Beautiful things are happening this week.
Witness the return of Flower Piano and gawk at floral displays in a Filoli exhibit inspired by The Gilded Age; give back at volunteer events at Sunset Dunes and in the Embarcadero; and get inspired all around town with shows and performances in SoMa, Dogpatch, Oakland, and the Presidio.
Jump ahead to this week's top events:
Be the main character at Filoli's "Fleurs de Villes."
Wander through the magic of Flower Piano at the SF Botanical Garden.
Give back on 9/11 at a group volunteer cleanup with Refuse Refuse.
Rock out on Mount Tam at the daylong music festival Sound Summit.
Have a good one.
Spend your day off at a pizza party when Flour + Water pops up at Stanly Ranch for a day of wood-fired pies, wine, and brown butter cereal crunch soft serve; Monday, 12pm to 5pm. // Stanly Ranch, 200 Stanly Crossroad (Napa); tickets at resy.com
Taste your way through the pinot noirs and chardonnays of Alsace, Oregon, Germany, Eastern Europe, and more in a class dedicated to varietal comparison; Monday, 6pm. // Fox and Lion Bread, 3350 18th St. (Mission); tickets at givebutter.com
Get cozy in the kitchen with 18 Reasons, the Mission's nonprofit teaching kitchen. Pop into this week's classes on regional Italian and Sicilian food—yes, cannoli are involved— or check out their full October lineup of good cooking. // 18 Reasons, 3674 18th St. (Mission); register at 18reasons.org
Thank you to our partners at 18 Reasons.
Learn from master chocolatier Shekoh Moossavi at the new Shekoh Culinary Institute's debut class on Persian classics like ghormeh sabzi, shirazi salad, and Persian walnut; Wednesday at 11am. // Shekoh Culinary Institute, 2565 3rd St. (Dogpatch); tickets at shekohculinaryinstitute.com
Try out Sergeant Ma, the new dining destination from chef Jason Halverson inspired by his mother with a menu that draws on Northern California's seasonality, SF’s innovative spirit, and Asian tradition; opening Wednesday at 4pm. // Sergeant Ma, 185 Berry St. (Mission Bay); reservations at opentable.com
Be the main character at "Fleurs de Villes," a fresh floral celebration and display inspired by the opulence, ambition, and iconic characters The Gilded Age; Wednesday through Sept. 18th. // Filoli, 86 Cañada Rd. (Woodside); tickets at filoli.org
Get a new perspective on San Francisco at the Architecture + the City Festival. Join architecture and design professionals, hobbyists, and enthusiasts for a month of events including exclusive home and walking tours, industry talks, a Bay boat tour, film screenings, and more; Thursday through September 26th. // Details and tickets at centersf.org
Thank you to our partners at the Architecture + The City Festival.
Check out Character Development, a new exhibit from the Minnesota Street Project Foundation and Kadist that brings together internationally acclaimed artists in six video installations tackling everything from consumer culture to postcolonialism; Thursday through Oct. 31st. // Minnesota Street Project Foundation, 1275 Minnesota St. (Dogpatch); details at minnesotastreetproject.org
Wander through the magic of Flower Piano, which returns with 130 performances, 12 pianos, and 11 days of music in one of SF’s most beautiful outdoor spaces. Upgrade your experience with tickets for the Zoox Lounge for access to premium food and exclusive performances; Thursday through Sept. 20th. // San Francisco Botanical Garden, 1199 9th Ave. (Golden Gate Park); tickets included with admission at gggp.org
Thank you to our partners at the Gardens of Golden Gate Park.
Listen to real-life love stories performed by playwrights, comedians, and novelists in Rosario Dawson’s genre-defying Crushing show; Thursday through Saturday at 7:30pm. // Strand Theater, 1127 Market St. (SoMa); tickets at act-sf.org
Bring your favorite Star Wars nerd to see Luke Skywalker face down Darth Vader while the San Francisco Symphony performs John Williams's Return of the Jedi score live to picture; Thursday and Saturday at 7:30pm. // Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave. (Civic Center); tickets at sfsymphony.org
Give back on 9/11 at a group volunteer cleanup along the Muni 1 Route with the folks at Refuse Refuse; Friday, 10am to 3pm. // Sacramento St. and Drumm St. (Embarcadero); sign up at mobilize.us
Fill your weekend with exceptional wines, incredible food, live music, and coastal views at the return of Winesong; Friday at 1pm and Saturday at 11am. // Location details and tickets at winesong.org
Make your way through the Bernal Heights Cinema Series, three days of local independent films screened across parks, cafés, studios, galleries, and public spaces; Friday through Sunday. // Location and schedule at bhoutdoorcine.org
Pick and stomp some grapes at Alexander Valley Vineyards' harvest celebration filled with vino, barbecue, and bingo; Saturday, 9am to 2pm. // Alexander Valley Vineyards, 8644 CA-128 (Healdsburg); tickets at exploretock.com
Go coastal on a community bioblitz, where neighbors will come together to explore local nature and help researchers track San Francisco's coastal biodiversity; Saturday, 10am to 1:30pm. // Sunset Dunes, Great Hwy. (Outer Sunset); register at californiavolunteers.ca.gov
Enjoy a brunch soirée with La Boulangerie full of free pastries, live DJ sets, and giveaways to mark the grand opening of its new Marina cafe; Saturday, 10am to 2pm. // La Boulangerie de Marina, 2300 Chestnut St. (Marina); details at laboulangeriesf.com
Find something one-of-a-kind at Plaza Palooza, where you can shop handcrafted jewelry, candles, and vintage goods while Bay Area hip-hop icon Ruby Ibarra croons; Saturday, 11am to 4pm. // Levi’s Plaza Park, 1200 Battery St. (Embarcadero); details at eventbrite.com
Discover the surprising versatility of cabernet sauvignon through a multi-course journey featuring Sequoia Grove Winery's finest single-vineyard, reserve wines paired with unconventional, terroir-highlighting dishes from chef Bryce Palmer. Enjoy an exclusive and unforgettable culinary adventure in an intimate communal setting. // Sequoia Grove Winery, 8338 St Helena Hwy. (Napa); reservations at sequoiagrove.com
Thank you to our partners at Sequoia Grove Winery.
Revisit the newly reopened Empress of China building for an open house celebration with archival photo projections, hands-on art activities, and a closing dance from the Grant Avenue Follies; Saturday, 11am to 4pm. // The Empress of China, 838 Grant Ave. (Chinatown); free, details at cmacsanfrancisco.org
Stop by for Dutcher Crossing’s “Taste of Home,” a series of tasting stations throughout the vineyard pairing wines with seasonal, locally sourced bites; Saturday, 11am to 4pm. // Dutcher Crossing Winery, 8533 Dry Creek Rd. (Geyserville); details at dutchercrossingwinery.com
Rock out on Mount Tam at Sound Summit, a daylong music festival with performances from Father John Misty, Guster, and Jerry Harrison's 50 Years of Talking Heads project, with proceeds funding trail restoration and other park conservation; Saturday at 11:30am. // Mountain Theater, Easy Grade Trail (Mill Valley); tickets at soundsummit.net
Swing a stein at Original Pattern's Oktoberfest bash, with house-brewed German beers, bratwurst and schnitzel, polka, and a costume raffle for your best dirndl or lederhosen; Saturday, 12pm to 8pm. //Original Pattern Brewing, 292 4th St. (Oakland); tickets at eventbrite.com
Dig into a crawfish boil to support Baddies Who Crab at a NOLA-inspired communal feast; Saturday, 12pm to 3pm. // Southern Pacific Brewing, 620 Treat Ave. (Mission); tickets at markitai.com
Bring your pup to cheer on the Giants at the season’s final dog-friendly game. A portion of every ticket benefits the SF SPCA; Saturday at 1:05pm. // Oracle Park, 24 Willie Mays Plaza (Mission Bay); tickets at mlb.com
Explore a new group show spotlighting figurative work from a rotating lineup of Bay Area artists at Mercury Twenty's Present Figures exhibition; opens Saturday, 3pm to 5 pm. // Mercury Twenty Gallery, 475 25th St. (Oakland); details at mercurytwenty.com
Make a weekend escape to Joseph Phelps Vineyards, where sweeping views set the stage for afternoons filled with food and wine at The Phelps Table, a seasonal culinary experience pairing a multi-course menu with a selection of thoughtfully chosen wines from across the Joseph Phelps portfolio. // Joseph Phelps Vineyards, 200 Taplin Rd. (St. Helena); reservations at exploretock.com
Thank you to our partners at Joseph Phelps Vineyards.
Join winemaker Michael Baldacci and his family for a three-course al fresco dinner to share stories and toast the brand’s 2023 cabernet vintage; Saturday, 5:30pm to 9pm. // Baldacci Family Vineyards, 6236 Silverado Trail (Napa); tickets at baldaccivineyards.com
Laugh through some Good Medicine, a stand-up show featuring rising Native comedians with live music, food from Wahpepah's Kitchen, and a Native artisan market; Saturday, 6pm to 10pm. // OMCA,1000 Oak St. (Oakland); tickets at museumca.org
Discover the new works of RAWdance. Their Concept series debuts this weekend with works and works-in-progress from five Bay Area choreographers in a close-knit setting; Saturday at 7:30pm, and Sunday at 3:30pm and 7:30pm. // War Memorial & Performing Arts Center, 401 Van Ness Ave. (Civic Center); tickets at rawdance.org
Kick off the Presidio Theatre's new season with riveting performances from the Parsons Dance Company; Saturday at 7:30pm, and Sunday at 2pm. // Presidio Theatre, 99 Moraga Ave. (Presidio); tickets at presidiotheatre.org
