Make the most of the long weekend by stacking your week with these fun things. We can smell the barbecue and sunscreen already.
This week, experience an outdoor concert at the San Francisco Botanical Gardens, Cal Academy's mega-sized dinosaur exhibit at Jurassic Nightlife, a Little Mermaid themed dining pop-up, BottleRock and Cali Roots music festivals, the largest Asia-inspired night market in the U.S., Carnaval San Francisco, and so much more.
Have a good one!
Celebrate the life of drag legend Heklina with a very special memorial extravaganza. Castro Street will be closed between Market and 18th and the indoor memorial will be live-streamed for the public on screens in front of the theater; Tuesday at 8pm. // Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St. (Castro); details at gofundme.com
BYOM—bring your own mat—for free yoga led by Purusha Yoga; Tuesday, 11am to 12pm. // Esplanade, Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission St. between 3rd & 4th St. (SoMa); RSVP at ybgfestival.org
Treat yourself to a special collaboration dinner between Michelin-starred Saison and chef Johnny Spero of Washington DC’s Reverie. Experience the transportive dining experience for three nights only; Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. // Saison, 178 Townsend St. (SoMa); tickets at tock.com
Try your hand at live figure drawing. Bring your own materials and cash to tip the models; Tuesdays, 6:30pm to 8:30pm. // Madrone Art Bar, 500 Divisadero St. (Fillmore); details at facebook.com
Transport yourself to Ariel’s grotto at a special Little Mermaid–themed dinner to celebrate the upcoming film release. Chefs Nelson German (Top Chef) and Mary Lou Davis (Hell’s Kitchen) will collaborate on a five-course meal inspired by scenes and characters from the Disney classic; Tuesday, 6pm to 9pm. // AlaMar Kitchen & Bar, 100 Grand Ave. (Oakland); tickets at eventbrite.com
Enjoy classical music in nature at In a Landscape, an outdoor concert series where America's most stunning landscapes replace the traditional concert hall. You can roam around and explore spring blooms as live piano music is transmitted to you via wireless headphones; Wednesday and Thursday at 5:30pm. // San Francisco Botanical Gardens, 1199 9th Ave. (Golden Gate Park); tickets at sfbg.org
Play blackout bingo while raising money for SF LGBT Center. There will be 10 rounds of bingo with tons of prizes up for grabs; Wednesday, 6pm to 9pm. // Madrone Art Bar, 500 Divisadero St. (Fillmore); details at instagram.com
Head to Foreign Cinema for a majestic Moroccan night to benefit 826 Valencia and Eat Real. The fundraising event will include exotic food, drinks, live music, acrobats, and other exciting performances; Thursday, 5:30pm to 10:30pm. // Foreign Cinema, 2534 Mission St. (Mission); tickets at eventbrite.com
Be one of the first to see Cal Academy’s new, mega-sized dinosaur exhibit at Jurassic Nightlife. Go big or go home with after-hours activities including paleo art, dinosaur trivia, dino-mite live music, a pre-historic pop-up, and more; Thursday at 6pm. // California Academy of Sciences (Golden Gate Park); tickets at calacademy.org
Rasta on at the Bay Area's largest reggae party, California Roots Music and Art Festival. Expect local food and beverage vendors, art exhibits, interactive workshops, intimate pop-up performances, on-site greening initiatives, and more. Headlining acts include Rebelution, Wu-Tang Clan, Stick Figure, Dirty Heads, Sublime, and more; Thursday to Sunday. // Monterey County Fair and Event Center (Monterey); tickets at californiarootsfestival.com
BottleRock weekend kicks off in the East Bay with an after-dark show from Phantogram; Thursday, 8pm. // The UC Theatre, 2036 University Ave. (Berkeley); tickets at theuctheatre.org
Set your alarm to secure free tickets to see Indigo Girls and Neko Case on June 25th. Tickets go live this Tuesday at 2pm. Reservations are required for all shows this year and they go fast. Good luck! // Sigmund Stern Grove (Parkside); reservations at sterngrove.org
Celebrate the 125th issue of SFs award-winning literacy magazine Zyzzyva with an evening of lively readings; Thursday at 7pm. // Booksmith, 1727 Haight St. (Upper Haight); RSVP at booksmith.com
Get ready for world-class food, wine, and live music: BottleRock takes over Napa this weekend. Headliners include Lizzo, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Post Malone, The Smashing Pumpkins, Duran Duran, and Lil Nas X, plus celebrity chefs and spa services; Friday through Sunday. // Napa Valley Expo, 575 3rd St. (Napa); tickets at bottlerocknapavalley.com
Explore the largest night market in the Bay Area. Inspired by the famous open-air nighttime bazaars of Asia, the roving event returns this weekend with food, drink, live entertainment, and carnival games; Friday, 3pm to 11pm and Saturday to Sunday, 1pm to 11pm. // Alameda County Fairgrounds, 2005 Valley Ave. (Pleasanton); tickets at 626nightmarket.com
Head to the Fort Point Beer Garden for Ferry Flicks. At sundown on Fridays in May, you can catch an outdoor screening of a classic, SF-based film. This week: Sister Act. Tickets include picnic table seating and snacks. Plus, enjoy $5 draft pours before the show (5pm to 8pm); Friday at 7:30pm. // Fort Point Ferry Building (Embarcadero); tickets at eventbrite.com
Jazz up your weekend with a Sofar Sounds show. Sign up for the event at a secret outdoor location in SoMa and get ready to see two or three sets by artists across musical genres; Friday at 6:30pm. // Secret location (SoMa); tickets at sofarsounds.com
Fashion meets philanthropy at Project Nunway 11, hosted by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. This year's fashion extravaganza is themed "Sanctuary," inviting designers to explore the concept of safety, refuge, and healing through their runway looks. Each designer gets paired up with a Sister, who will walk the runway wearing their fabulous creations; Friday at 7pm. // St. Joseph’s Arts Society, 1401 Howard St. (SoMa); tickets at eventbrite.com
BottleRock all day, then party into the evening with late-night beats and Mexican food poolside at Solage Calistoga. This after-party is open to hotel guests and non-guests alike (with a shuttle returning from the fest) and will feature mezcal and tequila-inspired cocktails, dishes from Picobar, and DJ beats by the pool and fire pits; Saturday, 10pm to midnight. // Solage, Auberge Resort, 755 Silverado Trail (Calistoga); tickets at aubergeresorts.com
Explore the work of Point Reyes artists during Memorial Day weekend open studios. See the work of master ceramicists, photographers, sculptors, painters, printmakers, fiber artists, and more during this twice yearly event; Saturday to Monday, 11am to 5pm. // Point Reyes Station, map and details at pointreyesart.com
Illenium is back in the Bay Area for three nights next month. Catch him at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium for a throwback set on June 1st before he plays two sold-out shows at Chase Center. // Tickets are available at ticketmaster.com.
Thank you to our partners at Another Planet Entertainment.
Gather your tribe for the Toasted Life Memorial Day Weekend Block Party. There will be DJs spinning all day long plus food and drink available to keep you fueled; Saturday, 2:30pm to 8pm. // 341 13th St. (Oakland); tickets at eventbrite.com
Get loud at Carnaval, the two-day festival and grand parade featuring international music, dance, arts and crafts, and cuisine. Spanning 17 blocks, the festival will have multiple stages featuring more than 60 live performances, plus a vivacious parade; Saturday and Sunday, 9:30 am to 2:30pm. // Calle 24 Latino Cultural District (Mission); details at carnavalsanfrancisco.org
Taste Napa Valley wines directly from the barrel while raising money for regional youth. This year’s Napa Valley Barrel Auction will feature a marketplace filled with top local restaurants and wineries plus tastes of more than 70 wines direct from the barrel; noon to 3pm Friday, June 2nd. // Louis M. Martini Winery, 254 St. Helena Hwy S. (St Helena); tickets are available at collectivenapavalley.org.
Thank you to our partners at Napa Vintners.