The Chinese New Year Concert and Banquet includes a pre-concert reception at 4 p.m. with lion and ribbon dancing, tea bars, Chinese calligraphy, children’s entertainment, and “lucky” red envelopes; a 5 p.m. concert by San Francisco Symphony in Davies Symphony Hall; and a 7 p.m. dinner at Zellerbach Rehearsal Hall. Or buy only the concert tickets.
Book fair
February 1, 2020
10.6 miles south
Shop for a wide variety of books and paper products from 100 dealers at the California Antiquarian Book Fair at South San Francisco Conference Center.
Motocross racing
February 1, 2020
18.6 miles SE
Watch off-road motorcycles race on dirt tracks with steep jumps, tight corners, and obstacles at AMA Supercross the Oakland coliseum.
Seafood & wine dinner
February 1, 2020
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.
Classic films
February 1 - 2, 2020
1.6 miles SW
Noir City screens classic films that are stylish, cynical, and melodramatic at the Castro Theatre.
Brazilian dance show
February 1 - 2, 2020
Berkeley & San Francisco
Watch exotic costumed dancers celebrate the spirit of the African deity that honors the essential nature of water at Yemanjá Arts Festival.
Feb. 1 - Mission Cultural Center, S.F.
Feb. 2 - Casa de Cultura, Berkeley
Chinese New Year at the zoo
February 1 - 2, 2020
7.7 miles SW
Celebrate the year of the rat by watching Chinese lion and folk dancers, hear animal talks, and go on a scavenger hunt of animals found on the Chinese calendar during Lunar New Year at San Francisco Zoo.
The San Francisco Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K begin in Golden Gate Park, but the half marathon also continues south to the zoo with ocean views.
Urban films
February 2 - 9, 2020
multiple locations
Organized by urban planners, SF Urban Film Fest (SFUFF) screens compelling films about cities and civic engagement to help shape urbanist ideas and improve our cities.
Free art museum day
February 4, 2020
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.
Magic festival
February 5 - 8, 2020
0.8 miles NE
Fog City Magic Fest includes seven shows of magic and comedy at the Exit Theatre. The following show is discounted.
Mexican folk music
February 5 - 9, 2020
2.9 miles south
Featuring the folkloric music style of Veracruz, the Son Jarocho Festival offers concerts, workshops, and family activities mostly at Brava for Women In the Arts.
Cocktail party
February 7, 2020 (9 p.m.)
2.4 miles NE
Try creative drinks from 20 bars, hear live music and DJ dance music, and explore exhibits during Science of Cocktails at the Exploratorium on Pier 15 for age 21+.
Giant beer tasting
February 7, 2020 (6 p.m., VIP 5 p.m.)
2.8 miles north
A ticket to S.F. Beer Week Opening Gala gets you “unlimited samples of new, rare, and classic beers” from 120 local breweries at Pier 35, for age 21+. You can buy food but can’t bring it. Tickets online only.
Valentine’s Day humor
February 7 - 8, 2020
S.F. & Oakland
Adults talk about their teenage crushes and share embarrassing childhood artifacts (diaries, letters, lyrics, poems, and photos) at Mortified Doomed Valentine’s Show for all ages (21+ at New Parish).
Billed as “the leading and largest festival of contemporary German cinema in the Americas,” Berlin & Beyond Film Festival screens films from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland at the Castro Theatre and other venues.
Beer Week
February 7 - 16, 2020
San Francisco Bay Area
Enjoy hundreds of tasting events, brunches, and dinners during SF Beer Week. San Jose will hold a similar event in July.
Chinese New Year Parade
February 8, 2020 (5:15 p.m.)
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 unless you reserve bleacher seats. Route map.
Support disabled artists
February 8, 2020
1.2 miles SW
Browse unique artwork at the annual 50% Off Art Sale at Creativity Explored, a studio that hosts disabled artists. Free admission. Photos.
Scavenger hunt
February 8, 2020 (3 to 7:30 p.m.)
2.2 miles north
Solve puzzles to reach a mystery location in the family-friendly Chinese New Year Treasure Hunt, beginning at Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center. Register in advance, and see the list of items to bring.
Chinese food festival
February 8 - 9, 2020
0.8 miles SE
Buy Chinese food (bao buns, har gao, shumai, onion pancakes, fried chicken, fresh noodles, fried rice, and egg rolls) from 13 vendors during Dumpling Down at SoMa StrEat Food Park, with the option to buy unlimited drinks (Chinese beer & kumquat mimosas).
Chinese New Year in Oakland
February 8 - 9, 2020 (12 to 4:30 p.m.)
12.9 miles east
Family-friendly Lunar New Year Celebration and Other Asian Traditions offers “live cultural performances, demonstrations, hands-on activities, food, traditional and contemporary music and dance, storytime, and a petting zoo” at Oakland Museum of California. Children age 8 and younger are free.
Pole-dancing competition
February 8 - 9, 2020
14.6 miles south
Watch the best pole dancers in Northern California compete to go to the national finals at Golden Gate Pole Championships at Canada College Theater in Redwood City.
Valentine’s Day haunted house
February 8, 14, 15, 2020
23 miles SE
Your group gets one dim flashlight to navigate a pitch-black haunted house during Valentine Haunt at Bayfair Center in San Leandro.
Tulip days
February 8 - 17, 2020
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.
Family tea party
February 9, 2020 (10 a.m. & 1 p.m.)
14.7 miles NE
Collect fragrant edibles in the garden, and then make tea, snacks, and pressed Valentine’s cards at A Botanical Valentine Tea at UC Botanical Garden in Berkeley.
Sexy cabaret with poetry
February 12, 2020 (7:30 p.m., doors 7)
1.1 miles SE
The Poetry Brothel is “an immersive literary cabaret that fuses poetry, activism, vaudeville, burlesque, live music, visual art, magic, and mysticism” at The Great Northern for age 21+.
Paella & beer party
February 13, 2020
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.
OpenTable lists restaurants that offer special brunch, lunch, and dinner menus on Valentine’s Day. Yelp and TripAdvisor recommend romantic restaurants.
Valentine’s Day cruise
February 14, 2020
2.1 miles NE
Enjoy 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.
Kat Robichaud and the Darling Misfits present Circus, “a splendiferous variety show centered around magical music with a rotating cast of eccentric performers” at Alcazar Theatre.
Valentine’s Day speakeasy
February 15, 2020 (8:30 p.m.)
2 miles NE
Strolling performers recite love sonnets, create personal poems, read tarot cards, and put on vaudeville shows at The Speakeasy: Cupid’s Arrow, which promises “an evening full of magic and romance” at 644 Broadway for age 21+.
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. Dance lesson at 6:30 p.m.
Wine tasting in Sonoma
February 15, 2020
44.4 miles north
Taste 100 wines with complimentary cheese and charcuterie, and meet the winemakers at The Garagiste Festival (originally named for small winemakers using a home garage) at Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall.
Super hero run - San Jose
February 15, 2020
57.6 miles south
The Super Run 5K provides a cape and welcomes costumes at Almaden Lake Park.
Monster trucks
February 15 - 16, 2020
16.8 miles SE
Big trucks with big wheels create big excitement at Monster Jam in the Oakland coliseum.
Valentine’s Day wine train
February 15 - 16, 2020
46.9 miles north
Take a ride through wine country on the Napa Valley Wine Train for two or three hours as you enjoy a gourmet lunch or dinner with a glass of sparkling wine on the “Sweetheart Special” departing from Napa.
San Francisco Tamburitza Festival offers traditional music, vocalists, dancing, and food for sale at Croatian American Cultural Center. Children are free. Tickets.
San Jose beer festival
February 16, 2020 (1 to 5 p.m.)
50.4 miles south
Meet the Brewers features beer from dozens of local breweries, food vendors, and local artists at San Jose Giants Stadium for age 21+ (and their children younger than age 12). No pets.
British movies
February 18 - 20, 2020
2.3 miles NW
See foreign films with no need for subtitles at the Mostly British Film Festival, from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, and South Africa at the Vogue Theatre.
South Bay jazz
February 18 - 29, 2020
multiple locations
See 28 performances of “jazz, blues, Latin jazz, New Orleans, and related genres” during San Jose Jazz Winter Fest.
A friendly party takes a dark turn in You’ll Catch Flies, a “bitingly funny play” about gossip and relationships premiering at New Conservatory Theatre Center for age 14+.
In the wake of a devastating nuclear accident, two retired physicists must come to terms with their shared guilt in The Children, a suspenseful drama about responsibility and guilt, reparation and redemption, at Aurora Theatre Company in Berkeley.
Based on the experiences of an advice columnist, Tiny Beautiful Things is about “reaching when you’re stuck, healing when you’re broken, and finding the courage to take on the questions that have no answers” at San Francisco Playhouse.
Set in a toxic New York office, Gloria is a “whip-smart satire” [New York Times] about young writers competing for a book deal in the cutthroat world of publishing at A.C.T.’s Strand Theater for mature audiences.
Based on a new story by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child features the grown up versions of Harry, Ron, and Hermione who must “grapple with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs” with illusions and magic at the Curran Theater for age 10+.
Il Trovatore is an action-packed opera by Verdi that features dramatic music and powerful songs sung in Italian with English subtitles at California Theatre in San Jose.
Watch two episodes of Friends Live with all of your favorite TV characters (Chandler, Joey, Ross, Monica, Phoebe, and Rachel) in reverse gender at the Oasis, which has a two drink minimum, and is age 21+.
Cheer on a group of misfit but lovable unemployed steel-mill workers who bare everything to earn cash for their families in The Full Monty, live at Victoria Theatre.
Featuring music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner Sting, The Last Ship tells the story of a British man who returns home after 17 years at sea to find the shipyard in his village is closing at Golden Gate Theatre.
Magician and mentalist Jay Alexander entertains with comedy, sleight-of-hand, and human lie detection at Marrakech Magic Theater, with optional appetizers and cocktails for sale. Excellent reviews on Yelp.
Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B, and Broadway tunes, Hamilton tells the story of America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton with amazing emotion and energy at the Orpheum Theatre.
Browse the displays of 70 dealers and artists selling antique American Indian, Pre-Columbian, Spanish Colonial, and contemporary American Indian Art at the American Indian Art Show at Fort Mason.
Billed as the largest U.S. orchid show, the Pacific Orchid Exposition has 150,000 beautiful blooms and offers docent tours, vibrant exhibits, and cultivation tips at the San Francisco County Fair Building. Your children age 13 and younger are free.
The Fly Fishing Show has casting demonstrations, films, classes, celebrity speakers, fly-tying materials, rods, and reels at Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. The International Fly Fishing Film Festival (IF4) on Friday evening requires a separate ticket.
Beauty & The Soulful Beast
February 21 - 29, 2020
11.9 miles NE
The “multi cultural, high energy cast” of Black Repertory Group presents Beauty & The Soulful Beast, an African-American adaptation full of songs and dances in Berkeley.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is an “irresistible and riotously funny musical” [New York Times] about overachievers, at Pacifica Spindrift Players Theatre.
Memphis is based on a true love story about a white radio DJ and a black club singer in 1950s Tennessee, including laughter, romance and irresistible songs, at Berkeley Playhouse.
February 21 - March 28, 2020 (Saturdays 7:30 p.m.)
2.1 miles NE
The mother-daughter team of Carolina Lugo & Carolé Acuña entertain with pulsating sounds of footwork, songs, castanets, syncopated hand clapping, and guitar at Peña Pachamama in North Beach. (Minimum purchase of two food or drink items.)
California Twilight Cruise includes two hours of romantic views on San Francisco Bay, live guitar music, a drink, and appetizers, departing from Fisherman’s Wharf.
Join cat lovers watching a 75-minute compilation of “the latest, best cat videos culled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos, and classic internet powerhouses” during CatVideoFest at Roxie Theater.
Mardi Gras cruise
February 22, 2020 (board 8:30 p.m.)
2.6 miles NE
Celebrate Mardi Gras on the two-hour Mardi Gras Masquerade Cruise aboard a Hornblower yacht, with local DJs playing top 40 and a bar selling food and drinks, departing from Pier 3 on the Embarcadero.
Cirque Éloize of Canada performs its new show “Hotel” with characaters that include a juggling janitor, a hapless tightrope-walking bellhop, and a starlet flying through the air on a trapeze at Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley.
See home improvement products, services, and demonstrations at the San Jose Home Show at the San Jose convention center. Held in Feb. & Oct.
Model train show
February 22 - 23, 2020
52 miles south
The Great Train Show features model train layouts and hundreds of vendors, with bounce houses and riding trains for the kids at Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. Children age 11 and younger are free.
Chowder festival
February 22 - 23, 2020
73.8 miles south
Buy tasting tickets to sample clam chowder prepared by costumed chefs (amateur chefs on Saturday and professional chefs on Sunday) at Clam Chowder Cook Off along the boardwalk in Santa Cruz.
Sail on the Bay
February 22 - April 10, 2020
2.6 miles north
Sail aboard The Privateer with 2 drinks from Pier 39.
Noise Pop Festival is an indie music, arts, and film festival, with a focus on emerging talent.
Mardi Gras - Fillmore
February 25, 2020
1.1 miles NW
Mardi Gras San Francisco Style includes a free blues concert at Fillmore & O’Farrell Streets (5 to 7:30 p.m.), followed by a parade, and then a ticketed masquerade ball with dinner at Fillmore Heritage Center (8 p.m.).
Winner of a Tony Award for best musical, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder is a slapstick comedy about the outrageous things people will do to inherit a fortune at The Gateway Theatre.
Popular New York Times columnist David Pogue leads a humorous “journey through the pleasures and pitfalls of our technological world” at Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley.
“Connect directly with 60 top local and international artists, collectives, and galleries” during Superfine at Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture. Children age 10 and younger are free.
Dance in Mountain View
February 27 - March 1, 2020
37.2 miles south
Smuin Ballet performs three works at Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. “The Man in Black” about Johnny Cash is danced in cowboy boots. “Carmina Burana” is by Michael Smuin himself. “Take Five” is set to music by jazz legend Dave Brubeck.
Enjoy wine, craft beer, appetizers, and an auction to support the YMCA at Pour Your Support at San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center.
Latino humor
February 28 - April 25, 2020
13.5 miles NE
Expect “badass, irreverent, thought-provoking social satire” at Culture Clash (Still) in America, which delivers outrageous monologues and sketch comedy about the immigrant experience in America at Berkeley Repertory Theatre.
Sample wine from 90 top Italian vintners at the walk-around event Great Wines of Italy at the Golden Gate Club in the Presidio. Lower price for ages 21 to 28.
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