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Arts & Entertainment

The 20 best things to do this week in SF

Three dancers on a dimly lit stage wear long, flowing skirts and veils. Spotlights shine from above, illuminating their vibrant costumes and theatrical poses.
Dancers perform at House of Tarot, presented by Beats Antique + Zoe Jakes. | Source: Courtesy The Mint

Outgoers is a weekly column published in partnership with the new event newsletter of the same name, founded by Josh Constine. Each week, Outgoers texts readers a list of San Francisco events and activities that are worthy of their time. The Standard will feature all of those events, plus a few bonus ones, every week. Sign up for Outgoers by clicking this link on your phone.

Destroy Boys free concert

With 1 million monthly Spotify listeners, these blunt shredders will pack the aisles of the Upper Haight’s famed Amoeba Music store.

Date and time
Thursday, Sept. 19, 5 p.m.

Indie fashion party with Hah Couture

Dress loud and explore experimental fashion at this Mission party.

A diverse group of people pose in brightly painted, eclectic clothing. The setting appears artistic with wall illustrations and a colorful, messy floor.
Some of the 'fits from a recent Hah Couture Dress Up Party. | Source: Courtesy Michael Hruska
Date and time
Thursday, Sept. 19, 7 p.m.

Flower Piano concert, with 12 pianos you can play 

Classical, jazz, and choir groups, plus amateur ivory-ticklers, fill SF’s most pastoral place with music.

A man performs on a grand piano under the shade of trees in a park as a diverse crowd sits on the grass, enjoying the outdoor concert on a sunny day.
The 2023 Flower Piano event in Golden Gate Park. | Source: Courtesy Travis Lange
Date and time
Friday, Sept. 20, at 12, 1, and 4 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 21-22, at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Neo-Futurists perform 30 plays in 60 minutes

The 10-year reunion show for SF’s fast-paced gonzo theater troupe.

Date and time
Friday-Saturday, Sept. 20-21, 9 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 22, 3 p.m.

Oktoberfest block party

Live music, traditional games, and endless beer flow in SF’s first open-container “entertainment zone.”

Date and time
Friday, Sept. 20, 2-10 p.m.

Museum of Craft and Design’s Neon Summer Party

Neon glass-bending demos, interactive mixology, and art exhibits in the Dogpatch.

A woman demonstrates glass-blowing, holding rods over a flame, while a group of onlookers closely watches her. The background features a neon sign saying "you are here".
A glass-bending demonstration at the San Francisco Museum of Craft and Design. | Source: Courtesy MCD
Date and time
Friday, Sept. 20, 5 p.m.

Greek Food Festival

Traditional music and dance performances, plus way more than gyros, at Annunciation Cathedral in the Mission.

Date and time
Friday-Sunday, Sept. 20-22, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Portugal. The Man free concert

The “Feel It Still” rockers play in front of City Hall in the sequel to June’s Fred Again/Skrillex takeover.

Date and time
Friday, Sept. 20, 7 p.m.

More Than 2 Blocks of Art

Market Street lights up with a festival of exhibits at bars, restaurants, hotels, and theaters.

Date and time
Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 21-22, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

ArtSpan Open Studios

Some 75 artists open their studios to visitors.

Website
ArtSpan
Date and time
Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 21-22, 11 a.m.

Goldfish and Bag Raiders headline free concert in Union Square

Expect saxophone riffs, bouncy synths, and half-billion-play hits like “Shooting Stars” from artists whose tickets usually cost at least $50.

Date and time
Saturday, Sept. 21, 2 p.m.

How Weird Street Faire

Dress funky and dance through SoMa at the 25th annual celebration of SF’s strangeness, with 9 DJ stages.

Date and time
Saturday, Sept. 21, 12 to 8 p.m.
Address
Howard St.

Europe in the Park

Choirs, orchestras, dancers, and food from the Continent take over Golden Gate Park for a cultural festival.

Date and time
Saturday, Sept. 21, 2 to 6 p.m.

Heart of the Richmond night market

Clement Street will swell with food vendors, local merchants, and musical performances in the neighborhood’s last night market of the year.

Date and time
Saturday, Sept. 21, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

House of Tarot immersive party with Beats Antique

Debauchery and mysticism meet at a music, belly dance, and theater extravaganza.

Date and time
Saturday, Sept. 21, 7 p.m.
Address
88 5th St.

Goldfish afterparty at the intimate Cafe Du Nord

Get a second dose of live sax dance music at this tiny underground music hall in Duboce.

Date and time
Saturday, Sept. 21, 9 p.m.

Hackers’ movie-themed rave

Hack the planet! DJs pack a secret location to exalt the 1995 cyberpunk masterpiece. 

Date and time
Saturday, Sept. 21, 10 p.m.

Cole Valley Fair block party

A family-friendly street festival with food, music, art, and vintage cars at the foot of Mount Sutro.

Date and time
Sunday, Sept. 22, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Address
Cole St.

Chinatown Lion Dance Festival

Giant puppets perform acrobatics, with eight performing groups, including former U.S. lion dance champions.

The image shows a vibrant street parade with performers in colorful lion costumes, lead by a bright yellow lion, accompanied by participants waving red and yellow flags.
Members of the Toishan Benevolent Association lion dance team participate in the Oakland Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade. | Source: Philip Pacheco for The Standard
Date and time
Sunday, Sept. 22, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Money in SF Politics

The senior editor of Mission Local breaks down the impact of campaign finance on policy in a talk at the gorgeous 1920s HQ of the Wayback Machine.

Date and time
Monday, Sept. 23, 6 p.m.