A crackin’ good time in City by the Bay

The San Francisco Crab Festival, opening Friday and running through February, will honor the tasty crustacean that countless tourists and locals enjoy at Fisherman’s Wharf.

Although other California coastal communities hold crab feasts and festivals, this marks the first time San Francisco has devoted an entire month to the Dungeness crab.

Commercial crab fishing in the region began during the Gold Rush and continues today, with about 2 million pounds being pulled from the Pacific during the November-to-June season.

The crab festival events in San Francisco, known for its devotion to dining, range from populist to downright exclusive. For a listing, tickets and details, visit www.sfvisitor.org; some events have their own phones and Web sites.

Among the events:

Friday: Scores of restaurants and wineries will offer tastings and cooking demonstrations in the 14th-annual Bon Appetit Wine & Spirits Focus Grand Tasting. More than 125 wines can be sampled. Tickets start at $125 per person. 7 to 10 p.m. Ft. Mason Center. (888) 34-FOCUS (343-6287),

www.bonappetit.com.

Feb. 1 and 2: The Crab & Wine Marketplace will offer tastings of more than 60 wines from dozens of wineries; a cook-off among top chefs; a Saturday evening dance party; children’s activities and entertainment, including cookie decorating and circus acts; gourmet shops; and food tastings from restaurants. Admission is $10, $8 if purchased online in advance at www.sfvisitor.org. Children 12 and younger are admitted free. Tastings of food cost about $3 to $7 each; wine will be about $2 to $5. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Feb. 1; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 2. Ft. Mason Center.

Feb. 7-17: Walk About the Wharf will focus on Fisherman’s Wharf, with 11 days of entertainment, crab-cracking demonstrations, walking tours and other activities. A special coupon booklet, available at the San Francisco Visitor Information Center (900 Market St.) and from several businesses along the wharf, offers discounts at restaurants and other establishments.

Feb. 15: Crab Feast on the Bay is an hourlong cruise on the Red & White Fleet during which each guest will be served a whole crab with sourdough and all the condiments. $39 per person, including crab. Noon. Departs from Pier 43 1/2. (800) 229-2784, www.redandwhite.com.

Feb. 22: Chefs, sports figures and other celebrities will demonstrate the art of cracking a crab at 11:30 a.m. at Union Square downtown. There will also be tastings of crab dishes and other activities. Free admission.