It’s tough times, so it’s important we have some distractions. We’re to help this week from dance viewing to dance participating, music, a Broadway stage production, and more, including a great new exhibition at the Exploratorium. Read on!
Thursday, Feb. 20
Noise Pop Festival, which celebrates independent music and arts with several nightly events in multiple venues throughout the city, has been around since 1993. Up tonight is D.J. DāM-FunK at Cal Academy’s NightLife and Pagoto; Highwinds; Forest Lawn; and Theya, all playing at Kilowatt. Festival continues through March 2. Tickets tonight from $20.
Friday, Feb. 21
San Francisco Beer Week kicks off at 11 a.m. with events in Silicon Valley, noon in San Francisco, and continues with over a dozen daily events throughout the Bay Area, including the Beer Week Fest 2025 at Salesforce Park. Through March 2. Free–$162.
Did you know the Exploratorium was named one of the best science museums in the United States? Revisit one of our city’s treasures at their new exhibition, Look Up: Eclipse, Moon, and Mars, where you can see large-scale sculptures of the Moon and Mars, in addition to the Mars rovers and orbiters on loan from NASA, an immersive solar eclipse experience, and more. And when your done with that, there are over 700 more immersive experiences to explore. Through April 27. Tickets from $30.
Saturday, Feb. 22
Calling all book lovers: Check out Pier 23 Cafe’s Pop-Up Book Fair celebrating local authors, who will sign your choices, whether memoirs or thrillers, travel, historical fiction, and others, including those for kids and young adults, and more. Afterward, grab some grub at the renowned (and Anthony Bourdain-approved) low-key cafe with views galore. Free admission to the book fair.
Every fourth Saturday at Melifolla Dance is Twilight Blues, a blues dance social. Tonight it’s the music of Chicago Blues legend Buddy Guy (and lots of other good blues) spun by D.J.s Beth Aucoin, Barak Michener, and Kia Simon. Options include a dance lesson or dance only. Tickets from $13.
In its 20-year celebration, the Black Choreographers Festival: Here and Now will feature the works of six choreographers and three film screenings presented by the Dance Film Festival, including one about Misty Copeland, the first Black principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre. Through Sunday. Tickets from $20.
Sunday, Feb. 23
Grab the pupper and head to SPARK Social for Bark at Spark Puppy Love where you’ll find pet-centric vendors, a kissing booth, activities like DIY valentines, events like a pup cup race and Pawsitively the Cutest contest, and more, including tons of photo ops. Free, RSVP here.
It’s Acoustic Sunday at Noe Valley’s Town Square with the trio Swing Shift, which plays American — you guessed it — swing. They focus mainly on the Great American Songbook with some Latin rhythm, western swing, and modern pop thrown in. Free admission
Notable next week
Tuesday, Feb. 25
You won’t want to miss the Tony Award-winning musical, Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of The Temptations, which tells the story of the legendary quintet and opens today at the Golden Gate Theatre. Through March 2. Tickets from $41.
Wednesday, Feb. 26
The San Francisco Black History Month Closing Ceremony promises music, entertainment, art, and delicious food from African American-owned businesses. Special guests will be District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, Supervisor Shamann Walton, and California State Controller Malia Cohen. Free, RSVP (required) here.
Enjoy your week, be nice, and be safe while you are out and about.
