Think spring this week.
Forget the forecasts—spring is in the air and with it comes new flavors, flowers, and experiences. Explore ODC Dance’s new season, open up the gardens at Filoli, and do some healing at Grace Cathedral. Keep blooming with International Women’s Day celebrations this weekend, including a community walk, convivial brunch, and Piedmont Avenue shopping.
Jump ahead to this week's top events:
Let loose at a giant downtown party.
Support local women-owned businesses with a day of shopping along Piedmont Avenuewith a day of shopping along Piedmont Avenue.
Hear from writer Dave Eggers and enjoy a production of The Eyes & the Impossible at Z Space.
Follow the fire horse at the official Chinese New Year Parade.
Have a good one.
Have some breakfast dessert. Salt & Straw’s new “cereal-sly delicious” series returns with nostalgic flavors and plenty of sugar; through March. // Salt & Straw, 586 Hayes St. (Hayes Valley) and 2201 Fillmore St. (Pacific Heights); details at saltandstraw.com
Explore what happens “After Intelligence” at a public forum where arts, ethics, technology, and philosophy experts discuss the role of intelligent systems in shaping creativity, culture, and civic life; Wednesday, 3pm to 7pm. // California College of the Arts, 145 Hooper St. (SoMa); RSVP at cca.edu
Be the first to taste the Fishwife’s new smoked salmon as the tinned-fish favorite makes a stop on its bagel tour; Wednesday through Sunday. // Poppy Bagels, 5004 Telegraph Ave. (Oakland); details on Instagram
Celebrate ODC’s new season with Dance Downtown, an exhilarating program of new works including a new piece from Dear San Francisco’s Gypsy Snider. Don’t forget to don your best for Friday’s gala; Thursday through Sunday. // Location details and tickets at odc.dance
Enter the SFMOMA Sound Maze, an interactive exhibit created by composers, inventors, and builders that lets you explore your musical creativity and experiment with large-scale instruments and sound sculptures; Thursday 4pm to 8pm, and Friday and Saturday, 10am to 5pm. // SFMOMA, 151 Third St. (SoMa); tickets at sfmoma.org
Take notes at a community PowerPoint party with KQED’s Close All Tabs, where content creators, local guests, and internet culture experts present a plethora of deep-dives and chaotic slides on niche topics; Thursday, 5pm to 7pm. // The Commons at KQED 2601 Mariposa St. (Mission); tickets at kqed.org
Let loose at a giant downtown party. First Thursdays are going strong with DJs, dancing, drag, and libations all around; Thursday, 5pm to 10pm. // Natoma Cabana, 90 Natoma St. (SoMa); RSVP at eventbrite.com
Fan girl around bestselling author Lauren Groff of Fates and Furies fame when she stops by SF for a conversation with R.O. Kwon; Thursday, 7pm to 8:30pm. // United Irish Cultural Center, 2700 45th Ave. (Outer Sunset); tickets at eventbrite.com
Drop in for a spring sound bath with the Sound Healing Symphony at Grace Cathedrals’ dreamy space; Thursday, 8pm to 9:30pm. // Grace Cathedral, 1100 California St. (Nob Hill); tickets at eventbrite.com
Say happy birthday to Sobre Mesa when the beloved Afro-Latino cocktail lounge from chef Nelson German celebrates its sixth anniversary with rink specials, live music, dancing, and surprises throughout the evening; Friday, 8pm to 1am. // Sobre Mesa, 1618 Franklin St. (Oakland); details at sobremesaoak.com
Spin up your own startup at a night of improv inspired by tech and your wild ideas; Friday, 7:30pm to 9pm. // Manny’s, 3092 16th St, (Mission); tickets at eventbrite.com
Go meta with John Malkovich when he joins the San Francisco Symphony for The Music Critic, a show written and conceived by violinist Aleksey Igudesman combining classical works with negative critic reviews; Friday at 7:30pm. // Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave. (Civic Center), tickets at sfsymphony.org
Make it a long weekend in Paso Robles. Sip newly released wines, explore scenic back roads, savor farm-fresh flavors at local restaurants, and soak in spring without the crowds. // Details at travelpaso.com
Thank you to our partners at Travel Paso.
Join cool women for a community walk, cold plunge, and local shopping with Athleta and the Ocean Beach Plunge Club in honor of International Women’s Day; Saturday at sunrise. // Great Hwy. and Noriega St. (Outer Sunset); details at
Ring in spring during Filoli’s opening weekend. Wander among 16 acres of blooming gardens and inspiring rooms while enjoying performances from the Northern California Hanfu Association; Saturday, 10am to 3pm. // Filoli, 86 Cañada Rd. (Woodside); tickets at filoli.org
Support local women-owned businesses with a day of shopping along Piedmont Avenue for the third annual Women of the Avenue weekend. Pop-in for fun events, deals, tastings and more; Saturday and Sunday. // Details on Instagram
Hear from writer Dave Eggers and enjoy a production of his children’s novel The Eyes & the Impossible, which tells a tale of a free and fast dog who keeps watch over a seaside park; Saturday at 2pm. // Z Space, 450 Florida St. (Mission); tickets at zspace.org
Go on a treasure hunt. Grab your team for a Chinese New Year urban adventure through Chinatown and North Beach, where clues will lead you to obscure landmarks, forgotten architectural delights, secret views, and San Francisco’s colorful past; Saturday, 3pm to 7:30pm. // Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center, 555 Chestnut St. (North Beach); register at sftreasurehunts.com
Follow the fire horse at the official Chinese New Year Parade for one of the world’s most vibrant processions with parade grand marshal, Olympic gold medalist Eileen Gu; Saturday at 5:15pm. // Starts at 2nd St. and Market St. (SoMa); details at chineseparade.com
Expand your palette with acclaimed international wine critic James Suckling during the San Francisco Great Wines World expo; Sunday at 10am and 11:45am. // Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, 2 Marina Blvd. (Marina); tickets at jamessuckling.com
Raise a glass to International Women’s Day at Bonita Brunch. Start with a complimentary glass of Champagne before digging into Nikkei cuisine with a backdrop of killer views and a live DJ set; Sunday, 11am to 3pm. // Chotto Matte, 50 O'Farrell St. (Union Square); reservations at chotto-matte.com
Brew up some traditional Korean rice wine with a hands-on class on the craft, culture, and flavors of makgeolli; Sunday, 5:30pm to 8pm. // SŌHN, 2535 3rd St. (Dogpatch); thethirdplace.is
