THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT a great outdoor dance party in the Bay Area that just goes off like nobody's business. Maybe the weather has something to do with it. When a sound-system crew picks just the right day (not an easy feat in this climate), party people are just as apt to be celebrating the rare sunny day as praising the DJ.

There are a few crews who do outdoor parties on a semiregular basis: Pacific Sound, the crew behind the epic Sunset outdoor parties; the Skills DJ Workshop crew (which is throwing its third annual "Party in the Park" at the band shell in Golden Gate Park June 16); Beatdown Sundaze (which specializes in downtempo, natch, but also throws in some breaks and house to keep you from nodding out and getting sunburned); Greg Sandler's Harmony crew; the BrainDrops kids; and the occasional brave upstart crew.

Now that's not a lot, especially in the context of the insufferable number of party crews thrusting Friday and Saturday night events in the face of the besieged dance culture enthusiast. And in the last couple of years the Pacific Sound crew (based out of Berkeley's Primal Records outlet) has scaled back its free party schedule in favor of equally epic (though not free, obviously) boat parties. Outdoor parties can seem a little scarce, especially this year, as the weather has been rather cooperative on a consistent basis (as I write this, it's at least 70 degrees in Bernal Heights – whew!)

So you may want to bust out a little fiesta del sol yourself. It takes a bit of work and planning, but the feeling of satisfaction (not to mention the potential to draw in hot babes in, errm, abbreviated attire) could be worth the effort. And think of the awesome revenue potential of discarded recyclables! Woo hoo!

Obviously, the most important element of an outdoor party is location. The good news is that quite a few parks, even magnificent Golden Gate Park, will allow small to midsize sound systems to set up for, say, 100 people or less. If you're planning something small and intimate, like an unpromoted event for friends, it probably won't be much of a hassle; just check on the park's hours and policies. If you plan to promote your sunny soiree to the outside masses, you'll definitely have to check with the park's municipality about permitting. In San Francisco you'd want to contact the Recreation and Park Department.

One great spot I've partied at in the North Bay is beautiful Stafford Lake Park in Novato. The city requires that any event with amplified sound be permitted, but the fee is only $17 an hour for nonresidents, with a two-hour minimum. Give the Parks, Recreation and Community Services department a ring. And Point Molate may be off-limits, but there are still options in the East Bay, including Lake Elisabeth in Fremont.

It's a sad but necessary fact of life that the price you pay for giving your friends a good time is that sometimes things get out of hand. If you're throwing something large enough to require security, check with the park – some parks, such as Stafford Lake, will allow you to retain park staff at the rate of $100 an hour. But I'd highly recommend not promoting a party to the point where you'll need security. If you do the party on a small scale, all you should need to do is form a small team of friends who won't get fucked up and can manage whatever issues you might have.

Which brings us to the sound system. If you're lucky or well connected or both, you may know someone with turntables and a mixer and maybe even an amp, some monitors, and bass bins (speaker cabinets). This setup easily fits into the concept of a free outdoor party, in that there's no out-of-pocket costs for the individual or group throwing the event.

However, if you don't fall into this category, you're gonna end up plopping down a couple of bills (around $200 for a basic system, up to $400 for more elaborate considerations) to secure a sound system. A classic establishment that caters to party crews is JK Sound. Another is San Rafael's Renegade Productions. Just give these places a couple of weeks' lead time to make sure their stuff isn't all rented out.

I guess I could mention DJs, but why bother? Everybody and their granny spins records in this area ... you can't sneeze in the city and not risk infecting someone with a couple of decks set up in their bedroom/living room. This means the waterline of DJ talent (or at least competence) has risen to the point where you should be able to hook up with a couple of them who will be happy to throw down for nothing more than the promise of a hot dog and a few happy, wriggling bodies.

However, if you're really desperate 'cause all of your friends suck, I would suggest going to Hyperreal's S.F. Raves and looking through its yellow- and white-pages sections. Look for a crew whose parties you like, or a record store that caters to your taste (this is a great resource, as plenty of DJs work at record stores). And sorry to be so bitchy, but if this is too abstract for you, you probably shouldn't be trying to throw parties.

While we're speaking of DJs, there are two things to remember when dealing with 'em: first, it's guaranteed that they won't be bringing needles or other gear (with the possible exception of headphones), so you'll be expected to supply that stuff; second, work out details such as payment as soon as you intend to book any talent. You don't wanna ask Jenö to spin at your little affair if you intend to employ the aforementioned weenie payment – that is, unless you plan to buy $800 worth of Ball Park franks.

Now the last thing you'll need to worry about is the thing over which you have the least control: the weather. Mostly, planning a day party can be just like rolling dice on a craps table. You throw 'em out and hope for the best. But the Bay Area does have some reasonably predictable climatic patterns.

If you haven't been here long, you can check out an online almanac or a long-term weather planner, or get in touch with someone who's lived here a few years and knows, for instance, that there's always a couple of weeks in May that are really nice before a slight chilly relapse in June. This mostly applies in the city; oftentimes it's wiser to plan an outdoor party in the East or North Bay, as it's usually a bit warmer and more predictable, and less susceptible to the fog that can crush the life out of a fine, sunny day.

So go grab yer honey, a little sunscreen, some of that really expensive Fuji bottled water that tastes kinda like butter, maybe a bottle of red wine (park policy permitting), and a picnic setup and have a good time. Who knows? Maybe you'll have so much fun you'll forget about ... Monday.