Play free arcade games this week at Coin-Op. (Courtesy of @coinopsf)
25 Fun Things: Free Arcade Games and Ice Cream, A.C.T.'s 'A Christmas Carol' + More Bay Area Events
23 December 2019
With Christmas just days away, we hope you've been nice this year. If not, we've got lots of ways to keep you busy.
You can work off your vices with a ping pong match at one of Spin's Holiday Hangover parties or dance at newly opened lounge Rockwell; eat your weight in seafood at Locanda's Feast of the Seven Fishes; drink bloodies at Zeitgeist on Christmas Day; sing along with the SF Gay Men's Chorus; and jumpstart your New Year's resolutions at Yoga Garden. Plus, Humphry Slocombe is slinging free scoops for its 11th birthday—because who doesn't want ice cream in December?
Happy Holidays!
Monday, December 23rd
Free Ice Cream
1pm to 8pm
Humphry Slocombe, 2790a Harrison St. (Mission), humphryslocombe.com
Everybody's favorite irreverent ice cream brand is celebrating its 11th birthday and the boys have presents for all their customers: free ice cream scoops. They'll also be accepting donations for Project Open Hand. // Find event details on Eventbrite.
Holiday Carols
3pm to 4pm
Grace Cathedral, 1100 California St. (Nob Hill), gracecathedral.org
Embrace the holidays with a special caroling show at Grace Cathedral. Splurge for the premier seats and meet the cast prior to the performance and enjoy a few tea time treats. // Tickets ($5-25) can be purchased at gracecathedral.org.
Warriors Watch Party
4pm to 9pm
Spark Social, 601 Mission Bay Blvd. North (Mission Bay), sparksocialsf.com
Head over to the food truck park to watch our Warriors battle it out on eight outdoor big screen TVs. Eats on deck include Torraku Ramen, Hookt Doughnuts, Domingo's, Firetrail Pizza, KoJa Kitchen, SF Spark, Nucha Empanadas, Poke Delish, Adam's Grub Truck, Wicked Star, Powder Shaved Snow, and Crepe Box SF. Wine, beer, and sangria will also available for purchase, with happy hour deals from 4pm to 7pm. // Find event details on Facebook.
Tuesday, December 24th
"Holigays Are Here"
5pm, 7pm, and 9pm
Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St. (Castro), castrotheatre.com
Catch one of the SF Gay Men's Chorus' final performances of the year. Their 30th anniversary Christmas Eve show will include such songs as Liza Minnelli's "Ring Them Bells" and a new arrangement of "Silent Night." // Tickets ($35-$45) can be found on sfgmc.org.
Feast of the Seven Fishes
4:30pm to 9:30pm
Locanda, 557 Valencia St. (Mission), locandasf.com
Head to Locanda for a seafood-centric, four-course dinner prepared by chef Melissa Reitz. Dishes include grilled Maine eel; wild nettle farfalle with Louisiana Blue Crab; salt cod with claim fritters, and much more—plus optional wine pairings and no holiday hostess stress. Everything will be served family-style. How much turkey and gingerbread can you eat, anyway? // Tickets ($160 and up, $71/wine pairings, $80/kids) and can be reserved on Eventbrite.
A Christmas Carol
Showings through Dec.24
A.C.T Geary Theater, 415 Geary St. (TenderNob), act-sf.org
Don't let the season pass without a requisite showing of A Christmas Carol. The beloved Dickens tale will certainly get you into the spirit. // Tickets ($40 and up) can be purchased on act-sf.org.
Telegraph Avenue Holiday Street Fair
11am to 6pm
Telegraph Ave., between Dwight and Bancroft (Berkeley)
Peruse the wares of nearly 200 local crafters and small businesses. There will be festive decorations, live music, and food for purchase. // Free to attend, find event info on Facebook.
Wednesday, December 25th
Grab a last minute gift.
Need one more gift for a certain someone? We have 62 ideas for thoughtful holiday gifts all made in the Bay Area.
Take a Christmas hike.
Bay Area–wide
Whether you're spending Christmas solo, with a special someone, or with the whole extended family, there's nothing better than spending a little time outdoors taking in nature's wonders to appreciate life just a little more. Get a dose of refreshing, frosty weather with one of these five great Bay Area hikes with killer views.
Post up at Zeitgeist.
11am till midnight
Zeitgeist, 199 Valencia St. (Mission), zeitgeistsf.com
We can always, always count on Zeitgeist. Whether you need pre- or post- Christmas dinner plans, or just any plans at all, our favorite Mission dive bar will be open and serving drink specials alongside Christmas flicks. (They'll also be closing for almost two weeks in January, so go ahead and get your fix.)
Peace, Love, Yoga
10am to noon
Yoga Garden, 286 Divisadero St. (Lower Haight), yogagardensf.com
Gift yourself two hours of self reflection and a good sweat this Christmas. Following a special practice with Karen Machlin, expect to meditate on the chakras and enjoy some good old holiday treats. // Tickets ($30 or $25 with pre-registration) can be purchased at yogagardensf.com.
Thursday, December 26th
Ping Pong Parties
Opens at noon, through Jan. 5
Spin, 690 Folsom St. (SoMa)
Make a reservation online for ping pong tables at just $10 an hour and take advantage of food and drink specials including half off brunch cocktails, unlimited fries with any sandwich at lunch, $2 off drinks around dinnertime, and free cookies after 9pm. // Advance table reservations ($10) can be made on wearespin.com.
Poolside at The Fillmore
8pm
The Fillmore, 1805 Geary Blvd. (Fillmore)
Disco-electronic band Poolside will be laying down some delectably danceable beats. Channel the vibes of California in the summertime as you rock out. // Tickets ($30) can be found on livenation.com.
Agnès Varda Film Retrospective
7pm showing today, showtimes vary through March
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2155 Center St. (Berkeley), bampfa.org; SFMOMA, 151 3rd St. (SoMa), sfmoma.org
BAMPFA and SFMOMA teamed up to offer a retrospective of French filmmaker Varda's iconic films, including Cléo from 5 to 7 and The Young Girls of Rochefort. Head to BAMPFA today for a showing of her 2019 documentary, Varda by Agnès, or catch a show through March. // BAMPFA tickets ($13/nonmembers, $8/members) and schedule can be found at bampfa.org; SFMOMA tickets ($12/nonmembers, $5/members at ) and schedule can be found on sfmoma.org.
Friday, December 27th
Get pierced.
11am to 7pm today
Mejuri, 325 Hayes St. (Hayes Valley), mejuri.com
Minimally styled jewelry brand and Instagram darling Mejuri has opened a new shop in SF. Pop in for shiny baubles to complete your fab NYE outfit. You can even get pierced or try a private jewelry styling appointment.
Go clubbing.
10pm to 2am, Fridays and Saturdays
Rockwell, 3200 Fillmore St. (Marina), rockwellrock.com
A new club slash lounge space has opened in the former Sabrosa space in "The Triangle" of the Marina. Expect to find a large dance floor surrounded by booths for when you need to rest your legs, plus a giant LED screen to keep the vibes fresh.
Free Impossible Burgers
Through Dec. 30
Burger King, Terminal 3 SFO, bk.com
If you're reading this while trapped at the airport due to a delayed flight on the way home from your Christmas vacay, Burger King's got you covered. Bring proof of your delay and you'll receive a redeemable coupon for a free Impossible Whopper.
Movie Nights at Manny's
Double feature beginning at 5pm, through Dec. 30
Manny's, 3092 16th St. (Mission), welcometomannys.com
If you're over all the holiday hooplah—not that we blame you—head to Manny's every night through the end of the year for a double screening of political favorites served up with hot cocoa. Tonight, see Jackie and I. // Register for the free event on Eventbrite.
Saturday, December 28th
The SFCS Champagne Experience
Reservations available from 5pm to 7:30pm
San Francisco Champagne Society, 1097 Howard St. (SoMa), sfchampagnesociety.com
Learn about grower-producer champagnes (hint: the farmer is also the winemaker) as you taste your way through non-vintage grower producer Champagnes. // Reservations ($60 per person) available on Tock.Blue Bottle Coffee Lab
11am
Blue Bottle Coffee, 115 Sansome St. (FiDi), bluebottlecoffee.com
Master the art of the pour over during this class with expert Blue Bottle baristas and the Blue Bottle Coffee Dripper. After the hands-on event, you'll never buy drip coffee again. // Register ($35) on Eventbrite.
Klingande concert
10pm to 3pm
Temple Nightclub, 540 Howard St. (SoMa)
Groove out to feel-good electronic DJ, Klingande, for your Saturday night out. Temple also has some amazing lighting setups that will truly create a vibe. // Tickets ($20 and up) are available on Eventbrite.
Sunday, December 29th
Urban Wine Tasting
Reservations available from 1pm to 6pm
Vinca Minor, 1335 Fourth St. (Berkeley), vincaminorwine.com
If you're into the natural wine trend, head over to Berkeley for a one-hour tasting session at Vinca Manor. You'll sample six to seven wines in an intimate one-on-one session with the head winemaker. // Reservations ($50 per person) are available on Tock.Free Arcade Games
2pm to close, through Dec. 31
Coin-Op Game Room, 508 4th St. (SoMa), coinopsf.com
Head over to this two-story bar and game spot featuring 50+ video and pinball games. Choose from options like pop-a-shot, Pac-Man, pinball, and more. Feel free to stop in anytime from now till NYE—free games will be in effect until 2020. // Free to attend, details on Facebook.
Free Malthouse Tour
2pm
Admiral Maltings, 651A West Tower Ave. (Alameda), admiralmaltings.com
Brush up on your knowledge of brewing malts with a half-hour tour of Admiral Maltings' malthouse. Learn how raw barley becomes the key ingredient of beer, and then enjoy a beer or two at their bar, The Rake, afterward. // Free to attend, RSVP required via Eventbrite.
Get funky.
7pm doors, 8pm show
Great American Music Hall, 859 O'Farrell (Polk Gulch)
Catch a set from the fantastically named funk band Dumpstaphunk. Their sound is "Nola funk meets East Bay grease in San Francisco," so expect some crazy beats. // Tickets ($40-$70) are available on Eventbrite.
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