This week, there’s a lot to celebrate.
Beyond Bay-spanning Juneteenth celebrations and Pride parties, fill your calendar with the Black Food & Wine Experience, California State Parks Week, Diana Ross at Mountain Winery, the Alameda County Fair, Mendocino's Urchin Festival, John Legend at the Greek, the 67th Annual North Beach Festival, and a helluva lot more.
Plus, Happy Father's Day. Have a good one!
Jazz up your week at the 40th Annual San Francisco Jazz Festival. Expect 12 days of 42 concerts at various venues in Hayes Valley. Program highlights include Jacob Collier, Samara Joy, Al Di Meola, Cindy Blackman, and John Medeski and Vernon Reid performing a Tony Williams Tribute; through June 18th. // Tickets at sfjazz.org
Join "KQED Check, Please!" host Leslie Sbrocco for the annual Taste & Sip food extravaganza. Sample bites from more than 50 Bay Area restaurants featured on the show plus wines from Sbrocco's favorite local wineries; Monday at 7pm. // San Francisco Design Center Galleria, 101 Henry Adams St. (SoMa); tickets at kqed.org
That cheeseburger isn't the only good reason to visit Causwells. Go for the launch of new cocktail and food menus, plus lunch and brunch six days a week; open Tuesday through Sunday. // Causwells, 2346 Chestnut St. (Marina); reservations at causwells.com
Croon along with Elvis Costello & The Imposters, along with special guest Charlie Sexton, on the "We're All Going on a Summer Holiday" tour; Tuesday at 7:30pm. // Golden Gate Theatre, 1 Taylor St. (Tenderloin); tickets at broadwaysf.com
The 6th Annual Black Food & Wine Experience is back to shine a light on Black professionals in the industry. This week, the multi-day program features a grand tasting of eats and drinks spanning the African Diaspora, networking with industry veterans and up-and-comers, and more; Tuesday to Saturday. // Oakland and San Francisco; get tickets at eventbrite.com
Take advantage of longer days at Taste of Mountain View, a foodie event where local restaurants and businesses will be offering bites paired with refreshing wines. Plus, live music in front of City Hall; Wednesday, 4pm at 8pm. // Downtown Mountain View, 563 Castro St. (Mountain View); tickets at eventbrite.com
Remind yourself of why California is one of the most special places on earth during California State Parks Week. From epic beach days to the magic of ancient redwood forests, there is so much to see, do, and experience in the Golden State's incredible 280 state parks. All week long, find special programming including guided hikes, beach cleanups, birding tours, community barbecues, exploration, and so much more; Wednesday to Sunday. // Details at castateparksweek.org
Queer it up a preview of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus new concert, Hello Yellow Brick Road,which highlights music from Elton John, The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz, and Wicked. Grab a Euphoria cocktail during the show (and the whole month of June) and The Ritz-Carlton will donate $1 from every drink to SFGMC; Thursday at 5pm. // The Ritz-Carlton, 600 Stockton St. (Nob Hill); details on instagram.com
Ain't no mountain high enough for the greatDiana Ross, but Mountain Winery will have do this week. Catch the diva's "Music Legacy Tour" at the beloved outdoor venue; Thursday at 7:30pm. // Mountain Winery, 14831 Pierce Rd. (Saratoga); tickets at ticketmaster.com
Mix, mingle, and make things at ArtSpan’s June mixer. You can try your hand at pulling your very own poster print; Thursday, 6pm to 8pm. // San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island St. (Potrero Hill); RSVP at eventbrite.com
Chow down at the King of the County BBQ Challenge & Music Festival this Father’s Day weekend. More than 30 backyard barbecue teams will battle it out for the coveted title of “King of the County” while live music, carnival rides, and other fair-like activities keep the family entertained; 5pm to 9pm Friday, 11am to 7pm Saturday, and 11am to 6pm Sunday. // Waterfront Park, 245 N Court St. (Martinez); tickets at countybbq.com
Get your funnel cake fix at Alameda County Fair. Opening day starts with a bang—literally, with fireworks. Plus get it on pig racing, carnival rides, artery-clogging food, and more; Friday, noon to 11pm. // Alameda County Fairground, 4501 Pleasanton Ave. (Pleasanton); details at annual.alamedacountyfair.com
Throw on your boots and get rowdy at the Country Summer Music Festival. The three-day fest brings together headliners Eric Church, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Brothers Osborne; Friday through Sunday. // Sonoma County Event Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Rd. (Santa Rosa); single-day and weekend passes available at countrysummer.com
Spend your weekend becoming a master baker at 18 Reasons' croissants, danishes, and kougin-amann workshop. The intimate, two-day course will teach you how to make buttery and flaky pastries to rival your local bakeries. You’ll also get to enjoy a light meal with wine and beer each day; 6pm to 9:30pm Friday and 4pm to 8pm . // 18 Reasons, 3674 18th St. (Mission); tickets at 18reasons.org
Get served what you deserve at Karen’s Diner. The touring dining pop-up is bringing sass and terrible service to San Francisco this week. Whether you want to break the first date ice or test your partners patience, you’ll “enjoy” diner-style grub with one-star service; Friday to June 25th. // Towns End Diner, 2 Townsend St. (SoMa); tickets atexplorehidden.com
Delight in all things purple sea urchin this weekend in Mendo. The Mendocino Urchin Festival celebrates the delicacy and its intertwined ocean existence with a host of events in coastal Fort Bragg including an uni luncheon prepared by a Michelin two star chef, a sake and urchin seminar, demonstrations on harvesting and cleaning fresh purple urchin, and more; Friday through Sunday. // Details at urchinfest.com.
Lick on spiked snow cones at the Queens at Terrene Pride Celebration, an alfresco day party complete with handcrafted cocktails from Hanson of Sonoma Organic Vodka, brunch bites, DJ beats, and lively performances by drag queens and kings; Saturday, 11:30am to 2pm. // Terrene Patio, 8 Mission St. (Embarcadero); tickets at 1hotels.com
Juneteenth celebrations take over the Bay this weekend. In San Francisco, head to MoAD for free admission plus music and special activationson Saturday (11am to 6pm). Keep the party going in the Fillmore with carnival rides, hair and fashion shows, and live music at theSF Freedom Celebration and Carnival (11am to 6pm, Saturday). Oakland goes all out for the 14th Annual Fam Bam Juneteenth event on (noon to 8pm, Saturday) and the Berkeley Juneteenth Festival will feature performances and kids activities (11am to 7pm, Sunday). North Bay folks can catch the 53rd Annual MLK Community Festival (10am to 6pm, Saturday) or the Vallejo Juneteenth Celebration (11am to 5pm, Saturday).
Join Kokak Chocolates for a sweet AAPI drag brunch experience. A prix-fixe menu will feature Filipino-inspired delights made by chocolatier Carol Gancia, paired with live performances and a whole lot of sass hosted by Mx Kiki Krunch; Saturday, 10:30am to noon. // Kokak Chocolates, 3901 18th St. (Castro); tickets at kokakchocolates.com
Get in your feels with John Legend in Berkeley; Saturday at 8pm. // The Greek Theatre, 2001 Gayley Rd. (Berkeley); tickets at thegreekberkeley.com
The East Bay's favorite queer dance party gets even more special this month. Brought to you by House of Our Queer and Trans Advocacy & Care Team, this community gathering is all about dancing, laughing, and supporting QTBIPOC vendors. Have your future told with tarot cards, enjoy live performances, and more; Saturday, 4pm to 10pm. // Temescal Brewing, 4115 Telegraph Ave. (Oakland); tickets at eventbrite.com
Head to Alameda’s charming downtown for the annual Rock & Roll Beer Stroll. Tickets include a collectible tasting glass, premium beer tastings, yummy bites at select locations, and entertainment; Saturday, 1pm to 5pm. // Downtown Alameda, 2324 Alameda Ave. (Alameda); tickets at eventbrite.com
As part of the 2023 National Queer Arts Festival, Mighty Real: A Sketch Variety Show is back with an all-female cast performing never-before-seen sketches along with memorable favorites from their sold-out 2022 production. In true variety show form, the cast will tackle comedy, spoken word, song, and dance; Saturday, 7pm to 10pm. // SOMArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan St. (SoMa); tickets at eventbrite.com
Carbo-load at the 67th Annual North Beach Festival. Considered to be one of the country's first free street fairs, you can expect everything from Italian street painting and live music to Club Fugazi acrobats and Nonna-approved eats and vendors; Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 6pm. // Columbus & Grant Ave. (North Beach); details at northbeachfestival.org.
Join acclaimed soul food chef Tanya Holland for a one-night-only collective dinner in honor of Juneteenth. The menu is inspired by the Texas classic meat and three, with beer provided by East Brother Beer Company; Sunday at 4:30pm. // The Gardens at CIA at Copia, 500 1st St. (Napa); tickets at eventbrite.com
Sip wines from more than 20 LGBTQIA+ producers and distributors at Cheers to Queers. Dress to impress! There will be a fashion show, after-party, and bites from Valley Bar and Bottle; Sunday, 6pm to 11pm. // Kinfolx, 1951 Telegraph Ave. (Oakland); tickets at eventbrite.com
Honor the life of Heklina at Daytime Realness' Pride kickoff. As always, you can expect up-and-coming drag performances, dancing, and debauchery; Sunday, 2pm to 8pm. // El Rio, 3158 Mission St. (Mission); tickets at eventbrite.com
Do something good for the soul and see St. Paul & The Broken Bones. The eight-piece Alabama-based soul band will perform as part of Blue Note Napa's Summer Sessions; Sunday at 7pm. // The Meritage Resort, 850 Bordeaux Way (Napa); tickets at bluenotejazz.com
Spring into summer at California Academy of Sciences' new all-ages evening event to celebrate the season. Delight in a bouquet of activities including storytelling and song from the Ohlone tribe, magic shows, science presentations, face painting, cookie decorating, and more. Experience the museum after hours with hands-on themed activities and all the iconic exhibits open late; 6:30pm to 9:30pm, Tuesday June 20th. // Get tickets at calacademy.org.
Thank you to our partners at California Academy of Sciences.
Plan ahead for Livermore Valley's premier food and wine affair this fall. Over four delectable days, experience exclusive wine tastings and the competition Taste Our Terroir; plus, indulge in intimate winemaker dinners, cooking demonstrations, vineyard tours, and more; October 19-22. // Tickets are available now at lvwine.org/events.Thank you to our partners at Livermore Valley Wine Community.
(Courtesy of California Academy of Sciences)
