BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.3.5//EN TZID:America/Los_Angeles X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5784@news24-680.com DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260716T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260716T190000 DTSTAMP:20260704T040519Z URL:https://news24-680.com/events/san-francisco-the-clift-royal-sonesta-ho tel-speaker-series-ben-fong-torres-july-16/ SUMMARY:San Francisco: The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel Speaker Series - Ben F ong-Torres\, July 16 DESCRIPTION:The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel\, a San Francisco landmark since 1915\, continues its monthly speaker series\, Making History Fun Again\, d esigned to celebrate the city’s legendary past through lively storytelli ng\, fascinating personalities\, and unforgettable local history.\nJust in time for summer\, Ben Fong-Torres will take guests through a personal jou rney back to the Sixties and Seventies in San Francisco. From the eve of t he Summer of Love in 1967 through his times as an editor and writer at Rol ling Stone\, he has plentiful memories\, stories\, photos\, and interview soundbites with the likes of Grace Slick\, Jerry Garcia\, George Harrison\ , Tina Turner and more. Ben also was a DJ on weekends on the free-form pio neer\, KSAN\, and produced a nationally syndicated and award-winning speci al about that fabled summer. He will share.\nAbout the Speaker\nBen Fong-T orres is an acclaimed American journalist\, author\, and broadcaster best known for his influential work at Rolling Stone during the magazine’s fo rmative years. Joining the publication in the late 1960s\, he became one o f its most prominent writers and editors\, helping shape modern music jour nalism through in-depth profiles and interviews with legendary artists inc luding Bob Dylan\, Ray Charles\, Paul McCartney\, Marvin Gaye\, Linda Rons tadt\, and the Rolling Stones. His groundbreaking reporting earned him a r eputation for combining rigorous journalism with an insider’s understand ing of popular culture.\nAfter leaving Rolling Stone in 1981\, Fong-Torres built a distinguished multimedia career as a newspaper columnist\, radio host\, television personality\, and author of numerous books on music and culture. A longtime Bay Area media figure\, he has won multiple Emmy Award s and was portrayed in the Academy Award–winning film Almost Famous\, wh ich drew inspiration from his mentorship of young journalist and future fi lmmaker Cameron Crowe. In 2022\, his life and contributions to journalism were celebrated in the documentary Like a Rolling Stone: The Life and Time s of Ben Fong-Torres.\nEvent Details\nWhat: Making History Fun Again — S peaker Series - History of San Francisco: Like a Rolling Stone \nFeatured Speaker: Ben Fong-Torres\nWhen: Thursday\, July 16\, 2026 | 5:00 p.m. Cock tail Hour | 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Program\nWhere: The Redwood Room\, The Clif t Royal Sonesta Hotel\nAdmission: Complimentary with RSVP\nRSVP: Making Hi story Fun Again Speaker Series at The Clift Tickets\, Multiple Dates | Eve ntbrite\nUpcoming Speaker Series Lineup\nThursday\, August 20 - Rob Thomso n - History of the Presidio / 250th Anniversary\nThursday\, September 17 - Kevin Kopjak Panel - History of the Performing Arts\nThursday\, October 1 5 - Rae Alexander - KQED and Author of Unsung Heroines: 35 Women Who Chang ed the Bay Area\nThursday\, November 19 - Heather Knight (NYTimes) - leadi ng a panel that includes Will Hearst (ALTA\, formerly SF Examiner)\, Wendy Tokuda (formerly KPIX)\, Joe FItzgerald Rodriguez (SF Standard)\, John Ro thmann (formerly KGO) - History of Media\nSignature Speaker Series Cocktai ls\nGuests attending the speaker series events may enjoy themed cocktails honoring San Francisco’s storied past\, including:\n\n\n Pisco Punch — A Gold Rush original from 1853\n Martini — Born along the trail bet ween San Francisco and Martinez\n Night Moves (Buena Vista Tribute Espres so Martini) — A wink to the city’s famed Irish Coffee\n Maiden Lane — A nod to one of San Francisco’s most notorious streets\n\nAbout The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel\nLocated at 495 Geary Street\, The Clift Royal S onesta Hotel blends contemporary design with timeless character. Home to t he legendary Redwood Room\, the hotel has been a cultural fixture of San F rancisco since 1915. Following a multimillion-dollar renovation\, The Clif t offers 372 stylish guest rooms and suites\, a state-of-the-art event spa ce\, and an enduring commitment to hospitality that is — and always has been — legendary. Learn more at Sonesta Press Room / The Clift or by cal ling (415) 775-4700. ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://news24-680.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/0 7/resized_200x200-1.png CATEGORIES:Free,Informational Gathering END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Los_Angeles X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20260308T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR