Get a little fancy with a slice of Lady M's famous mille crepe cake and drinks in crystal glasses beneath crystal chandeliers when the Baccarat Luxury Cake Truck rolls into San Francisco this week. (Courtesy of @ladymcakes)
This week, celebrate the Warfield’s 100th birthday with Phil Lesh & Friends; get a taste of Paris when the Lady M x Baccarat luxury cake truck comes to town; take a swing at a 2,100-pound, 16th-century Japanese temple bell; indulge in bottomless bubbly at Club Fugazi's last show of the year; and witness the return of San Francisco's NYE fireworks spectacular over the bay.
Happy New Year!
A week-long Kwanzaa celebration brings seven days of community events to venues across San Francisco and Oakland. Each of the seven principles of Kwanzaa (the Nguzo Saba) will be acknowledged via 16 free family-friendly events from Monday, December 26th through January 1st. Expect live music, performances, ceremonies, workshops, and more. // Schedule and additional details at thevillageprojectsf.org
Feast on butternut squash rings and pizza frittata at Acre Kitchen & Bar, the new Cal-Med restaurant in the former home of Oliveto in Rockridge. The completely renovated, two-story restaurant includes formal dining upstairs (dinner nightly) and a casual downstairs café (11am to 9pm, Sunday through Thursday). // Acre Kitchen & Bar, 5655 College Ave. (Oakland); reservations at acrekitchenandbar.com
Celebrate the Warfield’s 100th birthday with Phil Lesh & Friends. For two nights, the Bay Area icon and Grateful Dead founding member, will keep things rockin’ with Rick Mitarotonda, Grahame Lesh, Jennifer Hartswick, James Casey, Natalie Cressman, Holly Bowling, and John Molo; Tuesday and Wednesday at 8pm. // The Warfield, 982 Market St. (Tenderloin); tickets at axs.com
Start your day with a breakfast sandwich from Ok’s Deli. Choose between a classic bacon and egg, a “breakfast burrito sandwich,” and a Spam and Korean-style egg sandwich; Tuesday and Wednesday from 7am to 11am. // Ok’s Deli, 3932 Telegraph Ave. (Oakland); details at oksdeli.com
Get a little fancy when the Lady M Baccarat Luxury Cake Truck comes to town. Lady M is known as the creator of the world-famous mille crêpes, a show-stopping cake with 20 alternating layers of soft cream and lacy French crêpes. Try a slice beneath Baccarat crystal chandeliers at two locations this week; 10am to 4pm Wednesday at Heart of the City Farmers Market, 1 United Nations Plaza (Civic Center) and 6pm to 10pm Friday at 701 Valencia St. (Mission). // Details at ladym.com.
Jam with Questlove and Black Thought when the Roots play The Masonic. The beloved hip-hop group—now commonly known for their tenure as the in-house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon—will play through their hits; Thursday at 8pm. // The Masonic, 1111 California St. (Nob Hill); tickets at livenation.com
Headed to the mountains? Don’t forget to pack your neon and retro ski gear for Palisades Tahoe’s Retro Aprés Ski Party; Thursday, 3pm to 6pm. // Plaza Bar in the Olympic House, Palisades Tahoe (North Lake Tahoe); details at palisadestahoe.com
Release the stresses of 2022 at Fresh Start, a multi-day nonstop party. Sofi Tukker, Yung Bae, Zhu, and Madeon are just a few of the big names expected to take the stage over the weekend; 8pm to 2am Friday, 2:30pm to 3am Saturday, and 1pm to midnight Sunday. // The Midway, 900 Marin St. (Bayview); tickets ($30-$165) at freshstartsf.co
Dance until you can’t anymore with deep beats provided by Dirtybird’s Claude VonStroke. The house DJ kicks off NYE weekend with a late-night set; Friday, 10pm to 3am. // 1015 Folsom (SoMa); tickets at seetickets.us
Take a swing at a 2,100-pound, 16th-century Japanese temple bell to ring in the new year, literally. At the 37th Annual Japanese New Year’s Bell-Ringing Ceremony, the bell will be struck 108 times to usher in the New Year and curb the 108 mortal desires that, according to Buddhist belief, torment humankind. Fold paper cranes for luck and prosperity in the new year while you wait your turn; Saturday at 11:30am. // Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St. (Civic Center); tickets at asianart.org
End the year with a high-flying circus tribute to San Francisco. Club Fugazi’s Dear San Francisco will host two New Year’s Eve shows; the late performance will include bottomless prosecco and a midnight celebration; Saturday at 6pm and 10pm. // Club Fugazi, 678 Green St. (Russian Hill); tickets at clubfugazisf.com.
Secure a front-row seat for San Francisco’s NYE fireworks show over the Bay while enjoying decadent prix-fixe menus at Embarcadero sister restaurants Epic Steak and Waterbar. Both are hosting special seatings with party favors, hats, and a midnight Champagne toast; Saturday. // Click here for reservations at Epic Steak and here for Waterbar.
All are invited to experience the culture of Kwanzaa at Thrive City’s Winter Wonderland Kwanzaa and Noon Year’s Eve event. In addition to live music, there will be arts and craft stations, treats, and a countdown drop at 11:50am; Saturday at 10am. // Chase Center, 1 Warriors Way (Mission Bay); RSVP at chasecenter.com
Drink Veuve in abundance at the RendezVeuve NYE celebration. Expect two dance floors, party favors, drink specials, and a midnight balloon drop; Saturday, 8pm to 2am. // Barbarossa Lounge, 714 Montgomery St. (Jackson Square); tickets at eventbrite.com
Be in the heart of the action at 1 Hotel San Francisco’s New Year’s Eve extravaganza. You’ll have a front-row seat to the fireworks on the Embarcadero and live music by Jazz Mafia. Plus, a welcome drink, small bites, and a Champagne toast at midnight in partnership with Moët & Chandon; Saturday, 9pm to 1:30am. // 1 Hotel San Francisco 8 Mission St. (Embarcadero); tickets at eventbrite.com
If you’re willing to spend some extra $ to avoid all of the city’s NYE traffic and mayhem, consider Carneros Resort and Spa’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration. Welcome in 2023 with decadent chef stations, an open bar, bottomless bubbly, and dancing. No need to worry about having a DD—tickets are included when you book an overnight stay in one of the resort’s private cottages; Saturday, 8pm to 1am. // Carneros Resort and Spa, 4048 Sonoma Hwy. (Napa); tickets at shopcarnerosresort.com
Looking for more New Year’s Eve events? We’ve rounded up 19 fabulous ways to toast to 2023 in San Francisco. // 7x7.com
Start 2023 off on the right foot with It's A New Day and Breakfast of Champions all-day block party. Expect more than 100 DJs spread across 10 stages; Sunday, 4pm to 9pm. // The Great Northern 119 Utah St. (Mission); tickets at eventbrite.com
Build your own bloody mary with a special New Year's Day Sunday brunch at Jaranita. Start with a salt or tajin-rimmed glass of vodka and ice, add your mixer of choice, spice things to your liking, then garnish away with an insane selection of accouterments including fresh and pickled veg, assorted cheeses, grilled peppers, shrimp, and more; Sunday, 11:30am to 3pm. // Jaranita, 3340 Steiner St. (Marina); reservations at jaranitasf.com
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