It’s been vacation time around here at your favorite alt-culture site, so we’re going to get wild this week, break the normal Big Week format, and throw a bunch of excellent suggestions at you from all of of our writers and editors without the traditional genre categories. Buckle up and get out there!
THROUGH SEPTEMBER 27: REBELS, CRIMINALS, PIONEERS: MASC HEROES OF THE QPA QUEER PHOTO ARCHIVE (1906-1976) “Like a moodboard of masc ancestors, this selection of striking images from the Queer Photo Archive offers up dozens of images across various categories. From the “passing” men of a century ago, to the brave butches across the decades, to two amazing trans man heroes of the 1950s and 1970s, this stunning collection of nearly fifty large-format vintage news photos provides visceral confirmation of that classic queer saying: We have always been here. Most significantly, the exhibit spotlights a gallery of folks who were arrested for living as men (Jack Starr, Joe Foley, Charles Williams, James Phipps, and others). Queer Arts Features, SF. More info here.
FRI/14-SUN/16: SF DEAF DANCE FESTIVAL Brilliant choreographer Antoine Hunter of Urban Jazz Dance Company presents the annual celebration of the invaluable contributions that Deaf and Hard of Hearing artists make to dance culture. More than a dozen participating companies and dancers, from Missouri to Turkey, will converge for performances, workshops, and artistic innovation at Dance Mission Theater on Friday and Saturday. Don’t miss Sunday’s afternoon show at Presidio Tunnel Tops! More info here.
FRI/14—OCTOBER 17: “OTRA ONDA/OTRA VEZ” In 1981, groundbreaking 1981 exhibition “Otra Onda,” organized by Mission arts legend René Yañez at Galería de la Raza, was the first of its kind to document lowrider culture in a gallery or museum setting. The exhibition returns forty-five years later to give a new generation the chance to see it from a different angle in history—curators Lou Dematteis, Joe Ramos, and Gato Rivera bring together original photographs by all 19 photographers featured in the 1981 show, at Acción Latina’s sweet Juan R. Fuentes Gallery. The San Francisco Lowrider Council will display cars during the opening, connecting the photographs from 1981 with the culture as it lives on today. Opening celebration 5:30pm-9pm, Juan R. Fuentes Gallery, SF. More info here.
SAT/15: SCRAP GRAND REOPENING The fabulous center for for creative reuse—aka Scroungers’ Center for Reusable Art Parts—has provided artists and crafters materials for genius reinvention for decades from society’s refuse and detritus. Its educational programs and creative displays have helped divert over 250 tons of material from the waste stream, and serve more than 45,000 people in the Bayview. And now it has a new home! Welcome the 141 Industrial Street location with a tree-planting ceremony, ribbon-cutting, free hands-on activities in the workshop, and ice cream, coffee, and pastries. 10pm-6pm, 141 Industrial Street, SF. More info here.
SAT/15-AUGUST 20: CATVIDEOFEST 2026 The #1 Cat Video festival is back, now! “Oscilloscope Laboratories presents a compilation of the latest and best cat videos culled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos, and classic internet powerhouses. Each year, across the country, local theaters partner with nearby cat-focused charities, animal welfare associations and shelters alike—a portion of ticket proceeds from every show goes directly to SF’s Give Me Shelter Cat Rescue!” Roxie Theater, SF. More info here.
SAT/15: ORGANIC: A TRIBUTE TO DJ DAN The epic force behind the decks helped build the foundation of the California rave scene, and worked tirelessly for four decades to bring dance music to the people. (Who among us has not found themselves raving on a boat with him at the helm?) His sudden passing this year at age 57 shocked the community, and this tribute arrives to garland his legend with beats and bass. The Funky Tekno Tribe event brings a string of fellow invaluable players like DJ Sneak and Heather + Colette out to keep it all rolling. 2pm-2am, Phoenix Hotel, SF. More info here.
SAT/15: PIZZA, BAGEL AND BEER FESTIVAL Honestly, the name says it all. Beloved pizzaiolo and legendary restaurateur Tony Gemignani and the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club cover two block of North Beach with an immersion into three of humanity’s greatest inventions. The list of participating restaurants, bakeries, and breweries is mind-boggling—maybe fast for a couple days beforehand. Noon-4pm on Stockton Street in Borth Beach, SF. More info here.
SAT/15: MATMOS Love this endlessly inventive duo! “Step into the shimmering, clattering world of Matmos as they bring Metallic Life Review to life on stage. Their latest album forged entirely from the sounds of metal, everyday objects become instruments describing a lifetime of rhythm, melody, and memory. Fast-forward through decades of collected sound. At once playful and profound, Metallic Life Reviewresonates with echoes of memory, mortality, and connection, transforming cold materials into something unexpectedly warm, intimate, and luminous.” 8pm, Gray Area Gallery, SF. More info here.
SUN/16: OAKLAND PRIDE It’s been a rocky road for this fantastic fest over the years, but it’s now under the auspices of the Oakland LGBT Community Center and ready to shower the Town with queer power. Four stages of live entertainment, 300+ vendors, Latin dance and soulful house stages, headliner Amerie (squee!) and basically way more vibrant color in the rainbow than the usual Pride shenanigans. 11am-6pm, outside Oakland City Hall. More info here.
SUN/16: ELLEN GREENE HOSTS LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS ANNIVERSARY SCREENING: Yes, the original Broadway and film Audrey herself will grace one of SF’s oldest stages for the 40th anniversary screening of the Off-Broadway hit that lead to the Disney Renaissance. Yes, really! There’ll be meet-and-greets, signings, and plenty to sing along with. If you read the news and wish horrible people would be eaten by alien plants, this is the crowd with which to share that sentiment! 7:30pm, Curran Theatre, SF. More info here.
