48 Hills | Independent daily San Francisco news + culture

Good Taste: Portola Music Fest promises a Pokémon bowl, dirrty drinks—and no lines

Quaffable highlights for this weekend's bayside blowout, including the debut of beloved Saigon Sandwich

Food & Drink Tamara Palmer - September 17, 2025

Puff: Sampling the best of blooms at a streamlined Hall of Flowers

Pros know the preeminent NorCal cannabis expo is the spot for sampling the year's hot buds.

Culture Dan Karkoska - September 17, 2025

Folsom 2025 promises Twisted Windows, joyful gates, a continually expanding Playground

Four of the kinky fair's players take us behind the juicy scenes (and history) of this year's fetish fest.

Culture Joshua Rotter - September 17, 2025

Drama Masks: At Z Space, a flashback to the day that was much too much

'The Day the Sky Turned Orange,' plus 'The Reservoir''s ensemble work, and femmes rise in 'Indecent.'

Stage Review Charles Lewis III - September 17, 2025

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Opinion

The Engardio recall and the failure of conservative politics in SF

Dean Preston - September 17, 2025

In the first test of the new 'moderates' and their policies, the voters said, 'no thanks.'

Big Week

BIG WEEK: Artists against Project 2025, Flower Piano, Low Rider Parade, Shakira Tribute Dinner…

Marke B. - September 17, 2025

...Portola Fest, Ron Carter, Kim Anh, Pauly D, Pino Palladino, Cheryl Dunye's favorite flicks and more to do!

Elections

Voters recall Engardio, by huge margin

Tim Redmond - September 16, 2025

Now it's up to Lurie to appoint a D4 supe—and it won't be an easy choice

Movies

Screen Grabs: Psychedelic bro love swirls in ‘Lemurian Candidate’

Dennis Harvey - September 16, 2025

Plus: Studio 8 Film Festival celebrates work from dearly departed Art Institute, Cheryl Dunye at BAMPFA, more releases.

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Best of the Bay 2025 Editors’ Pick: Dani Offline

Arts + Culture John-Paul Shiver - September 16, 2025

No wonder she's been featured at Noise Pop—this nouveau hip-hop vibe merchant isn't faking a thing.

Mel Odom’s kaleidoscopic queer eye drew stunning art through AIDS

Art Race Bannon - September 16, 2025

New short film aims to capture turbulent milieu and indelible imagery of New York artist and dollmaker.

Win a pair of tickets to Portola Night Show: Prospa

Contest Marke B. - September 16, 2025

Deep EDM groove duo take over the Midway for Portola satellite show Fri/19—here's how to get in.

We will probably know Tuesday evening if Sup. Joel Engardio keeps his seat

Elections Tim Redmond - September 15, 2025

Early results could tell the tale—and if the D4 supe is out, what will Lurie do?

After 51 years of welcoming visitors in, SF Open Studios is gazing outwards

Art Lou Fancher - September 15, 2025

Executive director Shamsher Virk continues to be 'incredibly impressed' by artists in a boom-and-bust creative city.

Scrub your face with Peaches Christ

Culture Marke B. - September 15, 2025

Horror drag icon's new Madame Peaches soaps may not wash away your sins, but you'll still feel fresh as Rosemary's baby.

Strange (and maybe inappropriate) actions at the Planning Commission …

Housing Tim Redmond - September 15, 2025

... plus an attack on preservation in North Beach, and has the privatized zoo improved enough to get another $3 million? That's The Agenda for Sept. 14 to 21

After 28 albums, Sparks still can’t resist a flourish—thankfully

Music Joshua Rotter - September 15, 2025

Synth pop duo's 'MAD!' enlists ennui haze, light banter, schoolkids' backpacks in its theater of ideas.

Painter Luis Felipe Chávez contemplates the monuments immigrants carry within

Art Emily Wilson - September 15, 2025

On the eve of Mexican Independence Day, Jalisco-raised artist presents binational views of freedom.

Best of the Bay 2025 Editors’ Pick: Studio Fallout

Arts + Culture Dorothy O'Donnell - September 15, 2025

A quiet North Beach alley leads down to the basement retail lair of a punk-surrealist stalwart and his talented friends.

World Arts West Dance Festival delivered communal joy, despite brutal NEA cuts

Dance Tom Molanphy - September 14, 2025

Trump's generational assault on the arts unsuccessful in dropping curtain on 40-year Bay tradition.

Planning Commission passes Lurie plan over strong community opposition

Housing Serena Finney and Tim Redmond - September 12, 2025

Key measure advances to Board of Supes, where neighbors from the swing vote districts will be pitted against the mayor and the big developers

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Movies

Screen Grabs: Psychedelic bro love swirls in ‘Lemurian Candidate’

Plus: Studio 8 Film Festival celebrates work from dearly departed Art Institute, Cheryl Dunye at BAMPFA, more releases.

Movies Dennis Harvey - September 16, 2025

VOTE NOW in the 2025 Best of the Bay Readers’ Poll!

Screen Grabs: Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema beckons cinephile families and al fresco film freaks

Screen Grabs: Red Sonja rides again

Music

Best of the Bay 2025 Editors’ Pick: Dani Offline

No wonder she's been featured at Noise Pop—this nouveau hip-hop vibe merchant isn't faking a thing.

Arts + Culture John-Paul Shiver - September 16, 2025

After 28 albums, Sparks still can’t resist a flourish—thankfully

Under the Stars: Superlative locals Umbrellas, Fake Fruit, Now take the SFMOMA roof

Abba Zabba to Kamasi Washington: 11 superior fall shows

Art

Mel Odom’s kaleidoscopic queer eye drew stunning art through AIDS

New short film aims to capture turbulent milieu and indelible imagery of New York artist and dollmaker.

Art Race Bannon - September 16, 2025

Painter Luis Felipe Chávez contemplates the monuments immigrants carry within

Best of the Bay 2025 Editors’ Pick: Studio Fallout

Racial amnesia probed in ‘The Axe: a long line of broken white people’

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Housing

Strange (and maybe inappropriate) actions at the Planning Commission …

... plus an attack on preservation in North Beach, and has the privatized zoo improved enough to get another $3 million? That's The Agenda for Sept. 14 to 21

Housing Tim Redmond - September 15, 2025

Mayor will face opponents to zoning plan at rallies outside of City Hall

Opposition grows to Lurie’s zoning plan that would transform San Francisco

The lie of ‘equity considerations’ in Oakland attack on the unhoused

Politics

The Engardio recall and the failure of conservative politics in SF

In the first test of the new 'moderates' and their policies, the voters said, 'no thanks.'

Opinion Dean Preston - September 17, 2025

We will probably know Tuesday evening if Sup. Joel Engardio keeps his seat

Opposition grows to Lurie’s zoning plan that would transform San Francisco

Defining land-use battle heads to supes, Planning Commission

Opinion

The Engardio recall and the failure of conservative politics in SF

In the first test of the new 'moderates' and their policies, the voters said, 'no thanks.'

Opinion Dean Preston - September 17, 2025

Silence equals death—and that applies to AIDS and to antisemitism and to Palestine

Hey Gavin: Call out the National Guard…

In the context of a banana republic, Trump’s homeless policy makes perfect sense

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48 hillsIndependent San Francisco News + Culture

48 hillsIndependent San Francisco News + Culture

48 Hills is community-supported journalism

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