Rub elbows with all kinds of curious characters at this weekend's Edwardian Ball in San Francisco.
Plus, the 25th Annual SF Independent Film Festival is coming to a theater (and living room) near you. Discover something extraordinary at the Rare Books fair. And, don your best orange and black for Giants Fan Fest, plus much more.
Have a good one.
Learn all about the art of cicchetti Venetian chef Matteo Pinto (All’Arco) pops up at Bar Sprezzatura. The chic Italian bar and restaurant will be serving up a special menu of small plates; Monday through February 3, 11am to 9pm. // Bar Sprezzatura, 300 Clay St. (Financial District); reservations at barsprezzatura.com
Get inspired to add stretching to your daily routine after witnessing amazing feats by The Peking Acrobats. Traditional Chinese music will accompany circus tricks and daring maneuvers; Monday at 6:30pm. // Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Spring Rd. (Santa Rosa); tickets at lutherburbankcenter.org
Get in, loser, we're going to see Mean Girls the musical.Yep, Regina George and the Plastics are hitting the stage for a musical edition of the ever-quotable early 2000s film; Tuesday through February 26th. // Golden Gate Theatre, 1 Taylor St. (Civic Center); tickets at goldengatetheatresf.com
Work on your Burn Book over cocktails: Two SF bars are serving up Mean Girls–themed drinks. Pre- or post-show, head to The Madrigal for a Regina George (vodka, prickly pear, and edible glitter served in a pink glass) or La Bande for a Fetch 75 (a French 75 with sparkling rosé); Tuesday through February 26. // Reservations for The Madrigal, 100 Van Ness Ave. (Civic Center) at themadrigalsf.com and La Bande, 1100 Market St. (Civic Center) at properhotel.com
Find yourself a little wiser and a little wittier after hearing author and comedian Fran Lebowitz in conversation with Manny Yekutiel (of the Mission’s Manny’s); Wednesday at 7:30pm. // Sydney Goldstein Theater, 275 Hayes St. (Hayes Valley); tickets at cityarts.net
Watch from a theater or your living room: The 25th Annual SF Independent Film Festival returns with a mix of in-person and virtual viewing options. This year's lineup includes 95 new independent films from around the world and the Bay; Thursday through February 12th. // Roxie Theater, 3117 16th St. (Mission); tickets at sfindie.com
SF Indie Fest kicks off with an opening night party featuring an art show by the fest’s poster artist, Alberto Ybarra. Plus, brews from Lagunitas and Athletic Brewing, music by The Barbary Ghost, and more. The event is free and open to all over 21 (donations are appreciated); Thursday, 8pm to 11pm. // 518 Valencia St. (Mission); details at sfindiefest2023.eventive.org
Shake your bustles—The Edwardian Ball is back for two whimsical days of costumery, carnival, music, acrobatics, ballroom dancing, and fashion. Attendees can explore the Museum of Wonders’ fine art installations, stage shows, curiosities, and a bazaar featuring art and wares from more than 50 vendors; Friday and Saturday. // The Regency Ballroom, 1300 Van Ness Ave. (TenderNob); tickets at edwardianball.com
Get your hands on the finest antiquarian books, ephemera, and maps from dealers from all over the world at the Rare Books fair, inside the recently restored Hibernia bank building. A special opening night party on Friday, February 3rd will benefit The Book Club of California, Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, the Codex Foundation, and the Society of California Pioneers; 4pm to 7pm Friday, 10am to 6pm Saturday, and 11am to 4pm Sunday. // The Hibernia, 1 Jones St. (Civic Center); get 50 percent off tickets with the code 7x7 at eventbrite.com.
Thank you to our partners at Rare Books San Francisco.
Hope for the sun to shine on Oakland's First Friday (the first one this year was rained out). This month's theme is Black Love and will highlight Black artists, entertainment, authors, and vendors; Friday, 5pm to 9pm. // West Grand Ave. & Telegraph Ave. (Oakland); details at oaklandfirstfridays.org
Have a roaring good time at the return of Chinatown's Chinese New Year Parade—the largest celebration of Asian culture outside of Asia. Considered one of the best night parades in the world, the procession will include fabulous floats, ferocious lions, and firecrackers; Saturday at 5:15pm. // 2nd St & Market to Kearny & Columbus; details at chineseparade.com
Find strength in community at a Lunar New Year x Black History Month Celebration. The Oakland Asian Cultural Center, in collaboration with the Malonga Arts Residence Association, has pulled together a day spotlighting performers that celebrate arts and culture in Oakland, vendors and community resources, a literature fair, and more; Saturday, 11am to 4pm. // Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. (Oakland); details at oacc.cc
Break out your orange and black for Giants Fan Fest. Get up close and personal with your favorite players and coaches, sit in on live interviews, access the field and tour the clubhouse, purchase game tickets without fees, and more at the free festival; Saturday, 10am to 3pm. // Oracle Park, 24 Willie Mays Plaza (SoMa); details at mlb.com
Pick up a new cooking skill and an autograph from author Kristina Cho, at a signing for her book Mooncakes & Milk Bread; Saturday at noon. // Book Passage at the Ferry Building (Embarcadero); details at bookpassage.com
Enjoy traditional music and dancing, a native market, and food at the 12th Annual Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirit Powwow Festival; Saturday, 10am to 6pm. // Fort Mason Festival Pavilion, 2 Marina Blvd. (Marina); details at baaits.org
Make a plan to tackle SF Beer Week before tickets sell out. Festivities kick off with events around the Bay Area on February 10th. Then, look out for a Super Bowl watch party at Barebottle (Sunday, February 12th); beer and cheese pairing at Drake's (Wednesday, February 15); and Fort Point Brew Co's beloved Dim Sum Beer Brunch at Hong Kong Lounge (Saturday, February 18). // Find a full schedule of SF Beer Week events at sfbeerweek.org.
