Best Bay Area Events 8/18-8/31

Third Thursdays on Treat is turning up the energy with Treat’s Got Talent, featuring local Bay Area performers competing for prizes, plus food, vendors, activities, and a back-to-school resource drive. Students 17 and under can score a FREE backpack while supplies last, and every backpack comes with a free entry to win a laptop, with adults able to purchase raffle tickets too. The winner will be drawn at 7:30 PM after the talent show and must be present to win! Thursday Aug. 20 • 5–9 PM • Free admission!

20% Off Suds Francisco Tix: A Funk & Fermentation Festival
8/23 | Salesforce Park | 425 Mission St, SF | 2 p.m. | $59+

Suds Francisco is a new festival celebrating everything the Bay Area ferments—craft beer, cider, wine, kombucha, sake, sourdough, kimchi, etc. Hosted by Barebottle Brewing as part of its 10th Anniversary celebration, the festival takes over Salesforce Park as the grand finale of Rooftop Rhythms Weekend. Whether you're into beer, food, music, or simply looking for one of the most uniquely San Francisco events of the summer, Suds Francisco delivers. Broke-Ass Stuart readers can save 20% on all ticket types by using promo code BROKE. Tickets start at $59.

Zla Vila & Cila Puccadella: Balkan and Italian Folk Night
8/19 | The Lost Church - SF | 988 Columbus Ave, SF | 7:30 p.m. Doors | $22.90

Zla Vila (“Bad Fairy”) plays music that would feel at home in the vampire-infested Hoia-Baciu forest of Transylvania. Lyrics about werewolves and undersea creatures mix with traditional Balkan and Carpathian fiddle music. Heartrending violin, carnivalesque accordion, brilliant melodic trombone, and the inimitable Leo Suarez on the upright bass. Cila Puccadella is the musical project of Elena Ricciardi who was inspired to play songs her ancestors may have listened to. Although a little dusty, these traditional tunes from all corners of the Mediterranean are equally, if not more, entertaining today.

The Take-Off: A Queer Art Showcase
8/29 | The Stud | 1123 Folsom St, SF | 5 p.m. | $5-$40

The Take-Off is a queer art showcase centering visual artists and performers across disciplines, creating space for experimentation, visibility, and collective expression. Rooted in San Francisco’s lineage of radical queer creativity, this event exists to gather us in a time when collectivism matters most. Come as you are. Show up for the art. Show up for each other.

Tuesday 8/18

Will & Willie Show feat. Broke-Ass Stuart
8/18 | Children’s Creativity Museum | 221 4th St, SF | 6 p.m. | $10

Join Willie Brown, Will Durst, and Broke-Ass Stuart for a night of politics, laughs, and straight talk, live in SF.

Michael Che
8/18-8/20 | Cobb’s Comedy Club | 915 Columbus Ave, SF | 8 p.m. | $52.05+

Michael Che can be seen Saturday Night Live as "Weekend Update" Co-Anchor alongside Colin Jost.

Wednesday 8/19

Save Our Sixth Street Rally
8/19 | Sixth Street Self-Help Center | 169 6th St, SF | 11 a.m. | Free

The Sixth Street Self-Help Center is more than a building — it’s a lifeline. A place where our neighbors can find support, connection, dignity, and a community that meets people where they are. Now, that lifeline is at risk.

Franklin Jonas & The Byzantines
8/19 | Brick & Mortar Music Hall | 1710 Mission St, SF | 8 p.m. | $31.89

Franklin Jonas (the youngest of the Jonas brother) is an artist and songwriter from New Jersey, carving his own path with an Americana sound rooted in storytelling, reflection, and renewal.

Thursday 8/20

Masters of the Dim Sum Arts: A Dinner Party
8/20 | Peony Seafood Restaurant | 388 9th St STE 288, Oakland | 7 p.m. | $120-$150+fees

Enjoy a live guzheng performance by Winnie Wong, alongside a 3-course, indulgent tasting menu from the audience-voted Best Dumpling Award won at KQED Live’s 2026 Dumpling and Dim Sum Fest. With tableside insights from dim sum masters, every bite tells a timeless story.

Late Night Editions: Treasures of the Pharaohs
8/20 | de Young Museum | 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr, SF | 6 p.m. | $35, 21+

Step into Treasures of the Pharaohs after hours and experience the splendor of ancient Egypt through 130 exquisite works that reveal the power, beauty, and beliefs of one of history’s most extraordinary civilizations. Sip a specialty cocktail, savor bites from Off the Grid food trucks, and flow with live DJ sets from In Session.

Friday 8/21

Fridays on Front Street: Golden State Valkyries’ Game Night
8/21 | Front St Entertainment Zone | Front St between Sacramento & California St, SF | 4 p.m. | Free w/ RSVP

Catch the Valkyries vs. Chicago Sky live on our outdoor big screen (tip-off at 4:30 PM PT), game-day beats by official WNBA Valkyries DJ, DJ LadyRyan, and post-game performances by Oakland powerhouses AroMa and King Isis.

Zola Jesus
8/21 | The Freight | 2020 Addison St, Berkeley | 8 p.m. | $39

Zola Jesus, aka Nika, is an American born singer, songwriter, and producer. She will be in the textbooks as a genre defining artist of this generation, who served as a template for all of modern goth and by proxy, much of SoundCloud rap, amongst many other things.

Saturday 8/22

Bay Get Ready Mass People's Assembly & Nonviolent Direct-Action Training
8/22 | Mission High School | 3750 18th St, SF | 9 a.m. | Free w/ RSVP

Join hundreds of people from across the Bay Area for the Bay Get Ready Mass People's Assembly, where we'll assess the political landscape, prepare for potential election scenarios, practice democratic decision making, and develop a shared strategy for how we organize between now and November.

Crash an Indian Wedding Party
8/22 | Great American Music Hall | 859 O’Farrell St, SF | 6 p.m. Doors | $33.16

Step into a world of festive flavors, vibrant visuals, interactive experiences, and nonstop dancing as the historic ballroom comes alive with the sounds of Bhangra, Bollywood, and global beats.

Sunday 8/23

Rollin’ with the Homos
8/23 | Township Commons | 200 9th Ave, Oakland | 4 p.m. | $7.50 Venmo Donation

It’s the fourth annual Rollin with the Homos pageant and we're doing our first official pair skate competition. Hosted by Mama Celeste.

6th Annual All-You-Can-Eat Seafood Boil
8/23 | Gumbo Social | 5176 3rd St, SF | 12 p.m. | $29.99-$49.99

Gumbo Social's 6th Annual All-You-Can-Eat Seafood Boil is part of Sunday Streets Bayview, a free community celebration transforming Third Street into a vibrant public gathering space.

Monday 8/24

Glu
8/24 | Brick & Mortar Music Hall | 1710 Mission St, SF | 8 p.m. | $22.94

Seductive, sticky, and meticulously designed, GLU is the new hip-hop anchored solo project hand-built by ‘Queens of the Stone Age’ bassist Michael Shuman.

Tuesday 8/25

Noe Valley Night Market
8/25 | Noe Valley Town Square | 3861 24th St, SF | 4:30 p.m. | Free

We look forward to seeing everyone back in the Noe Valley Town Square for the August Night Market! Come join us for an evening of live music, local food, artists, shopping, and more!

Wednesday 8/26

San Francisco Chronicle presents: San Francisco Time Machine with Peter Hartlaub
8/26 | Gray Area/Grand Theater | 2665 Mission St, SF | 5:30 p.m. | $30.49

Culture critic Peter Hartlaub will get you as close to time travel as possible in a theater seat. You’ll venture back to the 1980s with former Mayor Art Agnos, detour to Muni’s colorful 1970s with Muni staff photographer and archivist Jeremy Menzies, and dive into the best of the Chronicle’s historic archive along the way.

Thursday 8/27

State of Play
8/27-8/30 | ODC Theater | 3153 17th St, SF | 7 p.m. | $80+

State of Play invites you to join the creative process, presenting premieres and works in progress by dance artists from the Bay Area and across the US who push the limits of experimentation, risk, and curiosity.

Castro Magazine Gala
8/27 | Public Works | 161 Erie St, SF | 9 p.m. | $14.52-$31.67

Castro Magazine returns to Public Works for the release of Issue No. 2, bringing together queer art, music, fashion, and nightlife for an unforgettable evening.

Friday 8/28

Shotz: MAXXING
8/28 | Eclectic Box SF | 446 Valencia St, SF | 7 p.m. | Donation ($30 suggested)

ShotzSF is dropping eight world-premiere short works so fresh the ink's still wet on the scripts.

Rhythm & Ruse! Live jazz. Classic burlesque. Vintage glamour with a wink.
8/28 | The Palace Theater | 644 Broadway, SF | 6 p.m. | $43.95+

Rhythm & Ruse is an immersive jazz cabaret experience featuring live music from Hella Fitzgerald and performances by some of the Bay Area and California's most celebrated burlesque artists.

Saturday 8/29

Scumdance Film Festival
8/29 | The Lost Church - San Francisco | 988 Columbus Ave, SF | 2 p.m. | $20.90

Scumdance is a celebration of the weirdest and wildest micro-budget films. A cinematic world dominated by punks, dirtbags, metalheads, wastoids and misfits - all united to unleash their unconventional creations on an unsuspecting audience!

Customers Only - Art Show Upstairs @ Kilowatt
8/29 | Kilowatt | 3160 16th St, SF | 6 p.m. | $20, 21+

Art Show featuring 30+ artists in Kilowatt's upstairs lounge!

Nas and The Roots
8/29 | Shoreline Amphitheatre | 1 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View | 7:30 p.m. | $27.50+

Nas, The Roots, and De la Soul bring their A Great Night in Hip Hop tour to the Bay.

Sunday 8/30

Tom Kenny & the Hi Seas
8/30 | Bottom of the Hill | 1233 17th St, SF | 7 p.m. | $25.31

Tom Kenny (the voice of SpongeBob) & the Hi-Seas headline an unforgettable night of Rock 'n' Soul with support from SF's harmony driver, Michael Michael Motorcycle and nautical garage rock opener, Cape Fury.

Monday 8/31

Mark Hummel's Blues All Stars
8/31 | Yoshi’s Oakland | 510 Embarcadero W, Oakland | 7:30 p.m. | $36.70-$31.10

Mark Hummel’s All-Stars is a high-caliber blues ensemble led by Grammy-nominated harmonica virtuoso Mark Hummel, featuring some of the most respected names in traditional blues.

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