which had been scheduled for April 19. It instead will be celebrated in the fall.
Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center in Berkeley has decided to close temporarily.
The Contra Costa County Library has canceled all programs and events, including community use of meeting rooms in county-owned facilities, through March 31. All 26 community libraries are remaining open for regularly scheduled hours, however.
Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center has canceled all performances through the end of March. The Bankhead Theater will be closed, including the gallery. The box office and administrative offices will operate with a reduced staff.
City Lights Theater Company has joined the vast majority of Bay Area theater companies in canceling upcoming performances. The company looks to reopen in April.
After earlier canceling programs, the Lindsay Wildlife Experience in Walnut Creek has decided to close its doors until April 1.
Los Altos Youth Theatre is canceling this weekend’s performances of “She Kills Monsters.” Additionally, Los Altos Stage Company’s upcoming production of “Sunday in the Park with George,” scheduled for April 9-May 10, has been postponed to next season.
The April 2 opening of
“Schoolhouse Rock Live!” playing at 3Below Theaters and Lounge in Downtown San Jose, has been postponed until next year.
California Theatre in Pittsburg has canceled all events through the end of March and is refunding tickets.
The San Francisco Silent Film Festival has postponed its 25th anniversary celebration at the Castro Theater until Nov. 11-15.
Goodguys 38th All American Get-Together, originally scheduled for March 28-29 at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, has been canceled. Other Goodguys events in other parts of the country are still going on.
The Monster Jam event scheduled April 4 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara has been postponed. Tickets for the canceled event will be honored at a rescheduled event, but the date has not been decided.
Creative Growth Gallery in Oakland is postponing its March 19 opening reception for its next exhibition, “The Rainbow Two.”
A Great Good Place for Books in Oakland remains open but is canceling events for March and April.