Enjoy the best San Francisco Bay Area events, festivals, and things to do with this calendar of events.
Distance is from San Francisco City Hall at the Civic Center Plaza.
Art walks
February 1 - 2, 2018
Bay Area
Visit art galleries that stay open late on the first Thursday or Friday of each month. Free.- San Francisco - First Thursday Art Walks
- North Beach - First Fridays
- Oakland - Oakland Art Murmur (Friday)
- San Jose - South First Fridays
Film festival
February 1 - 4, 2018 (begins Jan. 26)
1.6 miles SW
Noir City screens classic films that are stylish, cynical, and melodramatic at the Castro Theatre.Film festival
February 1 - 15, 2018
1.8 miles south
SF Independent Film Festival (SF IndieFest) celebrates maverick filmmakers by screening films made by independent producers at theaters in the Mission District.Book fair
February 2 - 3, 2018
21.2 miles south
Shop for a wide variety of books and paper products from 150 dealers at the San Francisco Antiquarian Book, Print & Paper Fair at San Mateo County Event Center.Seafood & wine dinner
February 3, 2018
55 miles north
Enjoy fresh seafood and Sonoma County wine at the Great Sonoma Crab & Wine Fest, plus a live auction at Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa.Pole-dancing competition
February 3 - 4, 2018
14.6 miles south
Watch the best pole dancers in the state compete to go to the national finals at Golden Gate Pole Championships at Skyline College in San Bruno. Amateurs begin at 9 a.m. & professionals at 7:30 p.m.Half marathon
February 4, 2018
3.5 miles west
The San Francisco Half Marathon & 5K both begin in Golden Gate Park, but the half marathon continues south to the zoo with ocean views.Free art museum
February 6, 2018
3 miles west
Visit The de Young Museum on a First Tuesday of the Month to see its extensive collection of American and native art at Golden Gate Park. Free.Tribal art fair
February 9 - 11, 2018 (gala Feb. 8)
2.3 miles north
San Francisco Tribal & Textile Arts Show is both an art exhibition and sale by 80 curated galleries in the Festival Pavilion at Fort Mason Center.Home show
February 9 - 11, 2018
21.2 miles south
See home improvement products, services, and demonstrations at the San Mateo Spring Home Show at San Mateo County Event Center. Repeats in Sept.Valentine’s Day haunted house
February 9, 10, 14, 2018
23 miles SE
Your group gets one dim flashlight to navigate a pitch-black haunted house that features a gory Cupid and a bear wielding a chain saw at Valentine Haunt at Bayfair Center in San Leandro.Chinese flower fair
February 10 - 11, 2018
1.4 miles NE
Browse fresh flowers for Chinese New Year, and watch traditional Chinese magicians, acrobats, and folk dancers at the Flower Market Fair in Chinatown.Valentine’s Day dinner
February 14, 2018
San Francisco Bay Area
OpenTable lists restaurants that offer special brunch, lunch, and dinner menus on Valentine’s Day.Cuban dance festival
February 15 - 18, 2018
0.3 miles SE
Enjoy beginner’s classes, workshops, parties, and concerts at Salsa Rueda Festival at Hotel Whitcomb.Independent music festival
February 16 - 26, 2018
San Francisco & Oakland
Noise Pop Festival is an indie music, arts, and film festival, with a focus on emerging talent.Travel show
February 17 - 18, 2018
42.4 miles south
Hear travel experts (including Rick Steves) at the Bay Area Travel & Adventure Show and shop from travel industry vendors in Santa Clara Convention Center.Wine tasting
February 23, 2018 (uncertain)
0.1 miles west
Enjoy wine, food, and an auction to support the YMCA at Pour Your Support at San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center.Fly Fishing Show
February 23 - 25, 2018
36.2 miles SE
The Fly Fishing Show has casting demonstrations, films, classes, celebrity speakers, fly-tying materials, rods, and reels at Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. The Fly Fishing Film Festival on Friday evening requires a separate ticket.Chinese New Year Concert
February 24, 2018
0.3 miles SW
The Lunar New Year Concert and Imperial Dinner includes a pre-concert reception at 3 p.m. with lion and ribbon dancing, tea bars, Chinese calligraphy, children’s entertainment, and “lucky” red envelopes; a 4 p.m. concert by San Francisco Symphony in Davies Symphony Hall; and a 6. p.m. seated dinner at Zellerbach Rehearsal Hall. Or buy just concert tickets.Chinese New Year Parade
February 24, 2018
1.2 miles NE
See beautiful floats, elaborate costumes, ferocious lions, exploding firecrackers, and Miss Chinatown USA at the free Chinese New Year Parade, which begins at the corner of 2nd Street and Market Street. Free. Parade map. Bleacher seat reservations.Chowder festival
February 24 - 25, 2018
73.8 miles south
Buy tasting tickets to sample the clam chowder that costumed chefs prepare along the boardwalk at the Clam Chowder Cook Off & Festival in Santa Cruz.Film festival in the South Bay
February 27 - March 11, 2018
San Jose & Redwood City
Join 100,000 people attending the highly acclaimed Cinequest Film & VR Festival to see cutting-edge films from 50 countries and to attend film and technology forums at theaters in San Jose and Redwood City.Beer Week
February 2018 (undated)
San Francisco Bay Area
Enjoy hundreds of tasting events, brunches, and dinners during SF Beer Week.Free national parks
February 2018 (undated)
U.S. National Parks
Entry is free at Muir Woods National Monument and San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park on Free Entrance Days in the National Parks. Expect more people and less parking today than usual.Fake wedding
February 2018 (undated)
0.7 miles north
Attend an emotional wedding ceremony, eat a light dinner, and dance at a reception to see wedding vendors in action at Big Fake Wedding at the Regency Center.Hip hop cocktail party
February 2018 (undated)
1 mile NE
Enjoy drinks, hors d’oeuvres, dance performances, and a silent auction at One Love, a benefit for the Hip Hop DanceFest at Prosper on Market Street for age 21+.Mardi Gras - India style
February 2018 (undated)
1 mile NE
Bollywood Carnival is a Mardi Gras masquerade party with entertainment, a dance lesson, and DJ dance music at Slide for age 21+.Mardi Gras
February 2018 (undated)
1.1 miles NW
Mardi Gras San Francisco Style includes a free blues concert in The Fillmore Center Plaza at 5 p.m., and a ticketed masquerade ball with dinner at the West Bay Conference Center at 8 p.m.Take your dog to the movies
February 2018 (undated)
1.2 miles south
Your dog can join you at the family-friendly Dog Film Festival at The Roxie Theater to watch short films about the bond between dogs and humans. It has two 75-minutes programs with different films. Preview.German film festival
February 2018 (undated)
San Francisco theaters
See films from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland at Berlin and Beyond in S.F. at Castro Theatre and Goethe-Institut, and in Oakland at Pro Arts Gallery.Paella & beer party
February 2018 (undated)
1.4 miles NE
Enjoy unlimited paella (a Spanish rice meal) with or without meat, unlimited organic beer, and flamenco guitar at Paella Fest at ThirstyBear Brewing Company.Electronic game festival
February 2018 (undated)
1.5 miles NE
Join 500 people at Playcrafting SFO Winter Expo visiting developer booths to check out 50 new games at Microsoft Reactor.British movies
February 2018 (undated)
2.3 miles NW
See foreign films with no need for subtitles at the Mostly British Film Festival, which covers the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and India, at the Vogue Theatre.Wine tasting
February 2018 (undated)
2.3 miles north
With 6,000 entries, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Public Tasting is billed as the largest competition of U.S. wines in the world. Taste them in the Festival Pavilion at Fort Mason Center.Tulip days
February 2018 (undated)
2.7 miles NW
Brighten up winter with a walk among 39,000 tulips, with or without a guide, at Tulipmania on Pier 39. Free.Orchid show
February 2018 (undated)
3 miles west
Billed as the largest U.S. orchid show, the Pacific Orchid and Garden Exposition (formerly Pacific Orchid Exposition) features 150,000 beautiful blooms and offers docent tours, vibrant exhibits, and cultivation tips at the San Francisco County Fair Building.Monster trucks
February 2018 (undated)
16.8 miles SE
Big trucks with big wheels create big excitement at Monster Jam in Oakland Alameda County Coliseum.Motocross racing
February 2018 (undated)
18.6 miles SE
Watch off-road motorcycles race on dirt tracks with steep jumps, tight corners, and obstacles at AMA Supercross at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.Bird festival
February 2018 (undated)
34.3 miles north
Celebrate the peak of migration season with guided bird walks, self-guided walks, a wildlife expo, and an art show at San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival in Vallejo.Treasure-finding fair
February 2018 (undated)
36.2 miles SE
Learn about gold panning and metal detecting at the NorCal Gold & Treasure Show, which has seminars and lots of vendors at Alameda County Fairgrounds. Children 12 and younger are free.Bacon and beer
February 2018 (undated)
43 miles south
Enjoy craft beer, bacon-inspired tastes from local restaurants, music, and interactive games at Bacon and Beer Classic at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.San Jose beer festival
February 2018 (undated)
50.4 miles south
Meet the Brewers features beer from dozens of local breweries, food trucks, live music, and local art by SJ Made at Hermitage Brewing.Vietnamese New Year
February 2018 (undated)
52 miles south
Tet Festival is a feast for your senses with traditional dance, martial arts, and Vietnamese food at Yerba Buena High School in San Jose.Valentine’s Day humor
February 2018 (undated)
0.7 miles SE
Adults tell stories about their lives by sharing embarrassing childhood artifacts (diaries, letters, lyrics, poems, and home movies) at Mortified Doomed Valentine’s Show at DNA Lounge.Erotic art
February 2018 (undated)
1 mile SE
See erotic photography and performance art by dozens of artists at On the Edge, an annual exhibition at SOMArts Cultural Center for age 18+. Free on Sunday.Valentine’s singles party
February 2018 (undated)
1.3 miles NE
Meet single professionals at the Valentine’s Ball with DJ music in the Terrace Ballroom at the Fairmont San Francisco.Pillow fight
February 2018 (undated)
1.7 miles NE
The Great San Francisco Valentine’s Day Pillow Fight is an unofficial event in Justin Herman Plaza. Don’t bring a pillow that has feathers to minimize clean up. Free.Run in your underwear
February 2018 (undated)
2.1 miles east
Cupid’s Undie Run includes a half-naked run in the street and a party at Pedro’s Cantina for age 21+.Valentine’s Day cruise
February 2018 (undated)
2.1 miles NE
Enjoy brunch or dinner with views of the bay on the San Francisco Valentine’s Cruises from Hornblower, which depart from Pier 3 on The Embarcadero, or Berkeley.Romance in the greenhouse
February 2018 (undated)
2.5 miles west
Take a stroll through the lush Conservatory of Flowers plus the Butterflies and Blooms exhibit with a ticket to Aphrodisiacs of the Tropics, which includes wine and chocolate tasting. Food and cocktails will be for sale.1950s dance
February 2018 (undated)
3.6 miles NW
Get a dance lesson from the Jitterbugs at 6:30 p.m., buy retro cocktails, and dance the evening away to live music from The Ely Brothers & The Doubletake Band at Valentine’s Day Sock Hop at the Presidio Officers’ Club. Free with RSVP.Family tea party
February 2018 (undated)
14.7 miles NE
Collect fragrant edibles in the garden, and then make tea, snacks, and pressed valentine’s cards at A Botanical Valentine’s Day Tea at UC Botanical Garden.Valentine’s Day wine train
February 2018 (undated)
46.9 miles north
Romance on the Rails includes a gourmet lunch or dinner, a glass of sparkling wine, and a three-hour ride through wine country, departing from Napa.
