Time is of the essence this week. Magnolias are in peak bloom at San Francisco Botanical Garden and it's prime viewing season for the firefall in Yosemite National Park.
Plus, 2.22.22 gives us reason to hit the town on a Tuesday night, a Queen-inspired dance party provides another excuse to play dress-up (as if we needed one), the Black Joy Parade and festival brings a much-needed celebration to Oakland, and so much more.
Have a good one!
Experience peak bloom of one of the most impressive magnolia collections in the United States. For a limited time—the SF Botanical Garden is predicting only a few more weeks—admire the sights and scents of more than 200 magnolia trees. Use the “Magnificent Magnolias” map to explore the grounds and learn more about the collection; open daily. // San Francisco Botanical Garden, 1199 9th Ave. (Golden Gate Park); tickets at sfbg.org.
Watch nature show off at Yosemite's firefall. Every year from mid-to-late February, the setting sun hits Yosemite’s Horsetail Fall on the side of El Capitan at just the right angle, creating the illusion that the waterfall is on fire. The phenomenon, which is known as the firefall, is estimated to happen between February 10th and 28th, according to the National Park Service, with prime viewing expected this week. // Plan your trip at nps.gov.
Noise Pop Festival descends upon the Bay this week with happy hours, live music, film premieres, and general revelry. Highlights include Jeff Tweedy at The Fillmore, The Drums performing Portamento at August Hall, King Woman at DNA Lounge, Topaz Jones at The New Parish, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure with live music, and headliner Azealia Banks at The Warfield; Monday to Sunday. // Details at noisepopfest.com.
Fog City Flea goes big time, full-time. The Ferry Building’s popular Sunday market is now a brick-and-mortar store! You’ll now be able to shop over 5,000 square feet of unique goods including handmade jewelry, fine houseware, and quality apparel upstairs in the Grand Hall; open daily, 10am to 5pm. // Fog City Flea Trading Post, 1 Ferry Building (Embarcadero); details on Instagram @fogcityflea.
Celebrate Twosday (2.22.22) with the ultimate tutu Tuesday Mission bar crawl and silent disco. On this very rare perfect palindrome day, don your best tutu and meet at Dolores Park before making your way through the Mission and, ultimately, to the silent disco dance party at Chan Kaajal Park; Tuesday, 6pm ‘til late. // Mission; details on facebook.com
Looking for a Twosday party in the East Bay? Head to Downtown Oakland for the 222 party featuring $2 entry, $2 shots, $2 tacos…you get the idea; Tuesday, 9pm ‘til late. // The Art Gallery, 310 14th St. (Oakland); details on facebook.com.
‘Shrooms on your mind? Learn to grow your own at this mushroom cultivation workshop for beginners. Decriminalized in Oakland, psychedelic mushrooms have become popular for their therapeutic qualities. Learn the basics of growing both gourmet and medicinal mushrooms, and leave with a mushroom grow kit; Wednesday, 6:30pm to 9:30pm. // Soltree Alchemy, 3047 Martin Luther King Jr. Way (Oakland); tickets at eventbrite.com
Raise a glass to hump day and the reopening of Fort Point Beer Company’s flagship beer hall. After a lengthy closure, the brewery is once again slinging pints of KSA, plus yummy treats like crab deviled eggs and pork chop sandos; open Wednesday to Sunday. // Fort Point Beer Co., 742 Valencia St. (Mission); details at fortpointbeer.com
Three-time Grammy winner, country music hitmaker, and daughter of Johnny Cash takes the stage at SFJAZZ with her husband and musical collaborator, John Leventhal. Rosanne Cash will perform music from throughout her career, including songs from her latest Blue Note release, She Remembers Everything; Thursday through Sunday, 7:30pm. // SFJAZZ, 201 Franklin St. (Hayes Valley); tickets at sfjazz.org.
Discover thousands of orchids on display and for sale at the 69th Annual Pacific Orchid Exposition. Hands-on demonstrations will be conducted by experts with information about successfully growing and blooming orchids at home. For those looking to get their hands on the best of the best, there will be an intimate preview night where you can shop from orchid vendors before the general public; Thursday through Sunday. // County Fair Building, 1199 Ninth Ave. (Golden Gate Park); tickets at eventbrite.com.
Satisfy your appetite for culture by learning how to make siu mai shaped like roses at the Asian Art Museum. Food stylist and blogger Kristina Cho will demonstrate her technique for making the special pork and shrimp dumplings so you can make them at home. After the demonstration, Cho will sign copies of her cookbook “Mooncakes & Milk Bread,” which includes the recipe for these dumplings and so much more; Thursday at 6:30pm. // Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St. (Civic Center); tickets at asianart.org.
Don't miss your last chance to see Amoako Boafo's Soul of Black Folks at MoAD. This premier museum solo exhibition for the Ghanaian artist features more than 20 works that showcase Boafo’s efforts to capture the essence of the Black figure, including Black subjectivity, Black joy, and the Black gaze; on display through February 27. // The Museum of African Diaspora, 685 Mission St. (SoMa); tickets at moadsf.org.
West Coast = best coast. Especially when it comes to our musical exports. The West Coast Legends of Hip Hop tour featuring Too Short, Warren G, DJ Quik, Digital Underground, and Luniz takes over the Paramount Theatre on Friday. // Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway (Oakland); tickets at paramountoakland.org.
Live your Killer Queen best life at this colossal dance party celebrating Queen and all the rock and disco anthems of the '70s and '80s. Come dressed in your best Bowie/Freddie glam look—jumpsuits, bell bottoms, and shiny clothing encouraged; Saturday, 9pm to 2:30am. // DNA Lounge, 375 11th St. (SoMa); tickets at dnalounge.com.
Celebrate 15 years of NSFW storytelling at Bawdy Storytelling's anniversary extravaganza. Hosted by sexual folklorist Dixie De La Tour, expect to hear infamously true tales of lust, love, gender redefinition, sexual identity, life-changing hook-ups, educational one-night stands, and everything in between; Saturday, 7pm to 9:30pm. // Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa St. (Mission); tickets at eventbrite.com.
Come together for the Black Joy Parade and festival—the largest free family-friendly event of its kind in California. The hyper-positive celebration of the Black experience and the Black community's contribution to history and culture kicks things off with Black Joy Brunches at Oakland's best Black-owned restaurants; Sunday at 12:30pm. // 14th and Broadway (Oakland); details at blackjoyparade.org.
End the weekend with some sun salutations and a cold pint of Almanac Beer. On the fourth Sunday of every month, Almanac Beer Co. hosts all-levels yoga outdoors at their Alameda taproom; Sunday at 10am. // Almanac Beer Co., 651 West Tower Ave. (Alameda); tickets at eventbrite.com.
Shop for unique treasures at the Little Shoppe of Horrors pop-up. Curated by the rare, strange, and unusual plant procurers at Magpie & Thorn, this open-air market will feature tarot readings, MadMaggie's Crafts and Curiosities, Haunted Manor Boutique, Gashly Tentacles, Eternal Craft Designs, Sixth Sense Soy Candles, and more; Sunday, 12pm to 5pm. // Magpie & Thorn, 2305 Santa Clara Ave. (Alameda); details at eventbrite.com.
