If you’ve ever waited tables, cried in a dive bar, danced in weird costumes in the streets, tried to pay rent in drink tickets, or been in love with a city that might not love you back, this is your book.

Dance all night with SG Lewis and Sofia Kourtesis at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on October 17th! You can purchase tickets here or enter the giveaway below.

Wolf Alice is an acclaimed English rock band known for their dynamic sound that blends elements of rock, folk, and dream-pop and YOU can win tickets to see them on October 10th at Fox Theater in Oakland!

You can purchase tickets here or enter the giveaway below.

Marketplace with Kai Ryssdal
10/14 | Sydney Goldstein Theater 275 Hayes St, SF | 7 p.m. | $35.10-$55.80

Join KQED for a special live show with Marketplace, public radio’s essential guide to business and the economy “for the rest of us,” at the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco. Go beyond the headlines as host Kai Ryssdal brings his signature wit and insight to the stage to explore the forces shaping our economy—and what they mean for our everyday lives.

Downtown Hoedown Grand Finale
10/2 | Front St Entertainment Zone | Front St & California St, SF | 4 p.m. | Free w/ RSVP

It's the Downtown Hoedown Grand Finale! We're going out with a bang and bringing back all your favorites and some new surprises. Line dancing lessons, live music, and free mechanical bull rides. All-ages fun with arts + crafts stations, a community mural, and Hot Wheels Boogie Racers. Plus-- a "Baddest Dog in the West" doggy costume contest at 6:45pm, with prizes from Disco Dog!

Tuesday 9/30

“No Place to Grow Old” Screening
9/30 | Roxie Theater | 3117 16th St, SF | 6 p.m. | $0, $10, $20

Join the San Francisco Public Press for a film screening and panel discussion about the fastest-growing population entering homelessness: adults 55+. This event is about resilience, community, and solutions.

Concert Performance: inebria me
9/30 | The Commons at KQED | 2601 Mariposa St, SF | 7 p.m. | $24.38

KQED Live presents a special music-only edition of inebria me, featuring San Cha and acclaimed musician/composer Darian Donovan Thomas.

Wednesday 10/1

Fortunate Youth
10/1 | Cornerstone | 2367 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley | 8 p.m. | $45.27+

From backyard BBQs in Southern California beach towns to its rise as one of the most popular reggae rock bands in the country, Fortunate Youth remains devoted to its roots and a simple mission: Spread peace, love, and unity with music.

Dad Bod
10/1 | 4 Star Theater | 2200 Clement St, SF | 7 p.m. Doors | $12-$15

Dad Bod Band is a unique blend of covers and original material, drawing inspiration from a variety of genres including 70's Classic Rock, Grunge, Indie, and Alternative Rock.

Thursday 10/2

Downtown First Thursdays w/ Full Crate
10/2 | 2nd St | 2nd St. between Market & Howard St, SF | 5 p.m. | Free w/ RSVP

Special guest performer Full Crate (presented by The Midway) heads up the Howard Stage from 7:45-9PM. Kick off the street party at 5pm with us and don't miss queer circus from Fou Fou Ha, drag, DJs, altar building, traditional Filipino dance in the streets, and a full night of fun on 2nd St.!

My Favorite Murder: Live
10/2 & 10/3 | Paramount Theatre | 2025 Broadway, Oakland | 7 p.m. | $51.10+

Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark are coming to you live for two nights with their hit true-crime comedy podcast, My Favorite Murder!

Mushroom Masquerade
10/2 | Ferry Plaza | 1 Ferry Building, SF | 5 p.m. | $33.85

Don your best mushroom-inspired attire and join us for an evening of flavorful bites, fine wine, and lively music.

Two Dykes and a Mic
10/2 | Cobb’s Comedy Club | 915 Columbus Ave, SF | 7:30 p.m. | $38.20+, 18+

"Two Dykes and a Mic", hosted by McKenzie Goodwin and Rachel Scanlon, is a weekly podcast that focuses on sex positivity, queer dating, and community building.

Friday 10/3

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
10/3-10/5 | Hellman Hollow, Lindley & Marx Meadows | Golden Gate Park, SF | 11 a.m. | Free

25th Anniversary of HSB. This year’s lineup includes Lucina Williams, Courtney Barnett, The String Cheese Incident, Reverend Horton Heat, and more!

Serge Gay Jr. New Solo Show “Unconventional”
10/3 | San Francisco Gallery | 888 Marin St, SF | 6 p.m. | Free w/ RSVP

The longed-for and highly anticipated art experience by the celebrated Creator, Visual Storyteller, and Creative Director Serge Gay Jr.

Special Guest Gallery Chat: Inside Black Spaces
10/3 | Oakland Museum of California | 1000 Oak St, Oakland | 6 p.m. | $19

This engaging Gallery Chats experience brings together curator Dania Talley, architect June Grant, and activist Dominique Walker to explore the making of the exhibition and urgent themes of housing justice, displacement, and Black community resilience in the East Bay and beyond.

Saturday 10/4

The Makers Market Local Artist Fair - First Street Napa
10/4 | First Street Napa Plaza | 1300 1st Street, Napa | 11 a.m. | Free

Shop unique handmade gifts, jewelry, home goods and decor, woodworking, apparel, skincare and apothecary, art, and more from 25+ talented local makers. Plus, enjoy live music by Asher Stern!

SF Philharmonic All-Beethoven Season Opener
10/4 | Herbst Theatre | 401 Van Ness Ave, SF | 7:30 p.m. | $30

Top-notch local soloists Cordula Merks, Amos Yang, and John Wilson perform the Triple Concerto, in addition to Beethoven's Overture to Fidelio and the unmissable, unmistakable Fifth Symphony. Use code “Philharmonic104” for $30 tickets.

2nd Annual Filipino Island Fest
10/4 | Alameda Naval Air Museum | 2151 Ferry Point, Alameda | 11 a.m. | Free w/ RSVP

Celebrate Filipino culture with food, music, dance & island vibes at the 2nd Annual Filipino Island Fest!

Night of a Thousand Witches
10/4 | DNA Lounge | 375 11th St, SF | 9:30 p.m. | $10-$15, 18+

Halloween Kick Off: Night of a Thousand Witches! Witch Costume Contest at Midnight! Don your darkest, get creative! The Best Witches will go home with some Cash & Cool Prizes!

Cinema on the Square
10/4 | Union Square Plaza | 333 Post St, SF | 5 p.m. Doors | Free

Kick off spooky season with Alfred Hitchcock’s classic horror-thriller, The Birds. Did you know the opening scene is filmed in Union Square?

Sunday 10/5

Castro Street Fair
10/5 | The Castro | Castro St between Market & 19th, SF | 11 a.m. | Suggested Donation $10-$20

The Castro Street Fair is all about celebrating the vibrancy of the neighborhood, the diversity of our community, and the importance of supporting our local artisans, restaurants, and merchants.

A Conversation with Kamala Harris
10/5 | The Masonic | 1111 California St, SF | 3 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. | $27+

For the first time, and with surprising and revealing insights, former Vice President Kamala Harris tells the story of one of the wildest and most consequential presidential campaigns in American history.

The Lost Boys Movie Screening + Dance Party
10/5 | DNA Lounge | 375 11th St, SF | 7:30 p.m. Doors | $15-$35, 18+

Join us here on the Santa Carla Boardwalk for a screening of the 1987 classic, The Lost Boys! Never grow old and never die, with Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz and Both Coreys. Costumes encouraged!

Monday 10/6

UNCONVENTIONAL A solo art exhibition by Serge Gay Jr.
10/6 | San Francisco Gallery | 888 Marin St, SF | 6 p.m. | Free w/ RSVP

Join us for a solo exhibition featuring the artwork of San Francisco Gallery artist in Residence, Serge Gay Jr.

Mates of State
10/6 | August Hall | 420 Mason St, SF | 7 p.m. Doors | $34.61

Kori Gardner and husband, Jason have an iconic style – the effortless way their voices harmonize and volley back and forth, the movements within the song. Their instruments and voices all move as one piece, inseparable.

Tuesday 10/7

Terror Vault Presents: Hexed
10/7 | The San Francisco Mint | 88 5th St, SF | 6-9 p.m. | $59.2+, 18+

Three witches, spread across the globe, each from a different cultural and mystical tradition, converge to form a coven so powerful it threatens to unravel the very fabric of humanity. As this Coven of Three performs their dark rituals, the rising number of missing children alarms a group of witch experts called The Believers. These experts seek to recruit unlikely heroes from our show’s guests to help them stop the coven before the world falls into eternal darkness.

Wednesday 10/8

The Bad Art Gallery Auction for Gaza
10/8 | The Faight | 473A Haight St, SF | 6 p.m. | $10.38+

Join us for this one-of-a-kind gallery show, featuring "bad" art made by members of our local community for the benefit of our global community! We'll be showing some of the large-scale collective art that's been made by Bad Art Club over the past year, as well as art submitted by individuals living in the Bay Area.

Drone Light Show
10/8 | Ferry Building | 1 Ferry Building, SF | 7 p.m. | Free w/ RSVP

Gamma is lighting up SF Tech Week with something never done before: a dazzling drone show over the Bay, paired with a massive projection on the iconic Ferry Building.

Thursday 10/9

Valencia LIVE!
10/9 | Valencia St | Valencia St between 16th & 19th St, SF | 5 p.m. | Free w/ RSVP

The street party is going down on Valencia Street between 16th and 19th Streets—in the American Indian Cultural District, with live music and family friendly activities up and down the block. PLUS don’t miss out on all of the free fun inside and specials from local eateries and bars throughout the neighborhood. RSVP (for FREE) for specials at local brick and mortars and giveaways on the street.

Still Here, Images of Resilience and Memory: Rooted Lens Collective Community Art & Film Fundraiser
10/9 | Rivian SF | 340 Fell St, SF | 5 p.m. | $50+

Still Here: Images of Resilience and Memory is a public photography exhibition and short film preview celebrating Black life, identity, and intergenerational memory in the rural South. This immersive community event marks the premiere of a powerful new body of work from Bay Area visual artist Jon Harrison and offers an intimate first look at a documentary currently in production.

Friday 10/10

Friday Nights at OMC with LaRussell
10/10 | Oakland Museum of California | 1000 Oak St, Oakland | 5 p.m. | Free

The Garden Stage will light up with an unforgettable live set from LaRussell. That’s right, this Vallejo-born phenomenon known for his sharp lyricism, viral freestyles, community-first ethos, and epic presence will take the stage with The Yee Section & CO-LLAB Choir and light up Oakland’s favorite block party!

Hirie
10/10 | Great American Music Hall | 859 O’Farrell St, SF | 7 p.m. Doors | $38.14

Hirie is a prominent reggae musician known for her vibrant performances and uplifting music.

Saturday 10/11

2 Blocks of Art 2025: Site + Sound
10/11 | Market St | Market St between 5th & 7th, SF | 11 a.m. | Free w/ RSVP

This year’s theme — Site + Sound — showcases the deep connection between music and art in reimagined spaces, weaving together Mid Market’s rich history of movie houses, radio, live music venues, and culture with the energy of today’s creative arts community. From the echoes of historic broadcasts to the vibrant sounds of live bands, this event has something for everyone.

Monster Drawing Rally 2025
10/11 | Southern Exposure | 3030 20th St, SF | 4 p.m. | $25-$30

The Monster Drawing Rally is an incredible evening of art making and fundraising, where over 120 local artists create new work right before your eyes-all available for just $100 each. Additional artwork will be available at discounted prices!

Sunday 10/12

Italian Heritage Festival & Parade
10/12 | North Beach | Columbus & Stockton St, SF | 12:30 p.m. | Free

San Francisco’s Italian-American Community celebrates the Italian Heritage Festival & Parade, featuring Italian and Italian-American dignitaries, music, performances, floats, and representatives of Italian and Italian-American organizations and businesses.

PhotoAlliance Lecture Series: John Divola and Auting Leong
10/12 | Fort Mason | 2 Marina Blvd Building B, SF | 5 p.m. | $25

This evening of compelling discussion highlights each artist’s innovative approaches to contemporary photography and its larger role in visual culture. The artists present an overview of the past, present, and upcoming work, as well as field questions from the audience at the end.

Monday 10/13

Oddisee
10/13 | The Independent | 628 Divisadero St, SF | 7:30 p.m. Doors | $32.47

Oddisee is one third of the hip hop trio Diamond District, known for his introspective lyrics and jazz-influenced beats.

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