San Francisco is home to a breathtaking diversity of cultural events. Between our fair city’s world-class museums, restaurants, bars, art galleries, music scene, festivals, and clubs, between all that is weird and quirky and purely San Franciscan, there’s something going down, somewhere, every single day of the year. Check out our Flavorpill social discovery engine, where you can create and share events with friends, and follow our carefully curated editors’ picks. Below, you’ll find Flavorpill’s top picks for this week — just a little bit of help as you set out into this beautiful wide world of SF’s happenings.
Tuesday, July 9
PERFORMING ARTS: The Starry Plough Open Mic For 15 years now, Tuesday nights at the Starry Plough have been reserved for an open mic that is generally considered to be the best in the Bay Area. Arrive at 7:30pm to sign up to perform, or just trickle in during the evening to sit back and enjoy the show (if you can find a seat; open mic nights tend to be standing room only). You’ll be treated to musicians you’ve never heard of, that you may never hear again, local singer-songwriters reminiscent of Jeff Buckley and Gillian Welch, an ever-changing lineup of acts that remind you week after week of the breathtaking depth of homegrown talent to be found if you’re looking. — Bonnie Chan
Wednesday, July 10
DANCE: Botany’s Breath Epiphany Productions, the dance troupe that is known for bringing the SF Trolley Dances to our city every year, teams up with the Conservatory of Flowers to present four nights of site-specific dance performances. Audience members are led through the foliage and tropical ecosystems of the Conservatory by musicians and dancers, Pied Piper-style, pausing along the way to appreciate the interplay between the human body and the natural environment. — Bonnie Chan
Thursday, July 11
ART: Artist Reception for Joseph A. Blum: The Bridge Builders Joseph Blum has 25 years of experience as a boilermaker, shipfitter, and welder, which gives him a uniquely articulate perspective when it comes to photographing the construction of the new Bay Bridge. He has done so since the project began in 1998, and thus far has amassed a body of work that gives an insider’s look into the riveting scope and scale of the project — made even more arresting by Blum’s focus on the men and women who labor to bring the bridge’s eastern span into reality. This San Francisco Arts Commission exhibit of Blum’s work from The Bridge Builders sheds light on the people who give rise to the anonymous steel and concrete that we might otherwise take for granted, and also highlights the sheer beauty of both the project and the people. — Bonnie Chan
Friday, July 12
FOOD: Ben & Jerry’s City Churned SF Flavor Unveiling & Block Party No joke: two of our favorite things are free food and improving our local community. That’s why Flavorpill is excited to partner with the Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Truck Tour. On Friday, July 12, the Ben & Jerry’s truck is parking at TCHO Chocolate on Pier 17 (from 4-6pm) and doling out free scoops of SF City Churned ice cream — the favorite ice cream flavor as voted by you, San Francisco. Even more food vendors (like Kika’s Treats and B Street Waffles) and live entertainment turns it into a delicious block party. You can also sign up there to join other do-gooders (and ice cream fans) the next day at Ocean Beach. We’ll be doing beach clean-up and painting the sea wall on Saturday, July 13 (9am-noon), keeping you fueled with more sweet Ben & Jerry’s treats. Get your scoop on while helping beautify San Francisco. It’s win/win! — Leah Taylor
FILM: San Francisco Frozen Film Festival Founded in 2006, the summertime San Francisco Frozen Film Festival is named after our fair city’s frozen-cold summers, and is dedicated to showing the work of independent filmmakers from underserved communities. This year’s diverse lineup includes From Nothing, Something, a look into the neuroses and habits behind some great thinkers’ creative processes; a documentary about the Syrian revolution from the perspective of two young revolutionaries; The Unique Ladies, about San Diego’s first all-women lowrider car club; and a handful of independent films that intimately depict young love and loss. — Bonnie Chan
Saturday, July 13
FESTIVAL: Phono del Sol Music and Food Festival feat. Thee Oh Sees People always say that winter is the season to gorge oneself on food, but that bit of wisdom dates from an era before food trucks. The third annual Phono del Sol Music and Food Festival exploits the abundance of wheeled eateries in San Francisco and adds music, celebrating good eats with a curated food selection and great live acts, including headliners Thee Oh Sees and YACHT, as well as local favorites like Cool Ghouls and Social Studies. Time for food and fun in the sun. — Cooper Berkmoyer
SPORTS: Bay Area Derby Girls Double Header: Richmond vs. Berkeley, San Francisco vs. Oakland
BOOKS: McSweeney’s Lost Sloth Pop-Up Book Shop
Sunday, July 14
FESTIVAL: Indie Mart x Building Resources Woodworking & Furniture Show Years ago, while undergoing chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, Kelly Malone decided to throw a party to cheer herself up. In addition to a BBQ and ice-cold beer, her backyard bash featured friends selling crafts. From those humble origins came the present-day Indie Mart, a full-fledged seasonal street fair where local designers peddle handmade and vintage goods, artists silkscreen on site, musicians rock ‘n’ roll their socks off, food truck vendors feed the famished, and bartenders gear up for an epic after-party. Today’s Indie Mart collaboration with Building Resources, which features 30-40 vendors and furniture designers who work with recycled materials, runs from 2-8pm, followed by a ticketed after-party with live music and art. — Christina Richards
Ongoing