February is Black History Month, and this week brings several ways to engage and celebrate.
Take a walk through Hayes Valley to enjoy a beautiful new portrait of Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman; shop Ayesha Curry's Oakland cafe/boutique Sweet July; watch documentaries on Leroy Jones and Nelson Mandela; and join Mayor London Breed for a book club discussing Alicia Garza's work.
Plus, stream IndieFest films online, shop the Oakland Vintage Market, work up a sweat at Social Fit Club, and get ready to eat, drink, repeat on Super Bowl Sunday!
Stop by Ayesha Curry's new store, Sweet July. Sharing a name with Curry's magazine, the stylish cafe/boutique stocks a curated collection of apparel and home goods. // 455 23rd St. (Oakland), Instagram
Enjoy a new mural of Amanda Gorman, National Youth Poet Laureate. Inspired by Gorman's stunning reading on Inauguration Day, local artist Nicole Hayden's portrait can be found at the corner of Page and Laguna streets.
Get enlightened about "Psychedelics: The Ancient Religion With No Name," a free conversational webinar hosted by Harvard Divinity School and Center for the Study of World Religions; 2pm Monday. // Register at harvard.zoom.us.
Get ahead of the Super Bowl snacks game by pre-ordering interesting game day snacks and meal kits from Bay Area restaurants, beer stores, and distilleries. Plus, find special themed cannabis pairings from our friends at Caliva. // 7x7.com
Take a moment to rebalance with Nkechi Deanna Njaka. Every week, the mindfulness coach leads a 10-minute practice from a different spot at the de Young museum. // Watch on Instagram
Purchase Save Our Chinatowns' new zine, "Have You Eaten Yet," with recipes from Yuen Hop Noodle Co., Cam Anh Deli, and Green Fish Seafood Market. Sales benefit the businesses of Oakland's Chinatown. // Purchase digital zine ($5) on saveourchinatowns.org.
Stream A Man And His Trumpet: The Leroy Jones Story, the award-winning documentary about the life and work of the world-renowned trumpeter and New Orleans native, which premiered at the San Francisco Black Film Festival and is now available for streaming on Amazon.
Get your sweat on with Social Fit Club, a network of all-star Bay Area trainers offering pandemic-safe classes at a 4,000-square-foot outdoor space in SF. Sign up for boxing with Taylor Sanders, boot camp with Graylon Sanders, barre with Colette Hernandez, and sweaty classes with Soul Cycle favorite Rachael Brooke Hoppock. // Schedule on socialfit.club.
Read Alicia Garza's The Purpose of Power. In honor of Black History Month, Manny's book club will meet weekly to discuss the Black Lives Matter cofounder and political strategist's book, which discusses the power of using transformative movements to tackle challenges and inequalities. Special guests Mayor London Breed attends this week; 5pm Wednesdays in February. // Tickets ($10) are available at welcometomannys.com.
Learn all about space weather and the sun's impact on Earth with Exploratorium astronomers and physicists and NASA experts; Wednesday at 4pm. // exploratorium.edu
Sign up for Tarocco, a plant-forward meal program featuring Mediterranean-inspired eats. With vegan, vegetarian, and omnivore options, four weekly meals and two snacks are delivered straight to your door. // Sign up ($75-9$0 per week, delivery to Oakland and Berkeley) on mytarocco.com.
Watch 80 new indie films during the 23rd San Francisco Independent Film Festival. Learn more about Indiefest's lineup with local connections, and don't miss out on shorts programming, the virtual Bad Art Gallery, and Filmmaker Feud; Thursday through Feb. 21. // Festival details and tickets ($45-$135) are available at sfindiefest2021.eventive.org.
Take a look at Voss Gallery's new exhibit, "Double Vision," featuring works by Tim Irani and Neddie Bakula. Through paintings and sculptures, the artists explore alternative realities and enchanting environments as a form of escape from the modern world. Catch the Instagram Live preview with the artists at 6pm Thursday, then view IRL or online Feb. 6-27. // Register for free on Eventbrite.
Hear from Chad Sanders, author of Black Magic: What Black Leaders Learned from Trauma and Triumph. Sanders talks about how "Black magic"—resilience, creativity, and perseverance—helped him realize success following a struggle with imposter syndrome, and also interviews Black leaders and creatives; noon Thursday. // Register (free for Commonwealth Club members) on commonwealthclub.org.
Listen to San Francisco Symphony whenever you like by purchasing a membership to SFSymphony+. You'll get access to the entire virtual season including on-demand SoundBox programs (kicking off Feb. 4) and Currents episodes. Not ready to commit? Free content includes the Symphony's 2021 Chinese New Year Celebration and past programs; launching Thursday. // Subscribe ($120/season) and watch on sfsymphonyplus.org.
View Demystifying the Journey. Art of the African Diaspora's first virtual satellite exhibit of the year, opening Friday, is inspired by the theme "Creating Our Future" and showcases works by nine Bay Area African American artists. Join a Zoom reception with the artists on Friday at 7pm. // RSVP at rhythmix.org.
Watch Mandela: Let Freedom Reign. The Marsh's one-man play starring Darryl Van Leer explores the life of President Nelson Mandela and includes Mandela's "I Am Prepared to Die" speech; stream live on Saturday at 7:30pm. // themarsh.org
Drink World Peace Peanut Milk, a new beer in collaboration with Temescal Brewing and State Bird Provisions, inspired by the restaurant's iconic Peanut Milk. It's a smooth and nutty pastry stout, perfect for drinking after dinner. // Order for pickup or shipping ($22) on temescalbrewing.com.
Explore the Healdsburg Love Tunnel. For the month of February, Jordy Morgan's New Year's Light Archway is transforming into an interactive, romantic sculpture. Passersby can answer the question "Where do you send your love?" on free wooden hearts, hang their answers up, and then stop by at night to see the tunnel lit up in pink lights. // artinhealdsburg.com
Shop funky finds from more than 30 vendors at Oakland Vintage Market, hosted by Narrative Oakland. Expect apparel, furniture, records, pottery, and more; 10am to 4pm Saturday at 222 Jefferson St. // Instagram
Check out "26 Ways" by Michelle "Meng" Nguyen at Rare Device. Inspired by signage, vintage packaging, and lettering sheets, Nguyen's hand-drawn and painted letters each feature different color palettes, techniques, and treatments; through March 8. // 600 Divisadero St. (NoPa), raredevice.net
Make Tang Yuan "Mochi Ball" Soup during Herb Folk's Lunar New Year in the Asian-American Kitchen. Adrian Chang and his mom Amy will walk you through the cooking process, which utilizes herbs and dashi broth, plus welcome you with a virtual tea ceremony and discuss Lunar New Year folklore and traditions; noon to 2pm Saturday. // Register ($50) on herbfolkshop.com.
Take your bae or BFF to Terra Mia Ceramic Studio for a paint date night and receive half off studio time. Bonus points if you bring a bottle of wine to help get your creative juices flowing; 6pm to 9pm Saturday . // Reserve a table by calling 415-642-9911, terramiaceramicstudio.com.
