The 16 best events in SF this week, from a rooftop dance-off to a Taser knife fight

Outgoers is a weekly column published in partnership with the event newsletter of the same name founded by Josh Constine. Outgoers texts readers a list of San Francisco events and activities worthy of their time. The Standard features those, plus a few extra, every week. Sign up for Outgoers by clicking this link (opens in new tab) on your phone (a third-party service).

Bands, DJs, breakdance battles, and interactive art turn Mid-Market into a cultural playground.

A wild workshop turned arena, where you build a weapon (with expert guidance), then face off in duels.

The experimental collective Rupture premieres a three-hour interactive odyssey of shipwrecks, sirens, techno, and belonging.

A classy night of poolside dancing, DJ sets, and performances by the Glide Ensemble, in support of the nonprofit’s community programs.

A string quartet plays Vivaldi, Debussy, and Tchaikovsky under a sky lit by hundreds of synchronized drones and 20,000 LED candles, for a magical spectacle.

Indie hero and MGMT frontman Andrew VanWyngarden spins a genre-bending DJ set in the basement disco at Monarch.

A late-night dance party with Suhcorro and Yurimagination brings R&B, garage, and club beats downtown.

This family-friendly festival in the Outer Sunset shows off more than 20 bands (including Celtic rock and U2, Doors, and Jimmy Buffett tributes), Irish dancers, food, and kids’ activities.

Enjoy a rare chance to party in Duboce Park with a free afternoon concert and picnic party featuring five local bands.

Bands, lawn games, and food trucks line the art-filled Golden Mile of JFK, hosted by the Bay Lights crew Illuminate.

Who can rock a pro-justice tote bag, analog camera, poetry book, and liberal campaign slogan? After the NYC contest went viral, this should be a scene.

Grant Avenue in Chinatown transforms with parades, performances, and ritual art honoring ancestors and confronting modern-day “demons of our times.”

A five-hour A/V dance party at the Mission’s futuristic art gallery, with sets led by Jon Casey and the closessions squad.

This women-founded and -focused rave tour creates a safe space for dancing to Le Twins.

A secret coastal location hosts this daytime rave with the inclusive 969 collective.

An indoor/outdoor disco hosts a funky day party for house heads who don’t hate the sun.