Some days, living in the Bay Area can seem like a noisy, gray heap of fog and an empty bank account. And then there are those glorious days when it’s as bright and bizarre as anything you’d see at Barnum and Bailey. We’ve got our neighborhood clowns (you might even be one of them) and a culture that revels in the weird and artistic. As proud San Franciscans, we have to admit — Las Vegas’s finest got nothing on us. Because we’ve got…

1) So Much Color!

Photos from the Holi Festival

“Volunteers handed out nontoxic starch-based pigments by the handful, and before long, the parking lot erupted into a vibrant display of color, laughter and dance.” Read more…

2) Comic Relief Galore

I’m a Stand-up Comic Who Stutters — and It Doesn’t Impede My Career at All

“The ball was in my court, so I responded, ‘If I could get through middle school with a stutter, I’m sure she could get through the next five minutes.’ The tension in the room broke into laughter. That is the beauty of comedy: you can take any awkward or painful experience and turn it into triumph.” Read more…

3) A Populist Sports Revolution in the Making

How Oakland Could Use the 5th Amendment to Keep the Raiders

“American politics, like football, is a game in which you need the approval of billionaires before you can participate. And just like in American politics, the result is manifest injustice.” Read more…

4) Some Mastermind Escape Artists

The Best Escape Rooms of the Bay Area

“Most people who have successfully ‘escaped’ have either cleared San Francisco’s other escape rooms or are software engineers who write algorithms for a living.” Read more…