29 Fun Things: SF Restaurant Week, Movement Arts Festival, Chinese New Year + More Bay Area Events
Great Gold Modern Italian Kitchen is among the newcomers at this year's SF Restaurant Week. (Courtesy of @eatdrinksf)

29 Fun Things: SF Restaurant Week, Movement Arts Festival, Chinese New Year + More Bay Area Events

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It is unofficial festival season in San Francisco with SF Restaurant Week, SweetSpot's Dessert Festival, Uncorked Wine, Brew Fest, and more all returning to the city.

There's much for arts lovers too with exhibits at St. Joseph Society and The Great Highway Gallery, plus Daybreaker's first party of the decade and a Chinese New Year's Eve party at China Live.


Live a little.

Monday, January 20th

Envelop Sound Bath

8pm to 9:15pm

Envelop SF, 900 Marin St. (Dogpatch), envelop.us

Make 2020 the year of all-in self care. At Envelop, inside the Midway, 32 speakers will surround you with ambient music and 3D nature recordings "specifically composed for lucid immersive listening." // Tickets ($30) available at Eventbrite.


Beer and a Haircut

2pm to 8pm

Drake's Barrel House, 1933 Davis St. (San Leandro), drinkdrakes.com

Check out the delightful mobile barbershop known as Topshelf Grooming when it stops at Drake's Barrel House today. Opt for a beard trim, bangs, or single length cuts all while enjoying a fresh sudsy brew. No appointment needed, drop-ins only. // Haircut and a beer is $30; event details on drinkdrakes.com.


Haight Ashbury Music Center's Closing Sale

11am to 7pm today

Haight Ashbury Music Center, 1540 Haight St. (Upper Haight), haightashburymusic.com

Bid farewell to the iconic Haight Ashbury Music Center before it closes on Tuesday after more than 40 years in the music biz. On the bright side, take the opportunity to grab a guitar or amp for less during their liquidation sale.


MLK Day March + Events

March at 9:30 am, events from 8am to 6pm

Various locations

Honor Martin Luther King, Jr. with a full day of programing and celebration. First, embark on a 1.5 mile march from Caltrain Station to Yerba Buena Gardens, followed by an interfaith commemoration; music, health and wellness; and Black & Brown Comix Arts festivals; and more. // Details on norcalmlkevents.odoo.com.

Tuesday, January 21st

Meet the Maker Whiskey Dinner

6pm to 9pm

Nari, 1625 Post St. (Japantown), narisf.com

Taste various whiskies and whiskey cocktails with the founder of Westward Whiskey, and also enjoy a tasty multi-course dinner by Nari chef Meghan Clark. // Tickets ($95) are available at Tock.


About Nature, Technology, and Humankind

10am to 6pm Monday through Friday, through April 30

Carpenters Workshop Gallery at Saint Joseph Society, 1401 Howard St. (SoMa), carpentersworkshopgallery.com

Stop by Carpenters Workshop Gallery, housed inside the Ken Fulk–revamped Saint Joseph's church for a stunning light-filled exhibition by Dutch artistic collective Studio Drift. Expect a site-specific installation that simulates the behavior of a flock of starlings, 1,200 light-emitting dandelions, and more.


Berkeley Restaurant Week

Through Jan. 31

Participating restaurants in Berkeley

Pop across the bay to explore the culinary delights of Berkeley where, for the next 10 days, you can snag deals on special prix fixe menus ($25, $30 and $40). Participating restaurants include Henry's, Gather, La Med, The Rare Barrel, and Berkeley Social Club. // Browse the full lineup on visitberkeley.com.

Wednesday, January 22nd

San Francisco Restaurant Week

Through Jan. 31

Participating restaurants in SF

Tacos Cala, Trick Dog, Bon Voyage, Great Gold, In Situ, and Palette are a handful of the newcomers at SF Restaurant Week, featuring 130 eateries this year. Get ready for two-course lunches ($15.15 or $25.25), and three-plus-course dinners ($40.40 ad $65.65)—one percent of proceeds (the cents) will benefit Restore California. // See all participating restaurants and specials at sfrestaurantweek.com.


DIY Dumpling Class

Two-hour seatings at 4pm, 6pm, and 8pm

Square Pie Guys, 1077 Mission St. (SoMa), squarepieguys.com

Whoever thought of combining pizza and dumplings is a genius. In this dinner-slash-class you'll learn how to make two different pizza-esque dumplings: sausage and pepperoni, and a chicken corn cilantro. Enjoy carafes of wine while you work, then eat your dumplings with Square Pie Guys' housemade sauces. // Tickets ($50) are available at Eventbrite.


Book Discussion with David Talbot

7pm

City Lights Booksellers & Publishers, 261 Columbus Ave. (North Beach), citylights.com

Join Salon founder and author David Talbot for a chat about his latest book and memoir, Between Heaven and Hell: The Story of My Stroke. // RSVP to the free event on Facebook.


Cinderella

Through Feb. 2

San Francisco Ballet, War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave. (Civic Center)

Get tickets to San Francisco Ballet's Cinderella, choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon and scored by Sergei Prokofiev. Don't expect any talking mice or fairy godmothers in this updated tale, which is just as charming as the original thanks to enchanting projections, costumes, and puppetry. // Tickets can be purchased at sfballet.org.


Wine Tasting

9:30pm and 10pm seatings

Lazy Bear, 3416 19th St. (Mission), lazybearsf.com

Spend an evening in Lazy Bear's mezzanine, aka The Den, tasting what the sommeliers are pulling out of the cellar, alongside bites from the kitchen. The team will give you the skills to up your tasting technique. // Tickets ($75) are available on Tock.

Thursday, January 23rd

Pete's Cafe: SFAI In the 90s

2pm to 6pm Thursday & Friday; 10am to 2pm Saturday; through Feb. 16

The Great Highway Gallery, 3649 Lawton St. (Outer Sunset), thegreathighway.com

Enjoy this throwback exhibit at The Great Highway Gallery, featuring a tribute to the owners time working evenings at the old Pete's Cafe on the rooftop of the SFAI campus. // Free to visit.


"Mimi's Suitcase"

8pm Thursday and Friday; 2pm and 7pm Saturday

Theatre of Yugen at Noh Space, 2840 Mariposa St. (Mission), theatreofyugen.org

Check out writer/performer Ana Bayat's one-woman show that touches on her own experiences to examine identity, immigration, women's rights, and involuntary displacement. // Buy tickets ($20-$30) at theatreofyugen.org.

Friday, January 24th

Daily Driver arrives at the Ferry Building

6am to 6pm daily

Main ferry terminal intersection inside the Ferry Building (Embarcadero), dailydriver.com

Work downtown? Start the day with fresh bagels from Daily Driver's new quick spot in the Ferry Building. Choose from a selection of bagels and doughy pretzels with spreads like cream cheese and butter, and optional toppings of fresh veggies.


Healdsburg Tastemaker Weekend

Through Sunday

Explore the best of Healdsburg's acclaimed local winemakers, artisans, and chefs during this three-day event. Join classes and workshops in coffee roasting, baking, floral design, distilling, and painting; wine tours and tastings; a trail run; mushroom foraging, and more. // Pricing varies; find all events and tickets on stayhealdsburg.com.


SF Movement Arts Festival

6pm to 8:30pm

Grace Cathedral, 1100 California St. (Nob Hill), gracecathedral.org

Every inch of Grace Cathedral will transform into performance space for the annual SF Movement Arts Festival, showcasing more than 300 performers in dance styles including modern, ballroom, ethnic, and ballet. Chat with the artists during a meet and greet afterward. // Details on Eventbrite, register for the event in person ($40, cash only).


Chinese New Year Celebration

8pm to midnight

China Live, 644 Broadway St. (Chinatown), chinalivesf.com

Share a toast at China Live's Chinese New Year's Eve party and indulge in a massive spread of dim sum classics. There will be fortune tellers, a photo booth, and live music. // Tickets ($88) can be purchased at Eventbrite.

Saturday, January 25th

SweetSpotSF Dessert Festival

Noon to 4pm

SomArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan St. (SoMa), somarts.org

Sharpen your sugar tooth and get ready to dig into desserts—think cookie dough, rolled ice cream, and dessert-themed cocktails—from more than 20 Bay Area artisans, chocolatiers, and bakers. Check out the photo booths, live music, and more. // Tickets ($40-$57) on Eventbrite.


Presidio Nursery Volunteering

1pm to 4pm

Presidio Nursery, 1249 Appleton St. (Presidio), presidio.gov

Spend your Saturday giving back. Help the presidio through nursery activities like seed collection, garden work, seed cleaning, pot transplanting, pruning, weeding, and greenhouse maintenance. // Free, registration is required.


Bay Area Brew Fest

12pm to 8:30pm

Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason, 2 Marina Blvd. (Marina), fortmason.org

Admission gets you unlimited samples of more than 200 beers from 70 breweries—think Modern Times, Singha Beer, Guinness, and Sunset Reservoir—during this seventh annual festival. Look out for food trucks and DJs. // Tickets ($45 for GA, $65 for VIP) can be purchased at Eventbrite.


The Soaring '20s at Daybreaker

10am to 1pm

Make School, 555 Post St. (TenderNob), makeschool.com

Kick off the '20s with Daybreaker's first party of the decade. Wake up with an hour of yoga followed by a two-hour dance party to pop mashups by Meikee Magnetic. Plus, enjoy kombucha, Daytrip CBD sparkling water, a new non alcoholic beer from Brooklyn Brewery, and breakfast bites. Come dressed in all white and bring a yoga mat. // Tickets ($20 and up) can be found on Eventbrite.


The "Risk!" Podcast Live

7pm

Swedish American Hall, 2174 Market St. (Duboce), swedishamericanhall.com

"Risk!"podcast host Kevin Allison is gathering together a crew of comedians, including Greg Fitzsimmons, Jessica Kirson, Lauren Tom, and Brent Weinbach, to share the most incredulous stories from their lives. // Tickets ($32) can be found on Eventbrite.

Sunday, January 26th

White Elephant Preview Sale

10am to 4pm

333 Lancaster St. (Oakland), whiteelephantsale.org

This massive rummage sale has a mix of everything: furniture, books, clothes, jewelry, home goods, sporting goods—you name it. // Tickets ($18) are available on whiteelephantsale.org.


Fireside Rooftop Brunch

10:30am to 2pm

Charmaine's, 45 McAllister St. (Civic Center), properhotel.com

Cozy in around the fire pits on the dreamy rooftop at Charmaine's for a buffet-style brunch of decadences including made-to-order croque madames, charcuterie, macarons, brioche donuts, and a luxurious crème puff tower—plus drinks of course. One complimentary glass of Champagne Collet for everyone! // Tickets ($70 plus fees) are available via Resy.


Uncorked Wine Festival

Noon to 4pm

Fort Mason Festival Pavilion, 2 Marina Blvd. (Marina), fortmason.org

End the week with more than 200 wines and sparklers, plus live music, photo ops, and bites rom Drake's Bay Oyster Co., Copper Top Oven, and more. VIP ticket holders get an extra hour of tasting, high-end wines, a mimosa bar, and a special wine tumbler. // Tickets ($65 and up) can be purchased on Eventbrite.


Chefs for Pete

2pm to 4pm

Location will be sent to ticket purchasers.

For $250, Pete Buttigieg supporters in the Bay Area can enjoy dishes by Alice Waters, Mourad Lahlou, and Atelier Crenn alum Rodney Wages. While Pete himself won't be making an appearance, for $1,000 you can secure admission to a future event with him. // Tickets ($100 level sold out, $250 and up still available) can be purchased on peteforamerica.com.


Lunch and Mushroom Foraging

9:30am to 2pm

Relish Culinary Center, 14 Matheson St. (Healdsburg), relishculinary.com

Learn the ins and out of mushroom foraging with expert David Campbell, followed by a cooking demonstration led by chef Julie Schreiber. Enjoy a multi-course meal incorporating all of your fungi finds. // Tickets ($154) are on relishculinary.com.

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