Summer is officially in full swing, whether the weather cooperates or not.
This means the return of festival season. Pack your picnic blanket and bottle of screw cap rosé for the North Beach, Stern Grove, Presidio Kite, Juneteenth, and Corgi Con festivals this week.
Monday, June 11: SF Documentary Festival
When: Times vary
Where: Roxie Theatre, 3117 16th St. (Mission), roxie.com
Why: It's the final week for SF Doc Fest, so make the most of Monday with a series of short films on love; Unfractured, a look at biologist Sandra Steingraber's work against fracking; or Double Take: The Art of Elizabeth King, which delves into her sculpture and stop-action projects. // Tickets ($13 in advance) are available here; for more info, go to sfindie.com/festivals/sf-docfest.
Monday, June 11: Sausage for Lunch
When: 11am to 5pm
Where: Wursthall, 310 Baldwin Ave. (San Mateo), wursthall.com
Why: The sausage-centric beer hall from food authority Kenji López-Alt is finally open for lunch. In addition to a menu full of wursts, there's a chicken schnitzel sandwich, an Impossible kebab, seasonally changing soups, salads, and more.
Monday, June 11: Get Tickets to an All-Star Foraging Dinner
When: 5:30pm, June 18th
Where: Lord Stanley, 2065 Polk St. (Nob Hill), lordstanleysf.com
Why: Tix are on sale now (and may not last long) for Michelin's all star dinner coming at Lord Stanley, next Monday the 18th. Cost of admission ($125/person) gets you a a special six-course meal composed of foraged fare, prepared by Carrie and Rupert Blease (Lord Stanley), Brett Cooper (Aster), and Val Cantu (Californios). There will also be charcuterie provided by Thistle Meats. // Tickets are available at exploretock.com/michelinevents.
Tuesday, June 12: A Taste of Jerusalem
When: 7:15pm to 8:45pm
Where: Oaktown Spice Shop, 546 Grand Ave. (Oakland), oaktownspiceshop.com
Why: Prepare and taste a diverse spread of dishes from Jerusalem including chraime (fish in tomato sauce and dukkah with hot peppers and freshly baked challah). You'll go home with recipes and spices to create your own tasty treats. // Tickets ($55) are available at eventbrite.com.
Tuesday, June 12: Star Pizza @ Woods
When: Ongoing
Where: Multiple locations, woodsbeer.com
Why: Few things are better than pizza and beer. Get your fix as The Star's Chicago-style cornmeal deep dish pies arrive at all five Woods Beer locations, including Woods Cervecería in SF's Mission, Woods Bar & Brewery in Oakland, and Woods Island Club on Treasure Island.
Wednesday, June 13: Free Swing Concert
When: 6pm to 8pm
Where: Union Square Park (Union Square)
Why: Dance the night away to early jazz and swing tunes by Nirav Sanghani's Pacific Six, as part of the free concert series Union Square Live. // facebook.com/UnionSquareLive
Wednesday, June 13: Superiority Burger cookbook party
When: 6:30pm to 7:30pm
Where: Omnivore Books, 3885a Cesar Chavez St. (Noe Valley), omnivorebooks.com
Why: Join Brooks Headley of the cult vegetarian restaurant Superiority Burger, located in New York's East Village. He'll read from his newest cook book, Superiority Burger Cookbook: The Vegetarian Hamburger Is Now Delicious. Learn his story and receive signed copies of the book.
Thursday, June 14: Circus in the Park
When: 5pm
Where: DeFremery Park, 1651 Adeline St. (Oakland)
Why: Now in its 10th season, Circus Bella—which showcases static trapeze, rope walking, a nine person juggling act, contortion, you name it—will be popping up around the Bay Area this summer with free performances at the North Beach and Yerba Buena festivals, Now Hunter's Point, and more. Catch a preview today in Oakland. BYO blanket. // circusbella.org
Thursday, June 14: Wine Down
When: 11am to 9pm
Where: Verve Wine, 2358 Fillmore St. (Pac Heights), vervewine.com
Why: Master sommelier Dustin Wilson, of Netflix's Into the Bottle fame, has opened a San Francisco outpost of his New York–based wine shop, Verve. Shop a super well-curated selection of wines from small producers, as well as 3,000 labels online, which are at your fingertips via in-store iPads.
Friday, June 15: Lunchtime Concert on the Roof
When: Noon to 1pm
Where: Kaiser Center, 300 Lakeside Dr. (Oakland), kaisercenterroofgarden.com
Why: Make the most of your lunch break by heading to Kaiser Center's rooftop garden for a free concerts (jazz, rock, hip-hop and more) on Fridays starting today. Bask in an acre of sunshine and listen to the Zydeco Flames.
Friday, June 15-17: $1 Day at Alameda County Fair
When: 11am to 5pm
Where: Alameda County Fair, 4501 Pleasanton Ave. (Pleasanton), annual.alamedacountyfair.com
Why: If you can't help but love carnival rides, games, pig races, and rodeos, head to opening dat at Alameda County Fair where admission is only $1 and all rides are a buck a piece. // Tickets are available at etix.com.
Saturday, June 16: Juneteenth Parade & Festival
When: 10am to 6pm, parade at 11am
Where: Fillmore St and Geary St. (Fillmore)
Why: The 68th annual Juneteenth Festival, celebrating African American culture and community, will include a traditional African Uhuru village, a health and wellness pavilion, arts and crafts vendors, live music, and more. Don't miss the parade with marching bands, a drill team, and horses. // sfjuneteenth.com
Saturday, June 16: Corgi Con
When: 10am to 2pm
Where: Ocean Beach (Outer Sunset)
Why: Your Instagram stories can't even handle the cuteness of 1,000 corgis, some of them in costume, frolicking, swimming, and basking on a beach at once. // facebook.com, corgicon.com
Saturday, June 16: Presidio Kite Festival
When: Noon to 5pm
Where: Presidio Parade Grounds, 103 Montgomery St. (Presidio)
Why: Bring your kite or make one on site at this annual festival that promises and an array of mind-blowing designs. Plus look out for taiko drummers and tasty food trucks. // presidio.gov
Sunday, June 17: North Beach Festival
When: 10am to 6pm
Where: Grant Ave. and Vallejo St. (North Beach)
Why: Head to Little Italy for eats, drinks, live music and spoken word, 125 arts and crafts booths, Italian street painting, and more. // sresproductions.com
Sunday, June 17: Stern Grove Festival Kick-Off
When: 2pm
Where: Stern Grove, 19th Avenue and Sloat Blvd. (Parkside)
Why: Now in its 81st season, Stern Grove Festival kicks off with a picnic and free performance starring Peabo Bryson and Jeffrey Osborne. // sterngrove.org
