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San Francisco has a lot to celebrate this summer! As The City’s vaccination rate rises, more and more of the events we love are roaring back to life. This week is jam-packed with parties and pleasures as Juneteenth approaches and Pride Month thunders along. Here’s what we’re most excited about for the week of June 15th, 2021…..

Our Partners’ Events

Hubba Hubba Revue’s Juneteenth Celebration

7:00 – 10:00 pm | DNA Lounge, 375 11th Street | $25-35

THEY’RE BACK, BABY! Celebrate the return of live burlesque at the World-Famous Hubba Hubba Revue’s Juneteenth Celebration show! This evening of black excellence promises the tops in tease talent, live and in-person for the first time in over a year. Hosted by Juicy D. Light and Myster C, and featuring performances by the likes of Sgt Die Wies, Elyse Elaine, Ashanti Altovese, and Alotta Bouté, this show is sure to blow the DNA’s newly-resurfaced floors clean off! (Just kidding guys, be nice to the new floors, they’re better for DANCING on!)

This Week’s Giveaways

We Wanna Give You a Free Book!

We Wanna Send You to the Musiquarium!

This Week’s Events

Tuesday, 6/15

Tenderloin Treasure Hunt Bar Crawl

6:00 pm | The Tenderloin | Free (with drink purchases)

Five bars in the heart of the Tenderloin – Shovels Bar and Grill, Emperor Norton’s Boozeland, Amsterdam Cafe, Ha-Ra, and The Geary Club – are teaming up for an epic bar crawl to welcome you back to your old bad habits! Stop by any of these bars after 6pm to pick up a treasure map, then stop by each participating bar to receive a stamp on your map. Start at any bar and end at any bar, but drink at every bar, because once you get all five stamps you’ll get a TREASURE!

Queer Mystery Writers Panel

7:00 pm | Virtual Event | Free (registration required)

Calling all armchair detectives! The NorCal Chapter of Mystery Writers of America and SFPL have the perfect virtual Pride event for those of us who love to curl up with a good whodunit. Join authors Michael Nava, Cheryl A. Head, Greg Herren, Dharma Kelleher, and P.J. Vernon for this discussion of the mystery genre, and of the ways in which it has captivated queer writers such as themselves.

Wednesday, 6/16

Pop-Up Magazine: The Sidewalk Edition

12:00pm – 9:00 pm, every day through 6/20 | Hayes Valley | Free

Though they can’t bring their live touring show to theatres just yet, Pop-Up Magazine has designed a special issue meant to be experienced outdoors. The self-guided experience features works by novelists, composers, and artists, whose stories unfold across sidewalks, storefronts – even vending machines! To get started, pick up a map at Ritual Coffee Roasters (432b Octavia St. in Hayes Valley). Remember to wear comfy shoes!

In the Artist’s Studio: Caulleen Smith

1:00 pm | Virtual Event | Pay-what-you-can

This edition of the ongoing virtual series presented by the Museum of the African Diaspora will sit down with filmmaker Caulleen Smith to discuss her work and how it’s changed during quarantine.

Thursday, 6/17

Juneteenth Kickoff Rally

12:00 pm – 3:00 | San Francisco City Hall | Free 

Get your Juneteenth started off right at this rally hosted by Black-led activist group Wealth and Disparities in the Black Community. Come for the speakers and their calls to action, stay for the entertainment provided by local DJs and performers!

A Joy Unexpected: Exhibition & Virtual Panel/Performance

5:00 pm – 6:30 | Virtual Event (exhibition on view by appointment only at Root Division, 1131 Mission Street) | Free 

Curated by Tavarus Blackmon, Root Divisions’ Curatorial Fellow, this artist-centered exhibition explores the ways in which artists and their art both struggled and flourished during a year of shelter-in-place. The show runs through 6/26, but tonight’s virtual panel and performance promises to offer a deeper perspective on the works and a special chance to connect with the exhibition artists.

The Reawakening of Joaquin, by Manuel Fernando Rios, 2020.

Revenge of the Blerds: Juneteenth Edition 

6:00 pm | Virtual Event | $15

Nerds of all fandoms, rejoice! Revenge of the Blerds, the all-Black nerdlesque celebration, is back to rock your Juneteenth with all the fanservice your geeky little hearts could hope for. The lineup features superstars from across the nation, including plenty of our hometown favorites, laying down spicy acts celebrating the ways in which nerd culture and Black culture align.

Friday, 6/18

Tōtum by Ballet 22

7:00 pm | Great Star Theatre | $20-150

Experience ballet as you’ve never seen it before! Ballet22’s cast is entirely made up of dancers on the masculine spectrum, and challenges the ways in which society views dance (especially ballet) and dancers. The program will feature multiple selections from classical and contemporary ballets, with a focus on small group performances.

Glama’s Good Drag: Let Freedom Reign!

8:00 pm | Virtual Event | $10

The Oasis will reopen for live drag soon (more on that next week!), but until that glorious day, we can always depend on the high-quality content provided by Oasis TV! Glamamore and D’Arcy Drollinger will present this virtual showcase, presented live from the Oasis stage. (And if you’re already a member of Oasis TV, the show is included in your membership)

Saturday, 6/19

Chocolate and Chalk Art Festival  

10:00 am – 4:00 pm | Shattuck Avenue + Cedar Street, North Berkeley | Free ($10 for a box of chalk)

Cool art made by anybody and everybody? Awesome chocolates and goodies? The chance to make your own piece of temporary public art? What’s NOT to enjoy about the Chocolate and Chalk Festival. Stop by the registration booth to get your box of artists’ chalk for $10, or just wander and watch the artists make their magic.

Outdoor Juneteenth Celebration @ Bayview Opera House  

1:00pm – 3:00 pm | Bayview Opera House, 4705 3rd Street | $0-20

The Bayview Opera House will welcome the community back into its outdoor space for the first time since the shelter-in-place order came down the only way it knows how – with a party! The celebration will be chock full of performances, including music, dance, and poetry. And afterward, Frisco Fried is just down the street…. (God, I miss living in the Bayview….)

Sunday, 6/20

Stern Grove Festival

Every Sunday, 2:00 pm | Stern Grove | Free (registration required for live event; also available to watch online)

The Stern Grove Festival is back with a lineup that’s sure to have something for everyone, from Joan Jett and the Black Hearts to the SF Symphony. Don’t roll up unless you’ve registered first, though! All the shows are still free, but attendance is limited due to COVID restraints. If you can’t make it in-person, you can always catch the livestream!

Live Music Returns: A Benefit for KXSF

6:00 pm | Zeitgeist, 199 Valencia Street | Donations Encouraged

Join a trippy trio of local bands – Down Dirty Shake, DJ Pops, and Bolero – in the Zeitgeist beer garden for an outdoor concert celebrating the return of live music events. It’s free to attend, but donations are encouraged – it’s a benefit for KSFX after all, so be generous!

Big Blu Soul Quartet Father’s Day Throwdown

6:00 pm | Presidio Social Club Exchange, 563 Ruger Street | Free (dinner reservations required)

Treat old Daddy-O (or maybe just yourself!) to what we all really want this Fathers’ Day – a pig roast on the patio, mai tais, and live music. There’s never been a better excuse to get dressed up and pretend to be classy, so get your reservations before they sell out!

Monday, 6/21

Queer Bowling Night @ Mission Bowling Club 

6:00 pm – 10:00 pm | Mission Bowling Club, 3176 17th Street | Free

Every 3rd Monday, hop on down to the Mission for an evening of games and good times. Queer Bowling Night is free, though you might want to consider purchasing a ticket to guarantee your entry. And it’s for a good cause! This month, all proceeds from ticket sales + donations will go to the Lyric Center for LGBTQQ+ Youth.

Mark your calendar for next week

Thursday, 6/24 – InTransit: An All-Trans Drag Show

Sunday, 6/27 – Hayes Valley Urban Air Market

Rad Ongoing Events

Did you know we’ve posted a big fat list of all the awesome ONGOING events we know about? We’ll be updating it as often as we can, so check it out regularly to see what’s new and noteworthy. You can browse the list of ongoing events here! 

And don’t worry, we’ll keep highlighting the new and notable ongoing events in this section of the newsletter – stuff like:

Every Wednesday – Club Papi Presents ¡Pan Dulce! @ Beaux

Through 6/20 – 20th SF Documentary Film Fest