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, September 10
FILM: It’s hard to believe that anyone could throw a week-long party for 50,000 people in the middle of the desert and commit to leaving behind zero waste, but this is exactly what Burning Man promises to the powers that be, each and every year. Spark: A Burning Man Story, provides behind-the-scenes insight into the incredible process that allows the Burn to continue, as well as a sweeping documentary perspective on the festival itself, second only to being there. Whether you’re a seasoned burner or have always wanted to know more about the week-long extravaganza and the 51 weeks leading up to it, you won’t want to miss this shining film. — Joshua Wyatt
Wednesday, September 11
Thursday, September 12
MUSIC: Weekend w/ Disappears and Wymond Miles Having just released their sophomore full-length Jinx on Slumberland Records in July, Weekend continues to impress critics and fans alike with the dissonant post-punk that first garnered them acclaim on 2010’s Sports. The San Francisco trio have since relocated to New York and toned down some of the noisier dimensions to their sound, but have nonetheless retained the driving tempo and catchy hooks that have bobbed heads for nearly five years while continuing to surpass expectations with each tour. — Cooper Berkmoyer
DANCE/FILM: San Francisco Dance Film Festival
Friday, September 13
ART: Polaroid SF’s raison d’être is to showcase the streets and sights of our fair city through the unique beauty of instant film. So if their premise speaks to you, you don’t want to miss this one-night-only follow-up to last year’s successful A Year in Polaroids exhibit. On display is a full year’s worth of Polaroids — 365 images in all, each one taken with a vintage Polaroid camera. From shots snapped with expired film to poignant black-and-white still life images, a fishnet-clad “policewoman” at Dore Alley to Gavin Newsom at Civic Center, here are 365 ways to recall and re-imagine the City by the Bay. — Bonnie Chan
PERFORMING ARTS: Hubba Hubba Revue’s 7th Anniversary
Saturday, September 14
ART: Ben Venom: Piece of Mind In 2008, artist Ben Venom saw an exhibit of quilts by the women of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, at the de Young Museum. Inspired, his thoughts turned to the dozens of heavy metal T-shirts that he had in his closet — and thus began Ben Venom’s foray into the art form that has since become his signature: the heavy metal quilt. Venom spends quite a bit of time at the sewing machine these days (he’s self-taught, save for a few phone calls to his mother and a few beginner’s guides to quilting), but he also actively exhibits and has taught quilting classes at YBCA and Workshop. This month at Guerrero Gallery, Venom exhibits a new collection of quilts alongside Lucien Shapiro’s handcrafted masks and vessels. — Bonnie Chan
Sunday, September 15
COMEDY: 33rd Annual Comedy Day Since 1981, Comedy Day in Golden Gate Park has annually drawn fans of stand-up for a free day of hijinks from the Bay Area’s best local performers as well as some out-of-town favorites. Curated by five of the city’s finest in funnies (the Punch Line, Cobb’s Comedy Club, SF Sketchfest, Rooster T. Feathers, and Comedy Day), this volunteer-run, five-hour marathon is their thank-you for helping to make San Francisco one of the world’s premiere destinations for comedy. Past years have featured such all-time greats as Robin Williams, Zach Galifianakis, and Eddie Izzard. — Cooper Berkmoyer
FESTIVAL: Kinderfest at the Tourist Club San Francisco
Ongoing