As always, there’s a variety of events in the next several days, from film to dance to bubbles, wine, and light shows, crafts, some nightlife, and more.
Thursday, Nov. 12
The name of NightLife tonight cracked me up: Pajammy Jam; definitely my kind of event; I already know what I’d wear. Described as the “mother of all house parties” with “games, creatures, and late-night fun.” My contact at the San Francisco Police Officers Foundation says you can also bring a toy for the foundation’s annual toy drive. 6 p.m. at the Cal Academy of Sciences. Tickets: $26.
Join the Presidio Trust Public Board of Directors Meeting for park updates and to share your comments with the board. The meeting will include the chair’s report, budget review and preview, and updates from the National Park Service and Golden Gate Conservancy. 6 p.m. at the Officers’ Club. Free admission; reserve here (few spaces remaining).
Friday, Nov. 13
Francophiles won’t want to miss the Bay Area French Film Festival, which opened last night and celebrates the best of French cinema with five movie screenings. Tonight is De la Comédie-Française, a classic comedy billed as a “must-see” about how everything falls apart on opening night. 3 p.m. at the Vogue Theatre. Screenings of additional films through Tuesday. Tickets: $25.
The season finale/special edition of Bangra & Beats Night Market is also the city’s official Diwali event. Enjoy music, dancing, a food marketplace, cocktails, local vendors, and culture. 4–10 p.m. at Yerba Buena Gardens. Free admission.
Saturday, Nov. 14
The Wine Country comes to you with the Golden Gate Bridge as a backdrop at Sip, Savor & Spark. Taste wines from over 65 California vineyards, and surely there will be nibbles available to sop up all that wine. Proceeds benefit the Guardsmen’s programs for underserved youth. 1 to 5 p.m. at Fort Mason’s Gateway Pavilion. Tickets (few remaining) from $146.
The World of Black Film: Revolutions is a new weekly film series that will capture styles and approaches from the 1960s to the early 1980s. Today’s film is West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty (1979), set on a mock slave ship, which investigates more than three centuries of imperialist oppression. 2 p.m. in YBCA’s screening room. Tickets $15.
The 28th annual San Francisco International Hip Hop DanceFest features artists from Tokyo to Vacaville and showcases works in krumping, dancehall, popping, and other styles. Special events include a dance contest and an after-party 7 p.m. today, noon, and 5 p.m. Sunday at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre. Tickets from $61.
Louis Pearl, the Amazing Bubble Man, will perform his bubble magic tonight. He started on a street corner in Berkeley and is a huge hit in the U.K. with sell-out crowds, and will surely bring smiles, awes, and wows to all here. 1:30 p.m. at BATS Improv Theater in Fort Mason. Tickets from $23 and change.
This is a favorite, and if you need to do holiday shopping, get it done early at the Renegade Craft Fair. Browse over 250 artists offering ceramics, glass art, apparel, textiles, leather goods, and more, including hands-on workshops. Enjoy local cuisine and music, and wander with your pup while enjoying your favorite libation. Through Sunday at the Festival Pavilion in Fort Mason. (Sunday is also the farmer’s market, so bring your tote bags to support the farmers and stock your fridge for the week.). Free admission.
While a cuppa Joe is my morning go-to, tea certainly has its respectful place. Tea lovers and the tea-curious will want to check out the San Francisco Tea Festival, which does it right. Enjoy unlimited tastings from local and global producers, lectures, a swag bag, and a souvenir porcelain tasting cup. Through Sunday at the Ferry Building Marketplace (don’t forget to support the farmers at the market on Saturday). Tickets:$26 and change.
Sunday, Nov. 15
Here’s something a little different that will get you outdoors: Monarch Monitoring. Learn how to spot and count them, what they need to survive the winter, and how your observations contribute to the Western Monarch Count. Fun fact: San Francisco is one of the earliest places (1816) in California where monarchs were documented, and they’re still here (even insects like it here). 9 a.m. at Fort Mason Community Garden (I love this place!) Free admission, reserve your spot here.
Join the barbershop, choral, and contemporary a cappella group Fog City Singers for their fall concert, “When the Fog Rolls in to Honolulu.” The concert will feature their newest commissioned piece, a barbershop mashup of Elton John’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” Bill Withers’s“Ain’t No Sunshine,” and another commission, “When the Fog Rolls in to San Francisco.” 4 p.m. at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. Tickets: $40.
Monday, Nov. 16
Photosynthesis is underway in Golden Gate Park. The colorful light art installation by Lumigeek is accompanied by music composed by Tim Digulla. Each 30-minute shows begins nightly 30 minutes after sunset through Jan. 30. Free admission.
Tuesday, Nov. 17
If you like getting a head start on the holidays, you won’t want to mis Straight No Chaser’s “Making Spirits Bright” tour. For background, they’re the a capella group that originated in 1996 at Indiana University. And they’re also funny. 7:30 p.m. at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre. Tickets: $61.
Be safe and remember to be kind whatever you choose to do while you’re out and abouting.
