Welcome to our 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. Big news: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass just released their initial lineup for October 3-5, and its got some not-hardly big names: Lucinda Williams, Samara Joy, Courtney Barnett, Reverend Horton Heat, Nick Lowe—more info here.
ARTS
Marke B. guides you right. There’s tons more to do and support right here.
THU/24—AUGUST 30: “DAVID HUFFMAN: A BRILLIANT BLACKOUT” One of our favorite artists around these parts, Huffman is showing new paintings from his incredible “Traumanauts” series, where his Black astronaut characters “explore bright, cosmic landscapes, newly incorporating elements from his abstract painting practice.” Jessica Silverman Gallery, SF. More info here.
FRI/25: BHANGRA & BEATS NIGHT MARKET SF is finally bursting with day raves, night markets, and live music pop-ups (like we begged to happen for years). And while some of them are a bit suss as to who is behind them, this unbridled celebration of Punjabi culture downtown is the real deal. The awesome Non Stop Bhangra crew pulls out all the stops with dancing, food, performances, live music, vendors just outside the Embarcadero Center, and it is our magic. 5pm-10pm, Front Street, SF. More info here.
FRI/25: MORGAN FREEMAN’S SYMPHONIC BLUES EXPERIENCE Join the acting legend and his unmistakeable voice for this journey through the story of groundbreaking Delta blues culture, featuring performances by respected Delta Blues musicians from Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi. 7:30pm, Davies Symphony Hall, SF. More info here.
FRI/25: “EXISTIR ES RESISTIR” OPENING RECEPTION Mission-based artist and photographer Alexa “LexMex” Treviño, another favorite artist round these parts, presents a solo show featuring new and never-seen-before portraits that promise “a powerful display of cultural resilience, ancestral memory, and the power of visual storytelling presented in the heart of the Mission District.” Presented by Acción Latina, show runs through October 10. 5pm-9pm, Juan R. Fuentes Gallery, 2958 24th Street, SF.
SAT/26: “SENSE OF SIXTH” OPENING RECEPTION Very excited about this one, because more art galleries mean seeing more local art! New SoMa gallery 6M kicks off with this group exhibition of artists based around 6th Street, “bringing the community together to celebrate art in all its forms, from paintings to sculptures to photography.” 2pm-6pm, 6M Gallery, SF. More info here.
SAT/26: “YUM YAMS 2025: A FINAL COMMUNITY GATHERING” Alas, SoMa community arts and events space Kapwa Gardens, brought to us by Kultivate Labs in SOMA Pilipinas, is closing—but it’s to make way for the development of Kapwa Gardens 2.0. Join in to say farewell at this celebration with Ube-centric food, special DJ sets by Jon Reyes, ETIV, and Trixamillion, and some great vendors. Noon-5pm, Kapwa Gardens, SF. More info here.
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SUN/27: WE’RE DIFFERENT AND IT’S TOTALLY COOL Written for ages 4-8, local Taiwanese-American author Cameh Yeh’s new book is “an eye-catching, colorful debut which celebrates an important, unequivocal message: it’s okay to be different.” The illustrations are delightful, and the storytime and party launch on Waverly place will be full of smiles. 10:30am, On Waverly (162 Waverly Place), SF. More info here.
SUN/27: UP YOUR ALLEY FAIR Folsom Street Fair’s naughty sibling, aka Dore Alley Fair, has been pleasing the true fetishists in the queer community for decades, and comes with a full array of parties (see the Nightlife section below for hot picks). Grease up that harness and slide into the sunshine with thousands of other kink folk. 11am-6pm, 9th and Harrison Streets, SF. More info here.
MUSIC
Hit up John-Paul Shiver’s Under the Stars column for great musical picks every week.
THU/24: PEARL & THE OYSTERS WITH SPACEMOTH After headlining the second annual Presidio Theatre Bliss Festival in 2023, our new fave little festival in Cloud City, Pearl & The Oysters, has caught on, making great strides in conquering Southern California with their electro-pop. Expect to hear some Antônio Carlos Jobim influence enmeshed with a Stereolab experience. Come early for Bay-Area performer and master producer Spacemoth, too. It’s been a solid couple of years production-wise for Maryam Qudus, producing two, count ’em, two highly reviewed records—News of The Universe by La Luz and Revival of a Friend by local band Sour Widows last year. We can’t wait to hear what Qudus has been storing away for herself musically. 7pm, The Chapel, SF. More info here.
THU/24: DELTRON 3030 San Francisco’s favorite dystopian hip-hop group returns for a celebration of their seminal release and their upcoming return record. That’s right, Deltron 3030 is reportedly in the process of launching their long-awaited third album, but they’ll first be taking a look back at their debut, performing the record in full ins a special second added show on Thursday at The Regency Ballroom. The tour will see Deltron member Kid Koala pulling double duty as he opens the shows alongside Lealani, which is one helluva opening act to have. 7pm, Regency Ballroom, SF. More info here.
FRI/25: DIRECTIONS IN STEREO The Directions In Stereo party at 540 Club is cued up to providing an eclectic, sonic backdrop for Friday evening. Join resident dj Circuit73 and special guest Subtext as they dip into vinyl libraries to play “re-mixes, re-edits and re-rubs” spanning the last (gulp), 35 years! It’s an all vinyl, variety mix to the max. You’ll hear Tortoise, Stereolab, DJ Shadow, Radiohead, Steve Albini, Mouse On Mars, Jamie XX, The Cure, and more with emphasis on Chicago, Los Angeles, and London music scenes. All human-curated! 540’s inclusive nature and community vision are a perpetual favorite for both residents and tourists alike. 7pm-11pm, 540 Bar, SF. More info here.
FOOD & DRINK
Tamara Palmer’s weekly Good Taste column tells you where to stick your fork.
SUSIECAKES BRINGS BACK BANANA PUDDING SusieCakes, which has seven locations throughout the Bay Area (including two in San Francisco), used to make what I thought was the best whipped cream-topped and Nilla wafer-studded banana pudding. They inexplicably took it off the menu eight years ago, but it’s on the menu this week, through Sunday (July 27). I went ahead and got some yesterday to make sure it’s still awesome before recommending it to you, if you like happiness in the form of such a treat. Magnolia, who?
FRI/25-SUN/27 626 NIGHT MARKET The San Gabriel Valley’s favorite food rave, 626 Night Market returns to the Alameda County Fairgrounds on Friday for the final three-day weekend in the Bay Area this summer. If you’re so inclined to the treat life, it’s a fun place to try TikTok trends like tanghulu, Chinese candied fruit on a stick, and Dubai chocolate strawberry cups, sip cocktails and other fun bevs out of even funner vessels like baby bottles and grenades, and buy cute crafty gifts. It’s often blazing hot when 626 visits, but this weekend’s forecast maxes out at a lovely 75 degrees, so this is going to be a perfect time to check it out. Tickets are only available online and not onsite. Children 3 and under are free; GA is $6.93 and parking is $15 (card only). 3-11 p.m. on Friday and 1-11 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Alameda County Fairgrounds, 2005 Valley Avenue Gate 8, Pleasanton.
STAGE
Charles Lewis III hits up theaters and performance spaces every week for his Drama Masks column.
THROUGH AUGUST 10: “THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE” The eccentric homeless woman at the center of Jane Wagner’s classic 1985 show is, at the risk of understatement, loquacious. She has no shortage of opinions on our wicked world. What’s more, she can recite by heart the curious observations of the extra-terrestrials whom she says come to her for advice. Beloved local comic Marga Gomez is the perfect person to inherit the proverbial shoes once filled by Lily Tomlin, bringing her own unique, multi-personality take on the character that softens some of the more creaky edges. Aurora Theatre, Berkeley. More info here.
EXTENDED THROUGH SEPTEMBER 13: “JURASSIQ PARQ” Michael Phillis’ lovingly lascivious musical tribute to Spielberg’s cinematic groundbreaker is full of meta-humor and none-too-subtle entendres, Phillis’ aim is to create a Chuck Tingle-esque reimagining that brings all the (mostly imaginary) sexual subtext to the fore. Bearded billionaire Col. Sanders Hammond (Vanilla Meringue) has a private island where his scientists experiment on new ways to make finger-lickin’ profits. To keep the company suits happy, he sets up a private tour for very single paleobotanist Dr. Laura Dern (Eleanor Irene Paul), the aforementioned Dr. Jeffe, and, inexplicably, Hammond’s not-quite-minor grandkids, Lexxx (Barbie Bloodgloss) and Timy (Kitty Litter). Science goes awry, dinos get loose, raptors are played by go-go dancers in a cage. Just the way Michael Crichton envisioned. OASIS, SF. More info here.
FILM
Dennis Harvey’s long-running Screen Grabs has tons more flicks to recommend.
OPENING FRI/25: OH, HI! Young New Yorkers Iris and Isaac, who’ve been dating for a few months, drive upstate for a first shared weekend getaway. The rental house is lovely, and the mutual chemistry is smokin’. Exploring, they discover the home’s owners have a closetful of fetish gear. In a spirit of tipsy and titillated adventure, they decide to experiment. The resulting sex is “amazing.” But in its immediate post-coital glow, a seemingly innocuous question is asked, and an unexpectedly deflating answer is given. It turns out these two have very different views of the relationship they’re in… and unfortunately one person happens to have their extremities cuffed to the bed. It’s all frequently hilarious, and at the same time reasonably credible, with more emotional depth earned than you’d expect from this farcical conceit. At SF’s Metreon, Berkeley’s Elmwood, and other theaters throughout the Bay Area.
STREAMING ON MUBI STARTING FRI/25: WATERDROP In Robert Budina’s Albanian Waterdrop, hard-driving Aida (Gresa Pallaska) treats her family and town like she does her multinational development projects: With a determined, steely aspirational authority. But her ability to control every situation is thrown when teenage son Mark (Iancu Paulo) gets arrested for raping a classmate. At first she and husband Elvis (Adem Karaga) believe his pleas of innocence. But it turns out his fibs are easily disproven, and there is damning physical evidence. An indictment of pervasive corruption, this accomplished drama finds our privileged, less-than-sympathetic heroine unexpectedly becoming the figure most disillusioned by what pseudo-“justice” is allowed to pass.
NIGHTLIFE: SPECIAL UP YOUR ALLEY FAIR EDITION
Marke B. usually knows what’s up. Check out his bar The Stud for more filthy fun this weekend for Up Your Alley/Dore Alley Fair.
FRI/25: BEARS IN SPACE The LA duo—who bill themselves as “two old queens with an undying love for music traveling through the galaxy”—lean heavily into disco elation and deep house depth, and I adore them. Adding Berlin teddy bear Prosumer to the lineup blasts it all off to Uranus. 9:30pm-late, Public Works, SF. More info here.
FRI/25: ALPHA The old Hibernia Bank building will fill with dancing pups and other assorted human breeds at this Fog City Pack bonanza, with DJs Aaron J, James Axon, and Charles Hawthorne. Arooo. 10pm, 1 Jones, SF. More info here.
SAT/26: SNEAKS Have you ever wished there was a sneaker and sportswear fetish party in a giant old mint, but with tremendous music? Throw on those A.d.i.d.a.s. and get down to Detroit-originating techno geniuses Derek Plaslaiko and Carlos Souffront and the brilliant Ciel, Miss Twink USA, and the Polyglamorous crew. 10pm-4am, The Old Mint, SF. More info here.
SUN/27: DISCO DADDY DOES DORE DJ Bus Station John brings classic cruising tunes and the soulful sounds of gay dance floors yore to the Eagle and its spacious/voracious back patio. Always the perfect proverbial icing on the proverbial cake of the weekend. 7pm-2am, Eagle, SF. More info here.
