It's hard not to feel festive (and fancy) at the Great Dickens Christmas Fair. (Robin Fadtke)
17 Fun Things to Do This Week (11.18.24)
15h
The Bay Area is entering a festive moment with holiday markets popping up all over. Head to the water for shopping at Embarcadero Center, Fort Mason for West Coast Craft, or to Daly City for a Dickensian spin.
Also celebratory: Bar Sprezzatura’s anniversary buffet, a chocolate salon, and a wreath-making workshop.
Have some truffles with that. Spruce’s annual white truffle dinner is back and loaded with the delicious delicacies from Alba, Italy; Monday at 6pm. // Spruce, 3640 Sacramento St. (Presidio Heights); tickets at eventbrite.com
Get a taste of Hawaii with Sooper Secret Izakaya, a pop-up from James Beard semi-finalist chef Ricky Goings. The tasting menu will include nuoc mam scallops, uni waffle, and a luau stew bao—plus a la carte options will be available from The Felix lounge; Monday at 5:30pm and 7:30pm. // The Felix at Bodega SF, 138 Mason St. (Tenderloin); reservations at opentable.com
Unite with fellow book nerds at a midnight release party for Haruki Murakami's latest novel. Snag one of the first copies of The City and Its Uncertain Walls and mingle over snacks, Japanese tea, games, and giveaways; Monday at 10:30pm. // Green Apple Books, 1231 9th Ave. (Inner Sunset); tickets at greenapplebooks.com
Hear from Matty Matheson, The Bear’s Neil Fak and popular chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author joins Alexis Madrigal in conversation; Wednesday, 7:30pm. // Sydney Goldstein Theater, 275 Hayes St. (Civic Center); tickets at cityarts.net
Catch Zarna Garg and her signature funny takes on motherhood, marriage, and culture; Wednesday at 7pm and 9:30pm. // Bimbo’s 365 Club, 1025 Columbus Ave. (Fisherman's Wharf); tickets at bimbos365club.com
Learn the art of actually fabulous gift wrapping with SF artist and stationer Billy Ola Hutchinson (you may recognize her from her full-time gig at Hayes Valley jewelry shop Metier). You'll pick up tips and techniques, not to mention gorgeously curated papers and supplies, to expertly ace your packages this season; 5pm to 8pm Thursday. // 7x7 Social Club, 524 Washington St. (Jackson Square); tickets at tickettailor.com.
Shop local businesses, set intentions for the next year with tarot card readings, and enjoy festive cocktails and lite bites at Embarcadero Center's Holiday Market. Stick around to see 17,000 holiday lights illuminate the SF skyline and officially kick off the holiday season; Thursday, 4pm to 6pm. // Three Embarcadero Center Urban Patio (Embarcadero); RSVP at eventbrite.com
Thank you to our partners at Embarcadero Center.
Riff through rock history with the works of Chuck Sperry. The legendary artist’s first comprehensive retrospective shows off posters, art prints, and deep cuts from his 40-year career, as well as the debut of new hand-woven tapestries; Thursday through Sunday, noon to 6pm. // Haight Street Art Center, 215 Haight St. (Lower Haight); details at haightstreetart.org
Say happy birthday to Bar Sprezzatura. This second anniversary shindig will include a buffet of cicchetti, pizzas, and pastas—plus a caviar station, drinks, and dancing; Friday, 6pm to 11pm. // Bar Sprezzatura, One Maritime Plaza, #100 (FiDi); tickets at sevenrooms.com
Stroll through the streets of Victorian London at the 40th Annual Great Dickens Christmas Fair. You'll soak up all the old fashioned holiday cheer as you shop, eat, and drink alongside immersive theater and music; Saturdays and Sundays, 10am to 6pm, through December 22. // Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Ave. (Daly City); tickets at dickensfair.com
Send off Day of the Dead at a closing reception with a mariachi concert, food, drinks, and live performances; Saturday, 2pm to 5pm. // Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, 2868 Mission St. (Mission); details at missionculturalcenter.org
Shop the winter edition of West Coast Craft. The famed market brings together more than 275 artists, designers, and makers to help you find that special something for everyone on your list; Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 6pm. // Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture, 2 Marina Blvd. (Marina); details at westcoastcraft.com
Cheer on the Niners from Treasure Island. This epic watch party brings the game to a big outdoor screen and the drinks right to you; Sunday, 11am to 6pm. // Gold Bar Whiskey Distillery Tasting Room, 1 Avenue of the Palms (Treasure Island); tickets at eventbrite.com
Have dessert first at the Fall Holiday Chocolate Salon and Festival. More than 30 chocolatiers, confectioners, and other culinary artisans will share artisan and gourmet to treats to eat and shop; Sunday, 11am to 4:30pm. // San Francisco County Fair Building, 1199 9th Ave. (Golden Gate Park); tickets at eventbrite.com
DIY your holiday decor with a wreath-making class. Make your door the envy of the apartment complex with a hoop of fresh greens and festive embellishments; Sunday, noon to 2pm. // Workshop SF, 1310 Haight St. (Upper Haight); register at workshopsf.org
Match your freak with Tinashe at her stop in SF; Sunday, 8pm. // The Warfield, 982 Market St. (SoMa); tickets at axs.com
Bundle up for dinner and a movie under the redwoods. Transamerica is hosting a pop-up cinema in its iconic grove with popcorn, drinks, and bites from from Café Sebastian; 6pm, Friday and Saturday, November 22-23. // Transamerica Redwood Park, 600 Montgomery St. (Jackson Square); tickets at eventbrite.com
Thank you to our partners at Transamerica Pyramid Center.