This week is all about the arts, and mom.
Look for the return of such popular events as the Mill Valley Music Festival with headliners Cake and Durand Jones, East Bay Open Studios, and Half Moon Bay Wine & Jazz Festival; plus BBQ Without Borders at OMCA, John Waters and Aubrey Plaza at City Arts, a Joel Coen–curated exhibit at Fraenkel Gallery; and AAPI SF cocktail week.
And of course all the Mother's Day brunches at pop-ups.Have a good one.
Legendary photographer Lee Friedlander gets the Joel Coen treatment: The film director has curated a new book and companion exhibit of photographs by the great and curated an exhibition of his photographs at Fraenkel Gallery. The exhibition will be accompanied by a special projection created by Coen, sequencing Friedlander’s images in unexpected and revealing ways; through June 24. // Fraenkel Gallery, 49 Geary St., 4th Floor (Union Square); details at fraenkelgallery.com
Toast the start of AAPI SF Cocktail Week with a special collaboration dinner between Abacá and Viridian. The Abacá team will be making 11 different bites and dishes while the Viridian team will be crafting a cocktail or zero-proof pairing; Monday at 6pm. // Abacá, 2700 Jones St. (Fisherman’s Wharf); tickets at resy.com
Pre-order La Cocina' Mother’s Day gift box. The Motherload includes an assortment of small-batch food and drink products from five women-owned businesses. // La Cocina's Municipal Marketplace, 332 Golden Gate Ave. (Tenderloin), la-cocina-sf-store.myshopify.com
Join filmmaker and author John Waters (Hairspray, Pink Flamingos) in conversation with actress Aubrey Plaza (White Lotus, Parks & Rec) on his newest book, Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance (a copy is included in the ticket price); Tuesday at 7:30pm. // Sydney Goldstein Theater, 275 Hayes St. (Hayes Valley); tickets at cityarts.net
The AAPI SF Cocktail Week celebrations continue with a one-stop tour of 10 Bay Area bars featuring cocktail pros from the likes of Good Good Culture Club, Horsefeather, Alchemist, and more. Enjoy free-flowing food, drinks, beats, and an after party; Thursday, 6pm to 10pm. // Kona’s Street Market, 32 3rd St. (SoMa); tickets at eventbrite.com
Chef Tu David Phu.(Courtesy of @jwinery)
Join a unique exploration of food and wine as J Vineyards & Winery’s Shifting the Lens culinary series returns to the Bubble Room. Special guest chef Tu David Phu kicks off the series, sharing his personal take on Vietnamese cuisine while guests enjoy pairings by Winemaker of the Year Nicole Hitchcock; Thursday through May 21st. // Make reservations at jwine.com.
Thank you to our partners at J Vineyards & Winery.
Follow an LED dragon through SF Chinatown to kick off AAPI Heritage Month. The dance starts in front of Red’s Bar—the oldest bar in Chinatown—and will follow along Jackson Street onto Grant Avenue. Afterwards, head to Red's or Lion's Den for live music and drink specials; Friday, 8pm to 9:30pm. // Red’s Bar, 672 Jackson St. (Chinatown); RSVP at eventbrite.com
Explore East Bay Open Studios. This free, family-friendly, and self-guided tour gets you inside the studios and exhibition spaces of 187 artists in 15 East Bay cities. Download the Vibe Map app to plot your course, check in, and be entered to win prizes—think hotel stays, dinners, photography sessions, art classes, and more—in the Art About Town treasure hunt. The opening celebration is 6pm to 9pm Friday at 1955 Broadway (Oakland). Studios and exhibitions are open 11am to 5pm this Saturday and Sunday, and May 20-21. // For more information, go to eastbayopenstudios.com.
Thank you to our partners at Art Murmur.
Oenophiles won’t want to miss Castello di Amorosa’s Grand Barrel Party. Taste more than 30 Castello wines alongside classic Italian food pairings; taste and purchase wine right from the barrel; take in a barrel-making demonstration; and hop on a free shuttle to Downtown Calistoga to keep your evening going; Friday, 7pm to 10pm. // Castello di Amorosa, 4045 St Helena Hwy (Calistoga); tickets at castellodiamorosa.com
Treat Mom to a Mother’s Day brunch kit from Turntable. Eats including avo toast with sun-dried tomato, cured wild salmon, asparagus with slow-cooked egg, and warm peach crisp promise she'll still have a fancy brunch at home. // Turntable at Lord Stanley, 2065 Polk St. (Nob Hill); preorder for Mother’s Day pick-up on tock.com
Head to Wine Country for some Mother’s Day weekend shopping. A special pop-up will feature makers from Sonoma, Marin, and the greater Bay Area. Grab a glass of wine from the Obsidian and Meadowcroft tasting rooms and enjoy live music while searching for treasures; Saturday, 11am to 3pm. // Cornerstone Sonoma, 23570 Arnold Dr. (Sonoma); RSVP at eventbrite.com
Foodies won’t want to miss Slow Burn’s two-day takeover of Clif Family Winery. The roaming restaurant is bringing a chef's tasting menu of 10 to 12 courses to be paired with wine and NA beverages; Friday and Saturday at 6pm. // Clif Family Winery, 1334 Vidovich Ln. (St. Helena); tickets at tock.com
Boogie on down to the second annual Half Moon Bay Wine & Jazz Festival. Taste your way through more than 40 California wineries while listening to live jazz by Paula West, Marcus Shelby, and Grammy-nominated John Santos. There will also be coastal eats, a beer garden, and more along Half Moon Bay’s charming Main Street; Saturday, noon to 5pm. // Main Street (Half Moon Bay); tickets at hmbwineandjazzfest.com
Celebrate diversity through the lens of regional barbecue from Cuba, Japan, and India at OMCA’s BBQ Without Borders. The one-night-only fundraiser will feature chefs Lilly Duran (Clandestina Cocina), Ron Dumra Wah Jee Wah), and Tadayuki Furui (Family Cafe) who will be doing their own riffs on lechon, tandoori, and yakitori; plus live entertainment; Saturday, 5pm to 9pm. // Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St. (Oakland); tickets at eventbrite.com
Brunch service returns to Noe Valley's modern Russian restaurant, Birch & Rye, just in time for Mother’s Day. Order up eggs, wild mushrooms, and seasonal vegetables in a buckwheat nest or a millet bowl with a delicately poached pear—this is not your standard brunch fare; Sundays, 11am to 2:30pm. // Birch & Rye, 1320 Castro St. (Noe Valley); reservations at birchandryesf.com
Embrace May flowers at the 1st Annual Flower Festival at The Academy. Enjoy complimentary bubbles and a self-guided tour through the indoor-outdoor space filled with installations from local florists; Saturday, 1pm to 5pm. // The Academy SF, 2166 Market St. (Upper Market); tickets at academy-sf.com
Catch an outdoor matinee of Freaky Friday. With massage chairs, craft stations, food trucks, and more it's a perfect way to spend time with Mom; Saturday at 1pm. // Thrive City at Chase Center, 1 Warriors Way (Mission Bay); RSVP at chasecenter.com
Cheer on the home team(s) at a special Oakland Roots and Oakland Soul doubleheader. This is a rare opportunity to catch both local men's and women's soccer teams back to back; Saturday at 5pm. // Cal State University East Bay, 25800 Carlos Bee Blvd. (Hayward); tickets at oaklandrootssc.com
End the week with meditation, tea, and ceramics; Sunday at 10am. // Artillery AG, 2751 Mission St. (Mission); tickets at artillery-ag.com
