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Culture

20 events in SF this week, from a Blair Witch rave to the classic Castro Street Fair

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

A group of cheerleaders in red "Cheer San Francisco" shirts perform energetically with pom-poms on a sunny street, while spectators watch in the background.
Performances, food, and art take over the Castro on Sunday. | Source: Jason Henry for The Standard

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).

Performances at SFMOMA

Oakland collective Smartbomb — more than 20 creatives in fields of visual arts, film, music, and poetry — curates a takeover of SFMOMA. Museum entry is free for Bay Area residents from 4 to 8 p.m.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Thursday, Oct. 2, 2:30 to 9 p.m.

Downtown First Thursdays and Front Street hoedown

A massive block party on 2nd Street, with disco, drag, and open-air bars, is just blocks from the hoedown, with line dancing, bluegrass, and a mechanical bull.

Source: Alexa Treviño for SF Standard
Date and time
Thursday, Oct. 2, 5 to 10 p.m.
Address
Locations

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

The legendary free festival in GG Park returns with more than 80 artists across six stages, including Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Nathaniel Rateliff, Lucinda Williams, String Cheese Incident, and Emmylou Harris.

Source: Special to The Standard
Website
Schedule
Date and time
Friday, Oct. 3 to Sunday, Oct. 5
Address
Venue map

Aerial dance tribute

Flyaway Productions presents a free aerial dance recital honoring the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot of 1966, with performers suspended from cables on the side of buildings.

A person in a bright green jacket and patterned black-and-white pants appears to float mid-air in a white corner, holding a small blue radio.
Source: Flyaway Productions
A person in a flowing yellow outfit is suspended horizontally against a white wall by ropes and harnesses, with shadows cast below.
Source: Flyaway productions
Date and time
Friday, Oct. 3, and Saturday, Oct. 4; Thursday, Oct. 9, to Saturday, Oct. 11; performances at 7:30 and 8:30 p.m.

North Beach First Fridays

Celebrate Italian Heritage Month with music on Grant, poetry in Kerouac Alley, a Club Fugazi circus teaser, and special exhibits across dozens of North Beach galleries and bars.

Date and time
Friday, Oct. 3, 5 to 9:30 p.m.
Address
Locations

Klangphonics

This Berlin trio blurs the lines between live band and DJs to produce kinetic electronic music with real instruments.

Website
Info
Date and time
Friday, Oct. 3, 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Circus on the square

Step right up to St. Mark’s Square for Circus Bella’s free outdoor show, with acrobats, clowns, cotton candy, face painting, and family games.

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Date and time
Saturday, Oct. 4, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Glow Up daytime dance party

Dance under the sun at Rincon’s Aura Cafe, with Golden Canopy spinning progressive house over seasonal drinks and free coffee cocktails for early arrivers.

Website
RSVP
Date and time
Saturday, Oct. 4, 12 p.m.

One Family block party

Celebrate Bruce Lee’s legacy in Chinatown with rappers, DJ sets, and a martial arts lecture and demos.

Website
Info
Date and time
Saturday, Oct. 4, 1 to 4 p.m.

Women of Rodeo

Women of Rodeo” is a competition for today’s cowgirls, who strive for excellence in the arena, and also serve as timekeepers, registration admins, pick up women, and promoters of the sport. Each year the Cow Palace honors women who have been significant contributors to the Cow Palace and rodeo in art, production, photography, equity, and promotion.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Saturday, Oct. 4, 6 to 9 p.m.

‘Coco’ in Duboce Park

Bring a blanket and enjoy some Día de los Muertos magic under the stars with a free outdoor screening of Pixar’s “Coco.”

Date and time
Saturday, Oct. 4, 7 p.m.

Blair Witch-Hop rave

Dress spooky and dance to dubstep, trap, and drum and bass, with performers, a costume contest, and a haunted craft market.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Saturday, Oct. 4, 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Garage Access dance party

SF’s U.K.-style dance music crew Garage Access brings Brighton’s Bushbaby to Monarch, with high-energy support from Dan Frandisco and others.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Saturday, Oct. 4, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Mira

Berlin phenom Mira brings her hypnotic deep house and sultry techno set to Great Northern, with Rooz opening.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Saturday, Oct. 4, 9:30 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Zerb

Brazilian chart-topping dance music star Zerb, one of Spotify’s most-streamed artists of 2025, headlines, with opener Karisma in an SF debut.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Saturday, Oct. 4, 10 p.m.

Art Span open studios

Meet the makers and see their work at open studios across North Beach, Downtown, Duboce, Marina, Hayes Valley, and other neighborhoods.

Website
Art Span
Date and time
Saturday, Oct. 4, and Sunday, Oct. 5
Address
Map

Castro Street Fair

The Castro Street Fair is still going strong 51 years after Harvey Milk started the event to fill the neighborhood with music, local vendors, and community stages.

A man performs an acrobatic pole move, gripping it upside down, while a woman in a swimsuit applauds nearby. Tents and people fill the sunny street scene.
Source: Jason Henry for The Standard
Date and time
Sunday, Oct. 5, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunday Streets SoMa

The city turns SoMa into a giant car-free walking street full of concerts, crafts, and uniquely SF culture, for those who find Folsom Street Fair a bit too spicy.

Date and time
Sunday, Oct. 5, 12 to 4 p.m.

Public Works 15-year anniversary party

The Mission club celebrates with a new Sunday monthly event, “The Attic,” featuring SF house and soul legend David Harness.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Sunday, Oct. 5, 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.

A conversation with Kamala Harris

Harris recounts the wild 2024 presidential race with stories from her new book, “107 Days” (copy included with ticket), and an audience Q&A.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Sunday, Oct. 5, 7 p.m.

Tech week drone show

Combining drones over the bay and projections on the Ferry Building, this will be one of the nation’s largest light art shows.

Website
RSVP
Date and time
Wednesday, Oct. 8, 7 p.m.