As most of the city's art inclined are aware, gallery hopping during SF's "First Thursday" has been a downtown tradition since the early '90s. More recently, Oakland's monthly Art Murmur has been all the rage—its Friday evening art walk has become the hottest party east of the bay over the past few years.

Starting Saturday, Jan. 7, the SF Art Dealers Association is bringing the love back to the city proper with the launch of "First Saturday." Intended as more than an art walk, the new gig will offer special artist talks, panel discussions, tours, and book signings so that enthusiasts can engage more directly with both local talent and current exhibitions. Participating galleries and events will vary from month to month, which means you'll get access to more than just the usual suspects.

This weekend, check out Mathew Zefeldt's colorful acrylics reminiscent of 3D Magic Eye books at Michael Rosenthal Gallery and meet the artist. Or, marvel over Todd Hido's painterly photographs of ghostlike landscapes in "Excerpts from Silver Meadows" at Stephen Wirtz Gallery. And you won't want to miss out on the hot cocoa at the closing reception for "McSweeney's McMullens: Artwork from Children's Books," which also includes 1,032 illustrated lunch bags at Electric Works.

For a full list of Saturday's activities, check out the San Francisco Art Dealers Association website.