This week’s events are just the beginning.
Welcome back Nexus: SF/Bay Area Black Art Week, the Mill Valley Film Festival, the Emeryville Art Exhibition, Flop Festival, 1980 Bryant Street Open Studios, and PushFest, all of which are kicking off multiple days of inspiring performances and experiences. In between, drink some Chartreuse at a paired dinner, cheer on the Valkyries on the big screen, and sample Latin fare at an Embarcadero pop-up.
Jump ahead to this week's top events:
Cheer on the Valkyries as they kick off their WNBA playoff at Dirty Habit.
Immerse yourself in Nexus: SF/Bay Area Black Art Week.
Bliss out on bluegrass and more at the 26th Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.
Clown around at the Flop Festival at the Church of Clown.
Have a good one.
Watch mixologists face off at a live head-to-head competition between bartenders judged by industry professionals. Cheer them on as you enjoy sampling pours, voting, and food and entertainment; Monday at 5pm. // Graton Resort and Casino, 288 Golf Course Dr. W (Rohnert Park); tickets at ticketmaster.com
Taste your way through wines from prized Loire Valley grapes and regional selections of chenin blanc and cabernet franc at a class from the experts at the Vinguard Wine School; Monday, 6pm. // Fox and Lion Bread, 3350 18th St. (Mission); tickets at givebutter.com
Cheer on the Valkyries as they kick off their WNBA playoff run during a big-screen watch party with a live DJ, specialty cocktails, and bites; Tuesday at 4pm. // Dirty Habit, Hotel Zelos, 12 Fourth St. (SoMa); reservations at opentable.com
Take your omakase higher. Enjoy an intimate 12-course menu from chef Willer Larreal Perez paired with a unique soundtrack and rooftop views of Northern Sonoma County; Tuesday at 6:30 pm. // Appellation Healdsburg, 101 Dovetail Ln. (Healdsburg); reservations at opentable.com
Go deep into Chartreuse, sampling spirits from herbal green to softer yellow over a five-course dinner built around each pour, all guided by ambassadors from the legendary brand; Wednesday, 6:30pm to 9pm. // La Connessa, 1695 Mariposa St. (Potrero Hill); tickets at eventbrite.com
Kick off Oakland Style Week at Music + Mixology, where 14 top mixologists from The Town’s hottest restaurants and bars will compete to create the official 2026 Oakland Style cocktail. Cast your vote as you enjoy delicious bites, DJ beats, and more stylish fun; Wednesday, 5:30pm to 8:30pm. // The Rotunda Building, 300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza (Oakland); tickets at visitoakland.com
Thank you to our partners at Visit Oakland.
Immerse yourself in Nexus: SF/Bay Area Black Art Week and check out more than five days of exhibitions, open studios, and performances spanning 58+ arts organizations across San Francisco and Oakland; Wednesday through Sunday. // Tickets and location details at nexus-sfbay.com
Explore Jamaica in a multi-country exhibit. MoAD’s After the Island: Ornament and Ceramic Practice in the Jamaican Diaspora features the ceramic works of three artists in a curatorial partnership with Toronto’s Gardiner Museum; opens Wednesday at 11am. // MoAD, 685 Mission St. (SoMa); tickets at moadsf.org
Admire the creative world of Simon Ungless and Jody Niederkohr, the Marin-based founders of When Simon Met Ralph, at a retrospective of the sustainable fashion brand filled with luxury fashion pieces, one-of-a-kind home accessories, graphic prints, and archival and new work; opens Thursday at 10am. // Marin County Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Dr. (San Rafael); details at visitmarin.org
Settle in for a first look at A Cozy Kitchen, a new cookbook from Adrianna Adarme, who joins Violet Witchel in conversation to talk about dishes inspired by her Colombian and Peruvian roots; Thursday, 6:30pm. // Omnivore Books, 3885a Cesar Chavez St. (Noe Valley); details at omnivorebooks.com
Find some inspiration at the Mill Valley Film Festival, with a lineup of 94 features and 80 short films from 45 countries and a diverse range of filmmakers; Thursday through October 11. // Details and tickets at mvff.com
Expand your food scene during Emeryville Restaurant Week, 11 days of prix fixe menus and deals across town; Thursday through October 11. // Details at emeryvillerestaurantweek.com
Get a head start on spooky season during a gourmet ghost tour of North Beach that will take you through the history of the Gold Rush era, iconic pizza joints, and old haunts; Friday at 5:30pm and Saturday at 4pm. // Details and tickets at stretchy-pants.com
Bliss out on bluegrass and more at the 26th Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, featuring this year’s first set in collaboration with SF Porchfest on Saturday at 11:15am; runs Friday through Sunday. // Hellman Hollow, Lindley Meadows, and Marx Meadow (Golden Gate Park); details at hardlystrictlybluegrass.com
Settle in for a stellar San Francisco Symphony season. Catch Renee Fleming’s homage to Richard Strauss (October 1-4); conductor Karina Canellakis command of Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances (October 9-11); and the trifecta of violinist Lisa Batiashvili, cellist Gautier Capuçon, and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet as they join forces in piano trios by Shostakovich, Debussy, and Dvořák (October 15th). // Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave. (Civic Center); tickets and schedule at sfsymphony.org
Thank you to our partners at the San Francisco Symphony.
Look inside the spaces of local painters, sculptors, and jewelry makers at 1890 Bryant Street's open studios. Stay for daily free demos; Friday, 6pm to 9pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 5pm. // 1890 Bryant Street Studios, 1890 Bryant St. (Mission); RSVP at eventbrite.com
Head to the Emeryville Art Exhibition, where more than 100 local artists come together for a landmark show of 210 works; opens Friday 6pm to 8pm and runs through October 25th. // Public Market Emeryville, 5905 Shellmound St. (Emeryville); details at emeryarts.org
See Joan Crawford’s campy side in a screening of Strait-Jacket complete with live drag performances, a video tribute, and a Crawford costume contest for a “Hag-stravaganza.” Friday at 7pm. // Great Star Theater, 636 Jackson St. (Chinatown); tickets at tickettailor.com
Shop handmade crafts and homemade Latine fare and learn culinary secrets from a dozen Bay Area vendors at a pop-up Hispanic Heritage Month celebration with Foodwise; Saturday, 9am to 2pm. // Ferry Building, 1 Ferry Building (Embarcadero); details at foodwise.org
Gush over RM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me, the first-ever museum exhibition featuring art from the personal collection of BTS’ RM. See more than 200 works of modern and contemporary Korean art in conversation with art from around the world; opens Saturday at 10am through February 7. // SFMOMA, 151 Third St. (SoMa); tickets at sfmoma.org
Thank you to our partners at SFMOMA.
Buy directly from local makers and shop one-of-a-kind goods at the Makers Market Local Artist Fair, a day of creative talent, tasty food and drinks, and live tunes; Saturday, 11am to 5pm. // First Street Napa, 1300 First St. (Napa); RSVP on Facebook
Be part of the African Arts Festival, a celebration of the African diaspora with dance and drum lessons, face painting, food, shopping, and performances; Saturday, 11am to 4pm. // Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission St. between 3rd St. and 4th St. (SoMa); details at ybgfestival.org
Raise a glass to fresh brews at the first-ever West Coast Wet Hop Harvest Fest, bringing together beers from more than 30 breweries offering unlimited pours; Saturday, 1pm to 5pm. // Original Pattern Brewing, 292 4th St. (Oakland); tickets at eventbrite.com
Watch new works at Pushfest featuring barrier-breaking performances from a fresh lineup of mixed-genre dance choreographers; Saturday and Sunday, 1pm and 3pm. // Push Dance Company, 447 Minna St. (SoMa); tickets at pushdance.org
Shake, stir, and sip your way through Latin American cocktails at a hands-on workshop focused on pisco, rum, and tequila drinks led by La Mar's beverage director ; Saturday, 3pm to 4pm. // La Mar Bar, Pier 1 ½ (Embarcadero); tickets at eventbrite.com
Clown around at Flop Festival. Catch 12 shows from the wonderfully weird Church of Clown in this celebration of clown, mime, physical theater, and original performance; Saturday at 6:30pm through Oct. 18. // Church of Clown, 2400 Bayshore Blvd. (Visitacion Valley); tickets at churchofclown.org
Party late for a good cause. Dress up and dance it out while enjoying midnight bites from local chefs after the SF-Marin Food Bank’s annual “One Big Table” benefit dinner; Saturday at 9:30pm. // San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, 900 Pennsylvania Ave. (Potrero Hill); details on Instagram
Go to the source of Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon at an exclusive tour, tasting, and meal at Joseph Phelps' Backus Vineyard; Sunday, 10am to 11:30am. // Joseph Phelps Vineyards, 200 Taplin Rd. (St. Helena); reservations at Tock
Revamp brunch with a multi-course menu showcasing millets curated by India's "Millet Queen," Indira Narayan; Sunday, 11:30am to 1:30pm. // Copra, 1700 Fillmore St. (Pacific Heights); reservations at opentable.com
Level up your weekend barbecue at the Chandon Rocks and Ribs Oyster Fest. Sip on sparkling cuvées, dig into St. Louis-style ribs, and knock back some bivalves in the vineyard’s chic garden; Sunday, 2pm to 4:30pm. // Chandon, 1 California Dr. (Yountville); tickets at chandon.com
Wander through the soundscapes of Room/Tone, a free evening of live, site-responsive sound from Bay Area sound artists using electronic, artist-made, and acoustic instruments, as well as field recordings; Sunday, 6pm to 9 pm. // 500 Capp Street, 500 Capp St. (Mission); register at humanitix.com
Prepare for the big haul at the Alameda Vintage Fashion Faire. Shop more than 75 booths and "racks on the tracks" of vintage clothing and accessories—plus hit the food truck, vintage bar cart, photo booth, and more. Early shoppers will get a free tote and limited-edition sticker; Saturday, October 17th at 10am. // The Bridge Yard, 210 Burma Rd. (Oakland); tickets at vintagefashionfaire.com
Thank you to your partners at the Alameda Vintage Fashion Faire.
