THIS WEEK AT THE VOICE FOR THURSDAY, NOV. 27, 2025
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Dear Friends,
As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, all of us at The Voice of San Francisco want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to you. Your readership, generosity, and trust make our work possible every single day. Thank you for supporting local journalism and for being part of our community. We’re honored to have you with us.
Next year will be exciting, with consequential elections, and new developments in San Francisco’s road to recovery. We look forward to continuing to inform, uplift, and serve you in our quest to uncover the real stories behind these events.
As always, do not hesitate to contact us with story ideas or feedback.
Wishing you and your loved ones a warm, safe, and joyful Thanksgiving.
With appreciation,
The Voice of San Francisco Team
Check out links to our latest content below, or just bookmark our homepage to see the latest.
Top News
RIGHT STUFF
A Bay Area tradition: giving out ‘turkeys back in the hood’
In Oakland, Thanksgiving isn’t just about the game; it’s about the giving.
by Liz Le
It’s one of those Marshawn Lynch moments that become iconic American culture. A teammate asks, “Whatcha doing for Christmas?” and beast mode fires back: “I gotta get to Thanksgiving first .… I’m going to give out turkeys back in the hood.” It wasn’t just a punchline. It was a mission statement.
BITS & BYTES
Side dishes for Thanksgiving, and my pick for the turkey to serve them with
I confess, I could live on mashed potatoes, so naturally, I go all out for Thanksgiving. This is my adaptation of chef Joël Robuchon’s famous pommes purée at his restaurant L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon — this isn’t for every day, but it’s well worth the extra effort.
by Susan Dyer Reynolds
OPINION
Retail apocalypse now: Mass Blackout and other pointless actions
The Mass Blackout social media message declares these actions keep “our money out of the mega businesses’ pocckets” (sic) [I kid you not]. If the misspellings and repeated items don’t put you off, maybe the entire pointlessness of the exercise will.
by John Zipperer
Nomi toon
In Case You Missed It
LAW & ORDER
2019 crime spree against Asian seniors and youth victims ends with two life sentences
Sentencing hearing brings out family and friends of victim Grandma Huang.
by John Trasviña
POLITICS
San Francisco residency delirium — coming soon to the ‘Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders’
Saikat Chakrabarti has a “child, please” moment.
by Elizabeth Statmore
A&E
Antidotes to big-screen bombast
The new movies ‘Rental Family,’ ‘Train Dreams,’ and ‘Rebuilding’ tell intimate, emotional stories that linger long after viewing.
by Michael Snyder
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EVENTS
Out and about Nov. 27–Dec. 3, 2025
What to do this weekend and beyond.
By Lynette Majer
Managing Editor, The Voice of San Francisco
Happy Thanksgiving! For those of you in town, here are my picks for how to enjoy the long weekend and some suggestions for the next.
Thursday, Nov. 27
How about a peaceful garden stroll before your feast? The San Francisco Botanical Garden is yours to enjoy today. Free admission (including for your out-of-town guests). 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last entry 4 p.m.)
Friday, Nov. 28
From gobble-gobble to ho-ho-ho overnight — join the fun at Ghirardelli Square as Santa Lights the Square. Sing along to the performance of the San Francisco Boys Chorus, warm up with hot cocoa, maybe receive a gift card from one of Santa’s elves, and get your pics with the big man. 4:30 to 8 p.m. Free admission.
Saturday, Nov. 29
Peter Pan: Panto in the Presidio is a San Francisco version of the traditional British holiday pantomime (panto), a musical theater parody of children’s stories and folklore with live music. Expect lots of candy tossing, cheering, and booing (sounds like a more entertaining version of a Parliament session). 1 p.m. previews through Sunday; opens Dec. 6 through Dec. 29 at the Presidio Theatre. Tickets from $17.
I may be one of the few who never read The Velveteen Rabbit as a kid, but came to know it was a classic, so I finally went to see it one year. Presented by ODC/Dance (which has toured this production across 20 states), it’s a delightful story about a stuffed rabbit that comes to life and explores love, loyalty, and acceptance. (I loved my bunny to dirty-worn-out-fur-missing-eyes death, and would have loved for it to have come to life!) So take the kiddos or just yourself (selves), but don’t miss. 11 a.m. (2 p.m. Sundays) through Dec. 7 at the Blue Shield of California Theater at YBCA. Tickets from $30.
Sunday, Nov. 30
Head over to Bernal Heights for a Sunday Afternoon Bluegrass Jam, if that’s your jam. If not, the venue seems like a pretty fun place to hang for the dive-bar crowd, with a tuxedo bar cat named Cloudy, a pool table, and some cool-looking cocktails and bar. 4 to 7 p.m. at The Lucky Horseshoe Bar. Free admission.
Listen to our podcasts
- Remembering the tragedy of Jonestown, the murders of Moscone, Milk and those terrible days that brought us so much pain and anguish.
- How development and building might change the face of San Francisco
- Mayor Lurie is headed toward another big mistake, the Bernal Heights development proposal raises more doubts and NO to oil drilling off our coast
- The race to succeed Nancy Pelosi expands, and Charter Revision and the future actions remain front and center
- Plus more (and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible or everywhere else you get your favorite podcasts)
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