The live entertainment industry has been hit especially hard by the pandemic. This time of year, most performers are double and triple booked, but with shelter-in-place orders, everyone is staying home and staying safe. Many artists have adapted to alternative means of income this season, utilizing all of their creativity to offer truly special gift ideas for your loved ones this season. There’s something here for everyone, and your purchases will directly help these artists make it through the winter to bring back the weird as soon as it’s safe to do so!

Gift Ideas

Truly unique, with something for everyone. These shops include a vast array of handmade items and original art for every budget.

Crochet Octopus Mystery Boxes – $15-30

Adopt a tentacled friend to give you a hug or send one to someone who needs it. Or for a surprise, check out our crochet octopus plushies in decorative pyramid mystery boxes. These California based artists collaborate with international crochetters to empower vulnerable groups around the world. Created by Carnelian King, contact juggler.

Custom Embroidered Gifts

Custom hand embroidered work for any occasion. Created by Nicky Martinez, actor/performing artist.

Accessories for Aerialists and Polers – $15-70

An array of sparkly elastic body binds for pole dancers and circus performers to add to any of their outfits turning them into an instant costume! So we can dance like everyone is watching. Created by Kimmy Fitz, pole dancer.

Art Deco Cirque Themed Greeting Cards, Stickers, and Posters – $3-40

Celebrate diverse women in the circus arts with beautiful Art Deco inspired greeting cards, stickers, and posters that highlight female expression. All images are based on real women in the juggling & circus arts. Created by Bri Crabtree, clown and juggler.

Juggling Gear – $1.50-45

Get your own practice diabolo, juggling props, and gear. Created by Draco the Juggler.

Flow Paintings and Handmade Trinkets – $40

Katie transfers the fluidity she practices in the air to canvas. She also makes magical trinkets and jewelry to help bring out your inner flower child. Created by Katie Nicole, aerialist and fitness instructor.

Digital Illustration Commissions

Designs portraits at the client’s request using Procreate and watercolor, centering QTBIPOC. Offered by Star Barker, artist.

Original Landscape, Figurative and Surreal Paintings – $30-100

One of a kind original paintings to benefit the San Francisco Mime Troupe. Created by Marie Cartier, actor and drag performer.

Caricatures and Wall Calendars – $10-30

Here the fun begins! Custom caricatures and wall calendars! Created by Rasa Vitalia, dancer, singer, caricature artist.

True Edge Art – Apparel, Art Prints, Stickers, and More! – $4-165

Original artwork featuring weapons and flowers in a modern traditional tattoo style that correspond with the 8 weapon disciplines of the Society of American Fight Directors. Apparel, art prints, stickers, and more at the shop! Created by Sydney Schwindt, fight director and actor.

Fine Art Paintings, Prints, Commissions – $80-7,000

Vibrant, community driven, fine art. Created by The Tracy Piper, live painter.

Art Prints, Gifts, and Handmade Apparel – $1-495

Fine art photography prints and gifts inspired by circus and nature, unique thrift pieces, and a selection of handmade garments and accessories. An eclectic variety of affordable and high end gift ideas. Created by Nina Sawant, circus artist.

Leather Hats, Festival-belts, and Accessories – $30-650

Exquisite Oakland handmade leather-craft specializing in hats, festival belts, and alt lifestyle accessories. Created by Trevor Tarin, event photographer.

Masks, Fanny Packs, Vintage Garments – $33-500

Essential sewn goods made with love! Fanny Packs, masks, wallets and more! Support small women owned biz! Created by Nikki Borodi, acrobat and musician.

COVID 19 Unfriendly Plague Doctor Masks – $10-37

Bring back that olde time infectious disease prevention with a classic plague doctor mask from Hunny Bunny Burlesque! Patterns are also available for the perfect DIY stocking stuffer. Created by Hunny Bunny, contortionist and burlesque dancer.

Hand Sewn Masks and Custom Costumes

Leather, magic, and burner couture. Fashion masks and custom designs. Created by Ismael Costa, dancer.

Massage Therapy/Bodywork – $155+

Kalash Magenta Fire, CMT, MSW is a certified massage therapist of San Francisco with 17+ years experience in massage therapy with focus to pain relief/therapeutic injury maintenance, relaxation and energy work. Covid-19 protocol enforced in a safe and peaceful location in SF. Email synbodywork@blogshot.com for booking. Offered by Kalashi Magenta Fire, massage therapist.

Maia’s Tinctures and Tamales – $10-26

Home made tamales past down from a family recipe and fire cider immune booster tonic for holiday season. Created by Maia Walker, circus performer.

Curated Gift Boxes – $55-120

We’ve selected some of our favorite locally-made items and packaged them up in the perfect gift box. Each curated collection is inspired by some of our favorite things—California, Coffee, Good Grammar, Plants, Self Care, or our home base—San Francisco. Each item is sourced from SF makers and shakers, and we stand behind their beautifully crafted products. Whether you’re gifting for a friend or loved one—or, let’s be honest, for yourself—we know you’ll find something perfect to cater to anyone on your list. Created by Nico of Fleet Wood SF.

 

Virtual Services

Experience based, zero-waste gift options for the eco-conscious, minimalists in your life.

Virtual Kids Parties – $129+

Professional kids entertainer offering virtual parties for the whole family! Hilarious magic, empowering movement games, silly storytelling puppets, and scavenger hunts. Refresh your kids with LIVE interactive entertainment! Offered by Drea Lusion, variety performer.

Silly Circus Show – $250

Live 30 minute Comedy Zoom Show for 4-6 year olds. Non-stop giggles! Offered by Bri Crabtree, clown and juggler.

Personal Singing Telegram Service – $50+

Requests accepted for half songs or full songs to arrange, track, and record and master to send to a loved one with or without a special message! All styles, and genres with a sliding scale depending on length of the song/ desired style/ rewriting/changing words. Offered by Nikola Printz, opera singer/ trapeze artist.

Virtual Drag Burlesque Telegrams – $50+

Tater Tatas sends your dearest friend a delicious video telegram with your message of choice and a short burlesque reveal covered in food! Bare tatas, long messages and special food requests are extra. Offered by Edna Mira Raia, sketch comedian and drag artist.

Virtual Holiday Character Entertainment & Contactless Gift Delivery – $50+

Online/Zoom Holiday entertainment, Elf, Fairy, Snow Queen, or Wishing Star. Or contactless delivery of your gifts by holiday entertainment of your choice door to door! Offered by Krysta, event producer, specialty performer, and belly dancer.

Beautiful Online Social Venues – $300+

Evocative, personalized, video-game inspired online venues for social gatherings of all types. V Parties are an alternative to “Zoom parties” for people looking to have an experience connecting remotely that is engaging in a variety of introvert and extrovert friendly ways, for up to 150 guests at a time. Offered by Bunny Holmes, event producer and circus performer.

Web Design, Graphic Design, and Marketing – $50+

Creative services: web design, graphic design, social marketing, social and site maintenance / management, event support, digital marketing. Offered by Boenobo Zjo, clown and DJ.

Tarot and Astrology Readings – $180+

I provide insight to your deepest burning questions and curiosities. We can uncover hidden blocks to get to where you want to go, and have a good time doing it! Discover your unfair advantage… Offered by Anastasia Sauvage, circus performer.

Online Virtual Classes, Shows, Parties, Music – $20-60

Here the fun begins! Let’s celebrate your special occasions with the fun of live virtual dance classes and shows, dance parties, joyful music and caricatures! Created and offered by Rasa Vitalia, dancer, singer, caricature artist.

Belly Dance Lessons $35-60

Private belly dance lessons via zoom for everybody and anybody! Learn how to shimmy and spice things up this holiday season! Offered by Nicole Maria, dancer.

Juggling Lessons – $45

Learn how to diabolo (chinese yoyo) and get your own practice diabolo. Created by Draco the Juggler.

Virtual Stretching Classes – Sliding scale, $20 average

These are all levels stretching classes- legs, splits, shoulders, back. Christine has been teaching for 12 years, and also teaches privates for flexibility, Aerial, handbalancing, and more. Offered by Christine Lee, circus performer.

Contortion Lessons/Pole Privates via Zoom – $75+

All levels contortion, hand balancing, & pole privates and semi privates via Zoom. Let’s find your limits and comfortably push past them! Offered by Natalie Rhae, circus artist.

Upcoming Virtual Shows

With cold nights and the return of shelter in place orders, virtual shows are a perfect experience gift to connect safely with friends and family this season. Order the same take out and mix yourself the same beverages–it goes a long way towards sharing the experience together.

Green Winter: a Poetry & Circus Mixtape

December 17-19, 7pm | Cost: FREE (donations encouraged)

“Green Winter” will explore the connection between humans and their natural environment through words and movement. A seamless mixtape of poetry and circus, we will be blending the work of local poets and performers into one beautiful sensory experience. This show is family friendly.

Proceeds go to Mycelium Youth Network, which provides high quality educational programming to equip youth for a climate challenged future today, free or low cost to low-income youth in the Bay Area. You can find out more information about their awesome work here: https://www.myceliumyouthnetwork.org/ Pre-recorded, airing on YouTube live.

Facebook Event: https://m.facebook.com/events/1029590644189544

Cheers n’ Chills

December 19-20, 6pm | Cost: $35

Cheers n’ Chills is a part live-streamed and part pre-recorded holiday show featuring scavenger hunts, interactions with festive characters like Santa and Krampus, and seasonal stories and music. The show is 1 1/2 hours long and is on the gather.town platform. Participants will need a laptop or desktop with audio and video streaming. The show is family friendly, everything is all ages except for meeting Krampus which is recommended for 13+.

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cheers-n-chills-an-online-holiday-faire-tickets-129797434621

Shelter in Place Talent Show

December 20, 4pm | Cost: FREE (donations encouraged)

This is a one hour, Zoom based talent show. We will have 10 acts featuring circus arts, singing, dancing, sword swallowing, drumming and more. This show is lighthearted, family friendly, and donations directly benefit performers.

Show Link: https://fb.me/e/3fheD5FSH

Trixxie Carr Live!

Every Sunday, 9:30pm | Cost: FREE

Livestreaming Drag and Music plus Antics and Readings! Streaming on Twitch. This show is not family friendly.

Show Link: www.twitch.tv/trixxiecarr

Jazz Mafia Tuesdays

Every Tuesday, 6pm | Cost: FREE

Jazz Mafia livestream shows weekly from Jazz Mafia Compound in Oakland. This show is family friendly.

Show Link: www.youtube.com/jazzmafia