It’s street festival and outdoor event time, even though it’s been cold and windy, but it’s June, so layer up, as we all do all the time. But there are also some indoor events to enjoy, too. Just enjoy.
Thursday, June 12
Take your pick for these adults-only “after dark” events tonight: Late Night Editions: Isaac Julien, where you can start with local eats and cocktail bars at Off the Grid before enjoying D.J. sounds and heading into Isaac Julien: I Dream a World, a cinematic journey of film, and movement exploring power politics, and personal experience; After Dark: Adventures in AI, which will feature exhibits, talks, interactive programs, and games to help you understand how AI really works; and After Hours at EmotionAir: Air You Can Feel, where you can unleash your inner child in multiple interactive inflatable exhibits designed to enlighten your senses. Tickets from $23.
Art and Food in the Park: What Feeds Your Soul will be at the India Basin Waterfront Park beginning at 4 p.m. Celebrate local culture with a D.J., food, art vendors and artist talks, interactive activities, and more. Free admission.
San Francisco Symphony Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen will be conducting his final concerts, Salonen Conducts Mahler 2, a S.F. Symphony staple with the theme of spiritual transcendence. Through Saturday. Tickets from $45 (morning rehearsal); $99 (evening performance).
Friday, June 13
The San Francisco Jazz Festival is on the docket this weekend, with the Charles Lloyd Sky Quartet, Kurt Elling, Don Was, and others. The event includes an outdoor festival and street market. Through Sunday. Tickets from $50.
Mark your calendar every second Friday for the Chinatown Night Market on Grant Avenue. Stroll the street under the festive red lanterns while you eat, drink, shop, and support the merchants. Free admission.
Saturday, June 14
Don’t miss the 71st rendition of the North Beach Festival where you can find over 200 vendors offering arts, crafts, jewelry, and more; gourmet food trucks and wonderful restaurants; beer gardens; live entertainment including the Beach Babble Poetry Reading; interactive art activities; Italian street painting (Madonnari), and of course, the ever-popular Blessing of the Animals. Through Sunday. Free admission.
It’s the Juneteenth Freedom Festival on Fillmore (Geary to Fulton streets) for eight blocks of family fun, retail and food vendors, a fashion show, live music, and more. Free, RSVP here.
Sunday, June 15
Is Dad a golfer? Celebrate his day at Summer Golf Day with Thrive City’s mobile golf simulator unit and nine-hole putting greens, with the national golf tourney on the plaza board. Free; RSVP here.
Enjoy a daylong walk through McLaren Park for the 31st Annual San Francisco Butterfly Count led by naturalist Russ Aguilar. Tickets $3 (to support butterfly conservation).
The Native Contemporary Arts Festival, a treasured Father’s Day tradition, celebrates the creativity of indigenous peoples and features music, dance, spoken word, visuals artists, vendors, and art activities. Free; RSVP here.
The 17th season of Sunday Streets kicks of today in the Tenderloin, with live music and dance, recreational activities, health resources, and more, to create a car-free community space to encourage us to get out and about visiting our neighborhoods. Free.
Notable next week
Monday, June 16
The AfroSolo Arts Festival: We Come This Far By Music—Let Freedom Ring! Part 2 is by far the best Monday event I’ve come across. Led by pianist and director Carl Blake, the group, in their 31st year, features baritone Bradley Kynard; soprano Sawnette Sulker; and flutist William Underwood in a program of joyful, soul-stirring music based on African American experiences. After listening to a few clips, this is on my calendar. Tickets $5 (online); $22 (in person).
Enjoy your week, and be safe and be kind, especially if you’re headed to that march on Saturday.
Got events? Let me know: lynette@thevoicesf.org.
