Welcome to our new calendar feature BIG WEEK! Each week, our expert Arts & Culture writers recommend the best things for you to do in the best city on earth: Arts, Music, Food & Drink, Stage, Film, Nightlife, and more.
ARTS
Tons more to do and support right here.
WED/18 + THU/19: HELLA JUNETEENTH FESTIVAL It’s about opening the summer with a celebration of Black freedom when Hella Creative convenes its multi-day Juneteenth celebration. On Wednesday you get the Freedom Run 5K and Futureproof Dinner, a showcase of Black culinary mastery. Then on Thursday two stages of live performance unfold at Oakland Museum of California, complemented by yet more Black delicacies (heavy on the barbeque variety), family activities, and the presence of tons of Black movers and shakers selling their wares and doling out information on community projects. It is advised that you reserve your cookout plate in advance, as supplies have been known to run out in the past. Various Oakland venues. More info here.
THROUGH SAT/21: I LOVE TENDERLOIN WEEK All this week we’re celebrating the glory of SF’s worst-understood neighborhood, the TL. Proud residents host all kinds of activities in its bounds over the next few days, from a comic arts festival to a litter pickup session, block parties, and movie nights. The grand finale comes on Sat/21, when Great American Music Hall hosts a gloriously free concert featuring the SF Symphony, DJ maDRE, SF Recovery theare, Discomovil Salazar, Blue Bear School of Music, and hosting by Broke-Ass Stuart. Various venues, Tenderloin neighborhood, SF. More info here.
SAT/21: RUTH’S TABLE’S PRIDE CELEBRATION A brilliant organization that fills the common areas of senior housing with art and art-making and serves as a neighborhood art hub, Ruth’s Table deserves a moment to celebrate this Pride season. Community-minded as the organization is, it’s inviting the rest of us to join in. Community art projects will be on display like including Mission Praxis’ Community Pride Quilt, and some big-name queers will be on hand to cavort, like trans luminary Donna Persona, vogue leader SirJoQ, DJ Stanley Frank, and Sister Roma. Ruth’s Table, SF. More info here.
SUN/22: HOW THEY DID IT: QUEER SUMMER READS Litquake convenes a passel of LGBTQ scribes to make a panel of their creative experiences. Come through to learn from Jonathan Parks-Ramage (It’s Not the End of the World), Renee Swindle (Francine’s Spectacular Crash-and-Burn), Edward Underhill (The In-Between Bookstore and In Case You Read This), Shoshana von Blanckensee (Girls Girls Girls), and moderator Dominic Lim (Karaoke Queen).
MUSIC
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Hit up John-Paul Shiver’s Under the Stars column for great musical picks every week.
FRI/20: ISAIAH COLLIER This explosive young self-described “sonic scientist” is at the forefront of the vibrantly creative Chicago scene. Isaiah Collier, the Windy City-based saxophonist, according to the New York Times, “has established himself as an heir apparent to both the Chicago lineage and the post-Coltrane sax tradition.” Be present when this up-and-coming virtuoso takes the stage. The Freight, Berkeley. More info here.
WED/18: VALERIE JUNE Bright colors emanate from this one-of-a-kind artist, who chooses to dabble in the magical arts that include psychedelic folk, indie rock, Appalachian, bluegrass, country, soul, gospel, and whatever the hell else tickles her fancy. I’ve only seen Miss June on “CBS Saturday Morning,” but even that little tool of capitalism could not dim her ever-evolving spirit. She transmits REAL, people, and that, in this AI-generated cosplay hot mess of a life, is worth all the digital coins hackers seem to be constantly trying to steal from me. Palace of Fine Arts, SF. More info here.
FRI/20 & SAT/21: THE BRONX REVOLUTION & THE BIRTH OF HIP HOP With rare Bay Area appearances by icons Grandmaster Caz, Grandwizzard Theodore, MC SHA-ROCK, Graffiti Artist BG183, BGirl Rokafella, BBoy Kwikstep, and more, this event feels like it will place you at the inception of hip-hop in 1973. After the performance on Friday, attendees will be treated to a post-show talkback with revered hip hop journalist Davey D and a community cypher and afterparty powered by local legend DJ QBert. Then on Saturday, the show includes a special encore with pioneer DJ Grandwizzard Theodore and DJ QBert. It promises to be a soundclash of history and culture that should not be missed. IYKYK. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, SF. More info here.
other staff picks… SAT/21: QUEER EMO NIGHT Come together with your fellow asymmetricals for this celebration of pointed sadness to a beat. Never a better time, no? In addition to being the city’s most emo Pride celebration, the evening will also mark the release party for LGBTQ angsters Gloomy June. El Rio, SF. More info here.
SAT/21 & SUN/22: BLISS FEST With the third annual Bliss Festival returning to San Francisco’s national park this weekend, you can thrive in the glow of live music amidst the serene environs of nature on a burrito budget. Single-day tickets are $35 for adults and $10 for youth, or for two days $50 for adults and $15 for youth. With a Saturday lineup featuring Martin Luther McCoy, The Seshen, and Orchestra Gold, that’s affordable. Add to that a Sunday lineup featuring Grahame Lesh & Friends, Jesús Díaz and the Fifth Chord, and Alam Khan & Eman Hashimi: Tribute to Zakir Hussain… hands down the most accessible, feasible, and least stressful music festival you will find amongst the SF trees this summer. The first 100 people on both Saturday and Sunday will receive a free poster designed by Brian Blomerth. Presidio Theatre, SF. More info here.
other staff picks… SAT/21: SF GAY MEN’S CHORUS PRIDE CONCERT Not only is it the triumphant annual Pride concert of the SFGMC, it’s also a moment of non-binary excellence. Producer Justin Tranter is the spcial guest, being the talented they behind hits by Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, and Miley Cyrus. Consider yourself warned that there will be fierce choreography. The Ritz-Carlton, SF. More info here.
FOOD & DRINK
Tamara Palmer’s Good Taste Good Taste column tells you where to stick your fork every week.
SAT/21: SEÑOR SISIG DAY Evan Kidera and Gil Payumo will celebrate 15 years of their self-described Filipino fusion food business with a proclamation of Señor Sisig Day in San Francisco and a party at their Thrive City location, which opened in January. DJs Shellheart and Auxcord will provide the beats and the restaurant will have exclusive merch, raffles, and giveaways for attendees. The friends, who met back in high school, started with a refurbished Chinese food truck purchased in Modesto and now have a fleet of trucks and four restaurants in San Francisco and Oakland. 5-9pm, 151 Warriors Way, Suite 103, SF. Tickets and more info here.
SUN/22: FOODWISE SUMMER BASH This annual grand tasting event to support the non-profit Foodwise’s local farmer’s markets as well as its food access and education initiatives approaches. The lowest price tiers of sliding scale tickets to this weekend’s Foodwise Summer Bash are sold out, but there are still general admission tickets beginning at $179.98, as well as “pay it forward” options to enable others to attend. Taste the wares of 50 food and drink purveyors, including the Ferry Building’s brand new restaurant Nopa Fish (which grand-opens today), Draymond Green’s MESKI, and Oakland patisserie Tarts de Feybesse. 5:30-8pm, Ferry Building, SF. More info here.
STAGE
Charles Lewis III hits up theaters and performance spaces every week for his Drama Masks column.
THROUGH SAT/21: LA BOHÈME It’s Christmas Eve in Paris, roughly 1830. What follows is a whirlwind romance involving colorful townspeople, former lovers, rich suitors, mixed messages, and the inevitable melodramatic death. La Bohème is a great “starter” opera because its simplistic (sometimes plot-free) storyline is much easier to follow than something by Wagner. It’s great at giving newcomers an entryway into to bombast of the format without leaving them in need of a flow chart to track all the personalities on stage. With a century-plus of history behind it, the opera remains a welcoming presence for aficionados and newbies alike. War Memorial Opera House, SF. More info here.
other staff picks… THU/19 + FRI/20: THE LIVING EARTH SHOW: QUBE CHIX Don’t tell me you don’t know about these early 1990s performance divas. The Qube Chix will bring their electronic butoh stylings to the stage for the Roar Shack Live’s last show in its debut season—their first show in decades! Maybe they’ll gift the audience with a rendition of “Bald Boyfriend.” More info here.
other staff picks… THU/19-SUN/21: FRESH MEAT FESTIVAL In a moment when anti-trans legislation and rising political hostility have reached a fever pitch, Fresh Meat Festivasl is answering back—not with fear, but with brilliance. Its three-night lineup is equal parts resistance and revelry, celebration and ceremony. One of the festival’s most anticipated premieres is a commissioned work by Bay Area drag artist and performer Mudd the Two Spirit, voted Best Drag King in the Best of the Bay 2024: Arts & Nightlife readers’ poll. Z Space, SF. More info here.
other staff picks… SUN/22: DUSTY P. DRAG QUEEN AND THE GOLDEN GATE PARK BAND This is the moment this month to hear “True Colors,” “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” and “Over the Rainbow” in the glory of nature. Dusty P. Drag Queen and the 143-year-old, surprisingly sprightly Golden Gate Park Band take the stage for a true, gay extravaganza. Golden Gate Park Bandshell, SF. More info here.
FILM
Dennis Harvey’s long-running Screen Grabs has tons more flicks to recommend. This week, he’s going all in on Frameline.
FRI/20: THE NATURE OF INVISIBLE THINGS Rafaela Camelo’s debut feature is a Brazilian-Chilean coproduction that provides a touching seriocomedic view of childhood. With no one else to look after her, 10-year-old Gloria has to spend much of her summer vacation hanging around the hospital where her single mother works as a harried nurse. Things brighten when she meets same-aged Sofia, brought her by her own harried ma while a grandmother’s illness is dealt with. The two girls learn about mortality, friendship, “being different,” and more in this near-plotless-yet-astute slice of life. Roxie Theater, SF. More info here.
other staff picks… SUN/22: I’M YOUR VENUS A deeply personal portrait of Venus Xtravaganza—the trans ballroom icon from New Jersey best known from the 1990 cult documentary Paris Is Burning, whose life was cut short in 1988. In this film, her brothers tell her story on her terms. What began as their investigation into her murder quickly grew into a quest to put together a complex picture of their sister. The crime was never solved, but the film isn’t ultimately about legal justice. It’s about putting Venus’s real name where it belongs: on her grave, in her story, and in the mouths of those who love her. Roxie Theater, SF. More info here.
TUE/24: SHE’S THE HE Facing high school graduation as virgins, BFFs Alex (Nico Carney) and Ethan (Misha Osherovich) have the terrible idea of posing as trans in order to attract the attention of hot girls. Well, actually, that’s Alex’s idea—Ethan is mortified, especially once he realizes he may not actually need to “pretend.” Siobhan McCarthy’s film sending up the minefield of up-to-the-moment gender politics while also paying anarchic homage to straight teen romcoms. Surprisingly, this mix of the crass, sweet, and extremely silly works, to occasionally side-splitting effect. Roxie Theater, SF. More info here.
NIGHTLIFE
Marke B. often knows what’s up.
THU/19: QUEEN OUT X MAKEROOM JUNETEENTH PRIDE Two of the Bay’s cutest QTBIPOC collectives join forces, “bringing a full lineup of trailblazing Black+Queer talent from the US and beyond to Public Works for this special edition of hyperpop-adjacent queer club night, QUEEN OUT.” Ravey DJ River Moon headlines. 9pm-2am, Public Works, SF. More info here.
FRI/20-MON/23: SUNSET CAMPOUT Drop everything except your drawers, grab your tent, and head out to this insane celebration of local house and techno (50+ DJs!), put on by one of our founding brave crews. They say it’s the last one—and those lakeside muu-muus aren’t going to show off themselves. Belden Town, CA. More info here.
SAT/21: I FOUND LUV The house music scene in Oakland has been incredible lately, with true soul feeling and diversity on the dance floor that can’t be beat. DJs Dedan, Jayvi Velasco, Bloom, and Hannah Lee are masters of the sound that will get you jumping. Oh, and there’s a cute Latin Hustle class at the start. 9pm-2am, Fluid510, Oakland. More info here.
MARCHES
Take the streets.
SUN/22: PEOPLE’S MARCH Those with something to get off their chest—and if you don’t, are you doing OK?—are well-advised to show up to Alex U. Inn and Juanita MORE!’s march and rally today. Stamp down Polk in the footsteps of those who marched in San Francisco’s first Gay Liberation Protest, and come prepared with your signs and fury to call for justice in Gaza, U.S. democracy, for trans and queer folks, and everyone else this twisted year. Meet 11am at The Crepe House, 1755 Polk, SF. More info here.
SUN/22: JUNETEENTH PARADE Despite Juneteenth’s recent national surge in prominence as a day of celebration, San Francisco in not new to the game by a long shot—Galveston transplant Wesley Johnson Sr. was hosting Juneteenth parties in the Fillmore as far back as 1945. But this year marks the third annual parade in these parts commemorating Black vibrancy, on the occasion of the moment when U.S. troops arrived to Galveston, Texas in 1865, ostensibly ending slavery in the United States. Starts 11am at Market and Spear, proceeding down Market to Eighth Street, SF. More info here.
