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Culture

20 fun things to do this week, from a rock-climbing fest to MC Hammer’s charity concert

What’s worth checking out? We’ll help you choose.

A crowd gathers under a giant hanging disco ball.
Downtown’s all-ages First Thursdays street party has food, drag, and DJs. | Source: Morgan Ellis/The Standard
Culture

20 fun things to do this week, from a rock-climbing fest to MC Hammer’s charity concert

What’s worth checking out? We’ll help you choose.

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 on your phone (a third-party service).

Downtown First Thursdays block party

The monthly shindig fills Second Street with a headlining set by Raymix, plus DJs, bands, vendors, drag performers, and open-air bars.

Three women look at jewelry at an artisan's booth.
Local artisans showcase their creations. | Source: Morgan Ellis/The Standard
Website
RSVP
Date and time
Thursday, Sept. 4, 5 p.m.

Hump! Adult short film fest

Dan Savage’s legendary sex-positive indie festival returns with 22 silly, creative, and kinky short films that are much more art than porn.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Thursday, Sept. 4, to Saturday, Sept. 13

Off the Grid Fort Mason night market

SF’s biggest night market returns with food trucks, more than 100 vendors, DJs, and outdoor bars by the seaside. Come early to dodge the food lines.

Off the Grid's food truck market at Fort Mason Center is always a hit. | Courtesy Off the Grid
Website
Details
Date and time
Friday, Sept. 5, 5 to 10 p.m.

North Beach First Fridays art crawl

More than a dozen galleries, bars, and restaurants stay open late with art shows, musical performances, and poetry readings in the old Beatnik neighborhood.

Website
Details
Date and time
Friday, Sept. 5, 5 to 9 p.m.

Bar Part Time block party

The Mission wine bar celebrates its fourth year with an extremely vibey sunset block party at Mercury Cafe (plus an after-party back at BPT).

Website
Details
Date and time
Friday, Sept. 5, 5 p.m.

The North Face climb festival

A two-day rock-climbing fest with a 45-foot wall over water, pro and paraclimbing competitions, DJ sets, and a talk with Alex Honnold of “Free Solo.”

Website
Details
Date and time
Friday, Sept. 5, and Saturday, Sept. 6

Direct to Earth warehouse party

A rave with two rooms of Funktion-One and EAW sound celebrating 14 years of the DTE crew, featuring international techno heavyweights spinning till the wee hours.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Friday, Sept. 5, 10 p.m.

Plaza Palooza with Fantastic Negrito

FiDi’s Levi’s Plaza comes alive with a plant market, food tastings, and a concert from Grammy winner Fantastic Negrito.

Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz of Fantastic Negrito always brings the grooves. | Source: Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images
Website
Tickets
Date and time
Saturday, Sept. 6, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Honey Dijon party at sunset

The global house icon throws her biggest SF party yet with a sunset set at Treasure Island’s Gold Bar, featuring sweeping views of the city.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Saturday, Sept. 6, 2 p.m.

SF Sapphic Pride block party

A new queer street fest takes over Harrison with drag, DJs, food trucks, tarot, and beautification stations running all evening.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Saturday, Sept. 6, 4 to 10 p.m.

Bay Area Rocks! Guardsmen benefit concert

A star-studded charity concert features host MC Hammer and members of Santana, Boston, Jefferson Starship, and more, raising funds for Bay Area kids.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Saturday, Sept. 6, 4 p.m.

Homunculus rave

The .NET Framework crew transforms a secret space into a surreal laboratory for a kooky night of techno and electro with Tom Marsi and more.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Saturday, Sept. 6, 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Mostly Cloudy baile funk rave

Brazilian DJ Kebra headlines this global club meets baile funk after-hours rave.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Saturday, Sept. 6, 10 p.m.

Haight Ashbury street fair

The 46th annual event fills the street with more than 200 vendors, dozens of bands on two stages, a skate jam, and a special kid’s area with a jumpy house.

A guitarist plays in front of a crowded street.
Punk bands and more take over the Haight on Sunday. | Source: Haight Ashbury Street Fair
Website
Details
Date and time
Sunday, Sept. 7, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

World Arts West dance festival

The finale of the three-weekend festival features Filipino spirit ceremonies, Haitian dance workshops, and performances from Oakland’s Dimensions Dance Theater.

Website
Register
Date and time
Sunday, Sept. 7, 1 p.m.

Opera in the Park

SF Opera celebrates the 50th anniversary of this free Golden Gate Park tradition with Eun Sun Kim conducting at Robin Williams Meadow.

Website
Details
Date and time
Sunday, Sept. 7, 1:30 p.m.

Tech bro duel to fix ‘the ratio’

A parody showdown in Golden Gate Park in which oiled-up tech bros strap on giant inflatable boxing gloves to battle for honor, absurdity, and fixing “the ratio.”

Website
Details
Date and time
Sunday, Sept. 7, 2 to 5 p.m.

Daytime Disco with Poolside

Union Square turns into a dance floor with a set from lounge rockers Poolside as part of SF’s free civic concert series.

Website
Details
Date and time
Sunday, Sept. 7, 2 p.m.

‘Hole’: Experimental beach theater

The SF Neo-Futurists stage an outdoor, site-specific theater experiment in which the cast and audience dig a pit on the beach amid humor and drama.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Sunday, Sept. 7; Sunday, Sept. 14; Sunday, Sept. 21; 2 and 5 p.m.

Chinatown after dark: Decompression

The basement club Lion’s Den welcomes back Burners with a Nu Tekno party featuring DJs joined by live instrumentation.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Wednesday, Sept. 8, 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.