With the kids back in school, its time to exlore what the city has to offer. September is a busy month in San Francisco!
SEPTEMBER 1-30
ARCHITECTURE AND THE CITY
Sponsored by AIA San Francisco, the largest architectural and design festival in the U.S. includes a series of architectural tours, film screenings, exhibitions, design lectures, home shows, and more. Admission fees for some events.
www.aiasf.org/archandcity
SEPTEMBER 2-4
SAN FRANCISCO COMIC CON: COMIC BOOK CONVENTION
This is an annual convention for fans of comic books, magazines, toys, games, Star Wars, Star Trek, anime, manga, cosplay, and popular culture. San Francisco Marriott Marquis. Admission is $30-$50 per day.
www.sanfrancomiccon.com
SEPTEMBER 3-5
SAUSALITO ART FESTIVAL
Sausalito’s yearly art festival has been showcasing the contemporary art world since 1952. A juried exhibit of more than 20,000 original works of art, this festival also includes music—by jazz, rock, and blues performers from the Bay Area and beyond—and international cuisine, enhanced by wines from some 50 Napa and Sonoma producers. Parking is just about nonexistant … you might want to relax and take the ferry (www.blueandgoldfleet.com) from Pier 41 to the festival site. Admission is $20-25.
SEPTEMBER 4 (FIRST SUNDAY)
FREE ADMISSION DAY — Asian Art Museum
SEPTEMBER 6 (FIRST TUESDAY)
FREE ADMISSION DAY— Conservatory of Flowers, Contemporary Jewish Museum, DeYoung Museum, Legion of Honor Museum, Museum of Craft and Design, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
SEPTEMBER 8-10 and 29
BERNAL HEIGHTS OUTDOOR CINEMA
Four nights of screenings and music, showcasing the work of local filmmakers and musicians
in parks, playgrounds and smaller venues around the Bernal Heights neighborhood. Includes a film crawl. Check website for late-breaking schedule changes. Free admission.
SEPTEMBER 8-14
CA INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
Screened at three historic theaters in the Bay Area: Castro (SF), Orinda (Orinda), and Rheem (Moraga). General admission $12.
SEPTEMBER 9-24
SF FRINGE FESTIVAL
This annual festival is a marathon of 40+ shows with low-priced tickets and a wide range of alternative, classical, comedy, cabaret, and experimental theater open to all performers on a non-curated basis. Exit Theater (156 Eddy St.) and other downtown venues. General admission $12-$15.
SEPTEMBER 10-11
AUTUMN MOON FESTIVAL
This weekend event features multicultural entertainment, traditional lion and dragon dances, arts and crafts, a lantern village, lots of moon cakes, and children’s activities. Grant Ave. between California and Broadway. 11am-6 pm. Dog show Sunday 1:45 pm. Yes, there will be dragons: the 25th Anniversary White Crane Dragon Parade, Sunday 5:30 pm. Free admission.
SEPTEMBER 10-11
GHIRARDELLI CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL
Unique chocolate desserts and delicacies from Ghirardelli and beyond at this annual chocolate extravaganza. Brave souls may want to enter the sundae-eating contest and win their weight in chocolate. Mmm … chocolate. Noon-5 pm. 100% of profits benefit Project Open Hand. Tickets $20-$50.
SEPTEMBER 11
SF OPERA IN THE PARK
An open-air opera concert featuring arias and ensembles by the stars of the fall season of the SF Opera and Opera Orchestra. It helps mark the beginning of the opera season. Sharon Meadow, GG Park. Starts at 1:30 pm this year. Free.
SEPTEMBER 16-OCTOBER 1
Cine+Mas Latino Film Festival
This is the 8th annual festival, celebrating independent films from the Americas and Europe. The goal is to showcase film by, about, or made with Latinos—to shine a light on inclusion. Three theater venues in San Francisco and one in Oakland. See website for schedule and admission.
www.sflatinofilmfestival.com
SEPTEMBER 17-18
INDONESIAN FILM FESTIVAL
Presenting critically acclaimed films from various regions of the archipelago, paired with the cuisine of each culture represented. Variety Club Preview Room, 582 Market St. #101, SF. General admission $10.
www.indonesianfilmfestival.org
SEPTEMBER 17-18
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INTERNATIONAL DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL
Nearly a hundred 40-foot dragon boat teams and 2,500 paddlers from across North America will race a 500-meter course. This festival offers a weekend of world-class dragon boat racing, cultural performances, delicious food, crafts vendors, and kid-friendly games and arts & crafts in Dragon Land. Lake Merritt, Oakland. Free.
SEPTEMBER 18
COMEDY DAY
A comedy event featuring 30+ of the U.S.’s and Bay Area’s funniest comedians. Noon-5 pm. Sharon Meadow, GG Park. Free.
SEPTEMBER 21-25
THE BIG BOOK SALE
Held at Fort Mason Center’s Festival Pavilion, this annual and epic sale by the Friends of the SF Public Library features over 500,000 books, DVDs, CDs, books on tape, vinyl, and other media in over 100 categories. Hardcovers: $3/ Paperbacks: $2/ Children’s Books: $1/ All Media: $1. Everything is a buck on 9/25. Best to bring your own shopping bags and/or boxes.
SEPTEMBER 22-24
IRISH FILM FESTIVAL
View contemporary Irish cinema, including short films, at the Delancey Street Screening Room, 600 Embarcadero St., SF. Check website for late-breaking details.
SEPTEMBER 23-25
OKTOBERFEST BY THE BAY
A small taste … well, sip … of Munich’s famous autumn beer festival in the Bay. Oktoberfest features non-stop drinking, singing, drinking, dancing, drinking, music, drinking, German food, and the occasional drinking. Pier 48 near AT&T Park. General admission $25 (online). Kids $5 early Sat. or Sun. only.
www.oktoberfestbythebay.com
SEPTEMBER 24
FILM NIGHT IN THE PARK: DOLORES PARK
This is San Francisco’s premiere outdoor film series. Films are projected onto a giant outdoor screen in park settings—this time, one of the City’s most beautiful, Dolores Park. Attendees are encouraged to picnic before screenings and are discouraged from bringing chairs. Tonight’s film is STAR WARS: EPISODE VII—THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015): Three decades after the destruction of the Death Star, a new threat looms. The evil First Order attempts to take over the galaxy (here we go again). Only a motley crew of unlikely heroes can stop them … with the help of the Resistance and lots and lots of lightsabers. Screens at dusk. Free. [Cue the music] … da da da dum de dum dum de dum … DA DA DA dum de dum dum de dum …
www.sfntf.squarespace.com/filmnight
SEPTEMBER 24-25
BAY AREA BLUES FESTIVAL
Two main stages, arts and crafts, gourmet food, and much more are all a part of this annual homage to the Bay Area’s deep blues roots. 10:00 am – 6:00 pm. Main Street from Alhambra to Court Streets, downtown Martinez. Free.
SEPTEMBER 24-25
IRANIAN FILM FESTIVAL
This is the 9th annual festival screening independent feature and short films made by or about Iranians. San Francisco Art Institute. General admission $12.
SEPTEMBER 25
FOLSOM STREET FAIR
The “big daddy of leather celebrations,” the Folsom Street Fair is the largest leather/ alternative/ kink/ hard-core/ fetish street fair in the world–drawing 400,000 or so attendees every year. Attendees might be dressed in leather, feathers, rubber, glitter, uniforms, drag … or absolutely nothing at all. Five-star parental advisory in effect. Folsom Street between 7th and 12th Sts. 11 am to 6 pm. $10 donation requested.
SEPTEMBER 26
2016 PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES WATCH PARTY
Unless one or both of the candidates bails, this will be the first of the 2016 presidential debates. The drama! The viciousness! It will be divided into six segments of approximately 15 minutes each, with major topics to be selected by the moderator. The debate is scheduled for 6-7:30 pm. Thank goodness, happy-hour specials will be available from 4-7 pm, alongside 10 big-screen TVs with surround sound. Food trucks will also be on the scene. Check the website for last-minute details. SoMa StrEat Food Park, 428 11th St.–across from CostCo in SOMA. Free admission.
www.somastreatfoodpark.com/events-db/2016/9/26/2016-presidential-debates-13
SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 2
HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS
This celebration of music in Hellman Hollow, Golden Gate Park, includes a list of notable blues, bluegrass, and indie rock musicians. Free.
www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com