SAN FRANCISCO — Super Bowl 50 will be a tailgate of two cities. The fan village and other activities are set in San Francisco, but the game will be played about 40 miles south in Santa Clara, home to Levi’s Stadium and the San Francisco 49ers (although the 49ers will not be playing Feb. 7). Here are some tips to help you get your game on.
Getting around
The website for this year’s game — nfl.com/superbowl/50 — lists options for reaching the stadium on game day. The available for cellphones and other devices is a terrific source of information, news and directions. , $55 round trip, will shuttle fans to the stadium on game day with multiple pickup and drop-off locations.
NFL Experience
This interactive theme park will be at Moscone Center, 800 Howard St., San Francisco, through Feb. 7, open from 3 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. weekends to 10 p.m. most evenings. Tickets are $35 ($25 for age 12 and younger). Highlights include interactive games that let you pass the ball or try to kick a game-winning field goal. Also planned: autograph sessions with NFL players past and present, an exhibit of Super Bowl championship rings and a chance to take a photograph with the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Super Bowl City
Set in San Francisco’s Justin Herman Plaza, where Market Street meets the Embarcadero, this free fan village runs from 11 a.m. to 9 or 10 p.m. through Feb. 7. Attractions include the Fan Dome, a 40-foot-tall space offering an interactive experience via motion detectors and giant screens.
Arts and eats
A show at Santa Clara’s Triton Museum of Art, “Gridiron Glory: The Best of the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” features exhibits on legends such as Johnny Unitas and Joe Namath. Visitors can check out vintage pads and jerseys and compare them with modern equipment.
Taste of the NFL, an annual event featuring a chef from each NFL city serving a signature dish alongside a current or alumni player, will be Feb. 6 at San Francisco’s Cow Palace arena. Dishes will be paired with wines from E. & J. Gallo Winery, which has been a sponsor of the event for 21 years (tasteofthenfl.com).
The San Francisco Symphony teams with NFL Films for its Concert of Champions at 8 p.m. Feb. 3-4 at Davies Symphony Hall, hosted by NFL Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen. A selection of short documentaries will be projected accompanied live by the orchestra, which will round out the program with other works. A VIP dinner package is available before the Feb. 3 performance, with tickets starting at $1,000. Proceeds benefit the symphony’s educational and community programs.
Tickets for the concert start at $50 (sfsymphony.org/NFL).
San Francisco hot spots
While football is the name of the game, there are plenty of things to do off the gridiron. The Golden Gate Bridge is always ready for its close-up, with good selfie spots at the vista point at the south end of the bridge or Fort Point, beneath the south anchorage. Another famous bit of pavement is Lombard Street’s crooked block, between Leavenworth and Hyde streets; for a good angle, shoot looking up from Leavenworth.
Ferry rides to Alcatraz Island fill up fast, but as of mid-January, there were openings for Super Bowl week (alcatrazcruises.com). Fisherman’s Wharf is kitschy, sure, but fun kitsch. Eat a fresh crab cocktail and stroll down to Pier 39 to see the basking sea lions; learn more about them at the Sea Lion Center operated by Aquarium of the Bay.
Wine nearby
Beer and football go together like love and prenups, but don’t forget that San Francisco is just a 45-minute drive from the Napa Valley. A number of wine country places are offering Super Bowl specials (visitnapaval ley.com/super_bowl_50.htm). The Napa Valley Wine Train is running a special Big Game Train Feb. 3 featuring lunch, wines and meet-and-greets with stars such as former NFL coach Dick Vermeil (now a Napa Valley vintner). Tickets $189-$249 per person.
Of course, you don’t have to drive to the Napa Valley to enjoy fine wine. California wines are available at Levi’s Stadium.
And some San Francisco restaurants are beefing up their wine lists. EPIC Steak, 369 The Embarcadero, has snagged a case of the much-anticipated 2013 vintage of Odette Estate cabernet sauvignon (the 2012 vintage got a 100-point rating from critic Robert Parker) and is stocking up on perennial favorites such as Opus One and Staglin Family Vineyard, said managing partner Pete Sittnick. They’re also serving wines from all 50 years, with limited quantities in the older vintages, naturally.
“It’s really about being able to show off to this huge national and international audience what hospitality means in San Francisco,” Sittnick said. “It’s going to be busy, and we’re going to make money. And we’re going to sell a lot of wine and food. But I’m really looking forward to being able to be the host city and being able to show off what San Francisco is all about.”
If you go
San Francisco site: http://www.sfsuperbowl.org
Santa Clara site: http://www.santaclara.org/superbowl50/
San Jose info: http://www.sanjose.org/maps-more/san-jose-is-a-super-community
