We have music, music, music this weekend, some instrumental and some with voices, both indoors and outdoors, and one with dancing. Plus some block parties, a political lecture, a notable art exhibition of a hometown artist in its final weeks, an outdoor film with another beloved artist, and more. Read on for my picks.
Thursday, Aug. 14
Tickets for blues legend and five-time Grammy winner Taj Mahal at S.F. Jazz are almost sold out, so get to it if you’re a fan. Through Sunday. Tickets from $40.
Go Swing in the Sky at Salesforce Park to live music by The Hot Baked Goods, who look like a lot of fun. Music starts at 5:30, but arrive early for a dance lesson. Free!
Friday, Aug. 15
Join the fun and community spirit at the Castro Night Market featuring live entertainment, food vendors, and more. Every third Friday through October. Free, RSVP here.
Saturday, Aug. 16
Cinema on the Square, which would be Union, will kick off the first screening of three films set in San Francisco (or nearby), planned through October. Tonight, see everyone’s favorite, Mrs. Doubtfire. Preshow activities include movie trivia games and performances. Limited seating, so probably best to bring your own. Free (including popcorn while it lasts).
Merola Grand Finale will celebrate the conclusion of their Summer Festival, performed at the War Memorial Opera House. See opera’s rising stars performing arias and ensembles before they head off to world stages. Tickets from $10.
The San Francisco Choral Society will perform their summer concert, Brahms’s Ein Deutsches Requiem, which offers comfort to the living rather than prayers for the dead. With over 150 voices, a full orchestra, and debuting soloists, audiences are sure to be moved by the performance. Tickets from $49.
Sunday, Aug. 17
Rainbow Grocery is throwing a huge block party to celebrate its 50th anniversary, and you’re invited. Enjoy an afternoon of live music, food, local vendors, kiddo activities, community booths, and more. Free.
Notable next week
Monday, Aug. 18
Ruth Asawa, Untitled, mid to late 1950s; private collection; © 2025 Ruth Asawa Lanier, Inc. / Artists Rights Society, NY, courtesy David Zwirner | James Paonessa
Here’s my Museum Monday pick: the Ruth Asawa Retrospective in its final weeks at SFMOMA. Don’t miss this in-depth look at our hometown artist’s expansive output of over 300 works, including sculpture, drawings, prints, paintings, and design objects. I was mesmerized. Through Sept. 2. Tickets from $33.
Could Gerrymandering Decide the 2026 Midterms? Join the conversation at Manny’s about how congressional redistricting in states like California, New York, and New Jersey, and the related battles in Texas, North Carolina, and Ohio, could shape which party controls the House after the 2026 midterm elections. Tickets: $9 and change.
Tuesday, Aug. 19
Sweet Thing, the cover band for female 1980s’ hits, will perform at 303 Second Street as part of the People in Plazas summer music festival, as a nice way to spend your lunch break. Free.
Wednesday, Aug. 20
Bay Area Then is on display at Yerba Buena Gardens Museum, and there will also be a silhouette collage-creating workshop for you to get crafty and have fun. Free.
Enjoy and be safe. Got events? Let me know.
