No. 2 Best Large City In The U.S. Is In NorCal + Celeb Chef Offers Free Tickets To Showdown: Saturday Smiles

Kick off your weekend with a little feel-good news from across Northern California. Find out which celebrity chef is giving away free tickets to a culinary competition and how you can give a cat displaced by the recent hurricane in Hawaii a new forever home.

The No. 2 Best Large City In The U.S. Is San Francisco, Survey Finds

• "San Francisco is known for blending old-world charm with cutting-edge innovation," the magazine that published the awards said.

Berkeley Humane And Nine Lives Fly Kauaʻi Cats To Safety After Hurricane

• "When another animal welfare organization is facing a crisis, we believe in showing up," the nonprofit's director said.

Hope Hospice Fundraiser At Castlewood Raises Over $450K

• Castlewood Plays for Hope, a 3-day tournament, raised over $450,000 for local nonprofit hospice and palliative care.

Guy Fieri Offers Free Tickets To Chef Showdown

• Fans can watch chefs compete as “Tournament of Champions” tapes in Sonoma County this October.

Ghosts Of Dublin Nighttime Cemetery Tour Tickets On Sale

• Grab your flashlights and head out into the cemetery at night to learn about the ghosts that haunt Dublin.

Howl-O-Ween Dog Costume Parade Returns To City Center

• Dogs can dress up, enjoy treats, tackle an obstacle course and pose for professional photos at two Halloween events.

Let us know if you have an idea for a nice news story in your town. Email your story tips to autumn.johnson@patch.com.