Manny’s, 3092 16th Street
Friday, July 29 | Free
Sometimes liking an infographic on Instagram isn’t enough to achieve the shifts you want to see in the world. There are many battles to be fought, like climate change, the right to legally have an abortion, and an increase in hate crimes, to name a few.
“Rage can be converted to powerful energy. We’ve grieved. We stared in disbelief. We have just been crying because all is lost,” said Precious Green, director of programming for Manny’s. “Now it’s time for us to move beyond that and recognize that we have not surrendered our power, we have not surrendered ourselves, we can do something.”
One place where you can do that in San Francisco is Manny’s. Since 2017, the Mission cafe has served as a community space for civic engagement—think of Manny’s as a living room for all of San Francisco’s stakeholders, but with artists, politicians and activists perched on the couches. This Friday, the team at Manny’s is organizing its first big Activism Fair. There will be over 10 local organizations to advise how you can advocate for various issues and communities. And that’s not it. There will be live music and a thrift store pop-up from Moody Goose Vintage. Attendees can shop, listen to music and learn how to amplify their voices.
Twenty-two-year-old Angelina Polselli, Manny’s event manager, has always been told to go out and vote, “but there’s so much more to making a change than voting.”
Activism is hands-on—it requires collective energy to campaign, disrupt and reform political and social beliefs that do not serve the interest of the community as a whole. San Francisco is known for sticking up for what’s right, but if you’re new to the city, you may not know where to start, and that’s where Manny’s Activism Fair steps in.
—Rosalie Tapavalu
Chambers, 601 Eddy St.
Monday, July 25, 6 – 8 p.m. | $35
The San Francisco Women’s Political Committee is kicking off the week by celebrating its 20th anniversary. “Summer In the City” will honor San Francisco’s women leaders who have been advocating for local communities throughout the pandemic to help the city recover from food and shelter insecurity. (MM)
Congregation Sherith Israel, 2266 California St.
Tuesday, July 26, 7 – 8:30 p.m. | $10
The Presidio of San Francisco might be your favorite place for sweeping vistas, having picnics or biking, but it’s also a favorite place to dig—for more than curious toddlers. Join Georgie DeAntoni for an evening history talk focusing on the Spanish and Mexican colonial site of the original fort, El Presidio de San Francisco in the late 18th century. El Presidio de San Francisco was Spain’s northern-most outpost and one of the oldest military installations on the west coast. For years, the Presidio’s archaeology team has been researching and digging up the history of the neighborhood. (JT)
Virtual
Thursday, July 28, 6 – 7:30 p.m. | $5
The Asian Art Museum is screening films by California College of the Arts luminaries TT Takemoto and Việt Lê. Grounded in their shared queer identities with close ties to the East Asian and Southeast Asian diasporas, the filmmakers play with archival footage and use experimental cinema to subvert how queer people have been historically depicted in media. Stills taken from the filmmakers’ oeuvres reveal androgynous figures in floor-length chromatic skirts, metallic armbands and white-petalled gowns gliding beneath industrial columns of cement. A fusion of futurism and couture, the costuming alludes to a world where queer people are intimately and fantastically cut loose from time and space. (BF)
Teen Nights at India Basin
India Basin Shoreline, Hunters Point Blvd. & Hawes St.
Friday, July 29, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. | Free
The India Basin Shoreline is undergoing a massive restoration that will add an abundance of outdoor activities when it is finished in 2024. Events like Teen Nights for youth ages 13 to 18 at India Basin are temporarily activating the space in the interim thanks to organizations like BMAGIC and the A. Phillip Randolph Institute. Beginning this Friday, a free event will bring to the park a few food trucks, an inflatable obstacle course, live DJ’s and more. If you can’t make it this week, the event will also take place on the following Fridays—Aug. 5 and 12. (MM)
Virtual
July 30 & 31 | Free
Join the 2022 Childfree Convention for a peek into living without kids. This event features over 55 international speakers in 24 topic panels, with two halftime shows. This two-day event will offer numerous presentations on the child-free lifestyle, like “Defining Family” and “Child-free Abroad: Travel or Transplant.” To participate in the convention, it is not a requirement to be child-free. They even have panels for people considering the childfree lifestyle called “Fencesitters.” The convention aims to spread awareness that having children is a decision, not a mandate, and aims to address the growing pressure on individuals to have children as a means of reproducing, according to their Facebook page. Their goal is to create a judgment-free zone to discuss the ins and outs of being child-free. (XL)
Bayview Makers Market
All Good Pizza, 1805 Jerrold Ave.
Saturday, July 30, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Free
From the food we eat to the products we buy, so much of what is “local” in the Bay Area originates from Bayview. For more than 200 years, the Bayview district of San Francisco has been a center for makers, producers, purveyors and distributors. Numerous businesses can be found in the city’s nearly 4-square-mile southeastern area. Next Saturday, the “makers of Bayview” are returning to All Good Pizza for the seasonal Bayview Makers Market. The event will feature Bayview-produced perishable goods like homemade pasta, cookies, meats, beer, wine and more. There will also be live music and art. (MM)
San Francisco County Fair Building, 1199 9th Ave.
July 30 & 31, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | $8
Living in an urban city, it can be easy to forget the natural beauty around us. San Francisco Orchid Society wants to remind you. At their summer sale event, Orchids in the Park, you can live out your fantasy of living in the countryside as you peruse 16 different plant vendors from around the Bay Area. It’s the perfect way to support small businesses while adding more plant babies to your growing collection. (CE)
Manny’s, 3092 16th St.
Saturday, July 30, 4 – 7 p.m. | $20
Maybe the best way to learn about politics is through a happy hour drag show. Grab a nice drink alongside San Francisco’s most politically engaged queens, leading activists, organizers, elected officials and others to enjoy this event for democracy. In a political drag show, you won’t only get some sassy lip-syncing and choreography to some of the best pop songs—you may even feel inspired to openly talk about political issues in a setting that is inviting to all opinions. Manny’s invites you to start getting ready for the upcoming November general election, so come with family and friends to make sure your voice is heard on the measures that are slated to be on the ballot this fall. (YM)
Jaranita, 3340 Steiner St.
Sunday, July 31, 2022, 12 – 3 p.m. | $45
Jaranita is a popular Peruvian spot in the Marina. Its name roughly translates to “street celebration.” In honor of Peru’s Independence Day on July 28, the restaurant is honoring its name by hosting—you guessed it— a party, complete with Cebiche Clasico bites, El Cholito del Marina cocktails and a live band. The admission price includes four food and drink tickets, with additional tickets available on-site for purchase. Bonus: If you put all those tickets toward cocktails, there’ll be a chance to dance along with the band. (CE)