San Francisco Events - San Francisco Entertainment Guide

Recommended Events
"Poetry at the 33" 3300 Club : 7:00 p.m. last Tue. of every month
Most of what we know about Poetry at the 33 is that Kim Addonizio either used to hang out there or still does. That may sound like it isn't very much to go on, but Addonizio is one of the city's most underrated talents. She's a fucking genius, if you want to know the truth. If there's any... More >>
Mission/ Bernal Heights	Poetry, Music, Literary Events, Free Events, Arts

Raw SF 1015 Folsom : 7:00 p.m. February 7; 7:00 p.m. March 15; 7:00 p.m. April 26; 7:00 p.m. May 24; 7:00 p.m. June 28
Sure, standing around in the stairwell of 49 Geary drinking champagne during its First Thursday gallery openings can be fun. But it's not a great way to see the best artwork this city can offer (unless you view getting trampled as a form of crowd-sourced, contemporary performance art). Switch... More >>
South of Market	Nightlife, Arts

"Royal Treasures from the Louvre: Louis XIV to Marie-Antoinette" Legion of Honor : 9:30 a.m. every Tue., Wed., Thu., Fri., Sat., Sun. until March 17
Radical social and political upheaval in 18th century France came at a cost, and you know who suffered the most? Decorative arts enthusiasts. Aristocratic and religious privilege was replaced by Enlightenment principles, which were disastrous for collectors of diamond-and-gem snuffboxes. The... More >>
Richmond (Outer)	Museum Exhibits & Events, Arts

"Downtown" Spare Change Artist Space : Daily from January 24 until February 28
We do what we have to do to live in our glorious Bay Area, but it’s hard not to wish for a smidge more economic security from time to time. Local artist John-Mark Ikeda takes those anxieties and runs with them, seeing America’s growing awareness of (and protest against) the... More >>
Embarcadero	Arts, Art - Galleries

Gabrielle Gamboa's "Florida Diary" Cartoon Art Museum : Every Tue., Wed., Thu., Fri., Sat., Sun. until April 13
Comic strips have been around since the early 1800s, and some strips have been in circulation almost that long as well. (“The Katzenjammer Kids” has been running since 1897!). The Bay Area has been at the center of groundbreaking comic art since the 1960s when the underground comix... More >>
South of Market	Arts, Art - Museums

Mission Trivia Night Gestalt Haus : Every Mon.
What is the most shoplifted book in the world? The Bible. What item, found at nearly every Chinese restaurant, was invented by a Japanese entrepreneur here in S.F.? The fortune cookie. If you didn't know the answers to these, fret not; We promise it won't go on your report card. These are... More >>
Mission/ Bernal Heights	Games, Arts

"High Fantasy" Aunt Charlie's Lounge : 10:00 p.m. every Tue.
Weekends are for amateurs — the really good stuff happens during the week. Well, that might be a little hyperbolic, but it's certainly true in the case of High Fantasy. Going on for over two years now, the weekly Tuesday night party at Aunt Charlie's is your midweek destination for a dose... More >>
Hayes Valley/ Tenderloin	Nightlife, Music, LGBT Events

Humpday Happy Hour Workshop Good Vibrations : 6:30 p.m. every Wed.
Not everyone is comfortable talking about sex. In fact, just hearing the word in public is enough to make some people uneasy, even here in liberal San Francisco. For those of you looking to explore your sexuality in the new year (or are just curious what the fuss is all about), head on over to... More >>
Nob Hill/ Russian Hill/ Fisherman's Wharf	Sex & Fetish Events, Arts, Adult

Beach Blanket Babylon Club Fugazi : Every Wed., Thu., Fri., Sat., Sun.
Every San Franciscan has a list of local activities they haven't done that the average visitor to this city probably has. For us, that was Beach Blanket Babylon, the North Beach musical revue famous for its huge hats and culture-skewering whimsy. The show comes recommended by seemingly every... More >>
North Beach/ Chinatown	Theater - Ongoing, Theater, Arts

"Baxtalo Drom" Amnesia : 9:00 p.m. fourth Fri. of every month
If it's dancing girls you want, or if it's a dancing girl you are, Baxtalo Drom is your jam. Deep, deep in the steampunk jungle, this belly-dance-flavored club is rife with old-timey aesthetics, exposed tattooage, and feathers in hairdos. The evening is organized by the very pretty women of... More >>
Mission/ Bernal Heights	Nightlife, Music, Dance, Cabaret, Arts

"Boomtown: Barbary Coast." Conservatory of Flowers : Every Tue., Wed., Thu., Fri., Sat., Sun. until April 14
This might shock you, but San Francisco has a debaucherous past. Once home to less than 500 people, as soon as James Marshall found gold in them thar hills, the population began to double every 10 days, creating a Boomtown full of saloons, sailors, slummers, and sinners. This was an era where... More >>
Sunset (Outer)	Museum Exhibits & Events, Arts

Lagoon Feeding California Academy of Sciences : 1:30 p.m. every Tue., Thu.
Anyone who has neglected to visit the California Academy of Sciences is severely missing out, and not even because of the famous undulating grassy roof. One of the first sights to greet visitors is also one of the best: the Mangrove Lagoon holds those vicious angels, the stingrays and the... More >>
Richmond (Inner)	Pets, Museum Exhibits & Events, Children's Events, Arts

Downtown San Francisco Tour South Beach Harbor : 10:00 a.m. every Mon., Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun.
If Hollywood ever tries its hand at Escape from San Francisco, we hope there are kayaks involved. There just aren’t enough kayaks in action films, you know? We imagine the little boats riding a tsunami, hurtling toward the bad guys who have taken Coit Tower hostage, somehow managing to... More >>
South of Market	Tours, Sports - Participatory, Outdoors, Landmarks, DIY, Arts

Precita Eyes Mission Trail Mural Walks Precita Eyes Mural Arts & Visitors Center : 11:00 a.m. every Sat., Sun.
Mural people are nuts. Wall paintings never last and can't be purchased, and the people who go specifically to see them are often the hoi polloi who know nothing about art. How can muralists expect to survive in the art world? The answer: They don't. The folks who make their work on outdoor... More >>
Mission/ Bernal Heights	Tours, Outdoors, Arts

Air Conditioning House of Air : Every Tue., Wed., Thu.
You like to have your butt thoroughly kicked, do you not? You may have already kicked your own butt with dance class, yoga class, brutal hikes, standard gym visits, athletic sex, or what have you, but have you done it on a trampoline? At Air Conditioning classes, use the power of bouncing to... More >>
The Presidio	Sports - Participatory, DIY, Arts

Gardens of Alcatraz Tours Alcatraz Island : 9:30 a.m. every Fri., Sun.
To our recurring surprise, many locals never get the idea to visit Alcatraz, because traveling by boat to an island to walk around cellblocks is just something they don't like do. How come? Because tourists get that idea, every day, by the shorts-wearing boatloads. Here's your solution: The... More >>
North Beach/ Chinatown	Tours, Parks & Preserves, Home & Garden, Free Events, Arts

Alcatraz Night Tour Alcatraz Island : Every Mon., Thu., Fri., Sat., Sun.
Alcatraz -- "The Rock" -- is one of those tours that you have to take at least once, whether you're local or just visiting. The abandoned prison sitting on an island about a mile and a half off the city's north shore was home to some of the most infamous names in crime, including Al Capone, it... More >>
North Beach/ Chinatown	Outdoors, Arts, Tours

More Events
Mel Ramos and Elena Dorfman Modernism : Every Tue., Wed., Thu., Fri., Sat. until March 2
Mel Ramos makes the kind of paintings you're embarrassed to encounter while strolling through SFMOMA with your family. Currently one of the elder statesmen of California art, his technical chops and his ability to represent the human figure cannot be contested. It's just that penchant of his... More >>
Union Square/ Financial District	Arts, Art - Galleries

Literary Clown Foolery The Booksmith : 8:00 p.m. second Fri. of every month
When it comes to innovation and sheer volume, the Bay Area literary scene is unrivaled. What other city devotes an entire month to literature (Litquake) and a dedicated pub crawl for the written word (Lit Crawl) every year? We’ve been known to hold readings in abandoned apartments (Live... More >>
Haight/ Fillmore	Literary Events, Circus, Cabaret, Arts

"Hard French" El Rio : 2:00 p.m. first Sat. of every month
At this point in time, Hard French might as well be a local institution. Now into its third season, the Motown-heavy queer day party presents itself as a viable alternative to the usual Saturday hangover damage control. Head down to the El Rio and you'll be able to catch six hours of "hard... More >>
Mission/ Bernal Heights	Music, LGBT Events, Food & Drink

Comedy Returns to El Rio! El Rio : 8:00 p.m. second Mon. of every month
Mondays get a bad rap. It's a day often associated with depression, anxiety, and melancholy in pop culture. Think of "Monday, Monday" by the Mamas & the Papas, "Manic Monday" by the Bangles, and of course the memetastic "Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays" phrase popularized by... More >>
Mission/ Bernal Heights	Comedy, Arts

"Oldies Night" The Knockout : 10:00 p.m. first Fri. of every month
Few things can match the sheer exuberance of a packed house at Oldies Night. The long-standing Mission staple is one of the best places in the city to lose yourself and sweat it out dancing to soul 45s. DJs Primo and Daniel serve up a broad selection of cuts (both common and rare) to a crowd of... More >>
Mission/ Bernal Heights	Nightlife, Music

Hedwig and the Angry Inch Boxcar Playhouse : 8:00 p.m. every Wed., Thu., Fri., Sat. until January 26; 5:00 p.m. every Sat. until January 26
Hedwig, of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, doesn’t typically place others’ whims above her own, even if those others are her audience. But last summer’s sold-out Boxcar Theatre production of the glam rock musical forced the petulant but witheringly witty diva to hear the cries of... More >>
South of Market	Theater, Music, Arts

“Animal Attraction” California Academy of Sciences : Daily
In ancient Rome, the god of fertility was honored in February, with ceremonial love lotteries and mock-floggings with a bloody goatskin. Even those are a pale reflection of truly bizarre courtships that unfold in the natural world. For example, the common garden snail is a hermaphrodite that... More >>
Richmond (Inner)	Zoo & Animals, Environmental, Education, Arts

"Death Guild" DNA Lounge : 9:30 p.m. every Mon.
Dying to dance, brood, or peel the yellow wallpaper off the wall? Well, so are these fun freaks. Join them at Death Guild, won't you? Every Monday night at DNA Lounge, gaggles of 18-and-over moody bastards come to show off their blackest attire and eyeliner while pouting to goth, industrial,... More >>
South of Market	Nightlife, Music