Fall has well and truly arrived in San Francisco. The days are getting shorter, Halloween decorations are appearing in stores and there is a chill in the increasingly foggy air.
But does that mean that there is less to do in the city? Not a chance. Here’s our weekly round-up of the best the Mission — and the wider world of San Francisco — has to offer.
Litquake 2021
Litquake is back.
San Francisco’s favorite literary festival runs from October 7 to 23, and features talks with writers, teaching materials for kids, poetry readings and even philosophical musings on the nature of AI and literature. You can find a list of all 80+ events lined up over the next few weeks on the Litquake website.
Last year, Covid-19 kept the festival online. This time around, there will be a mix of in-person and virtual gatherings. There are also a mix of free and paid events.
At the end of the festival, the annual Lit Crawl will return to the Mission. Local businesses like Dog Eared Books and Mission Comics will host the boozy, bookish expedition. You can plan your own route through the crawl using this schedule.
Fleet Week
Keep your eyes on the skies this weekend. From now until Sunday, San Francisans will be treated to a series of air shows from the organizers of Fleet Week.
You may well have seen (or, more likely, heard) the Blue Angels practicing earlier today. The U.S. Navy show squadron will be making an appearance at 3 p.m. every day from Friday until the end of the weekend. Tickets are available to watch from Marina Green, but it should be hard to miss these machines wherever you are in the city.
If you do head to Marina Green, make the most of the STEM Center, an interactive education program aimed to inspire an interest in technology in children of all ages. The program will start at 10 a.m. from Friday to Sunday.
Youth Bike Skills
Grassroots organizations PODER and Bicis Del Pueblo are running a bike skills course for youth of color at In Chan Kaajal Park this Friday. The course began last week, but newcomers are still being invited, and it will run every Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. until mid-November.
The course is free, and bikes are being provided for young people who don’t have their own. Youths will be taught riding as well as some basic repair and maintenance skills, and will go on excursions to build up their confidence riding in the city.
Anyone interested can sign up here.
“Positive Vibes” Pop-Up Exhibition
Who couldn’t use some positive vibes this weekend?
Oakland-based artist Steve Javiel is showing his latest work at the Voss Gallery on 24th Street this Friday from 5 to 8pm. If you can’t make the opening, you can see the artist in action the next day; Javiel will be live-painting a new piece from 1 to 6 p.m. on Saturday.
You can sign up for free tickets here.
Making Visible the Connections
At 6:15 p.m. on Friday, the Mission-based California Institute of Integral Studies is hosting a virtual art opening.
Making Visible the Connections was created by Ben Jones and William Rhodes, who are separated by 3,000 miles but connected by their passion for storytelling. You can take part in the artwork’s first public showing by joining the Zoom room on their website.
Latino Arts planning session
Next year will be the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts’ 45th anniversary, and it is holding a planning session for the upcoming celebrations this Saturday.
If you are interested in shaping next year’s milestone events, you can join the meeting on Zoom at 11 a.m. via the MCCLA website.
‘PLAY†PREY’
It’s a good weekend to be a fan of the arts. This Saturday at 6 p.m., Telematic Gallery, at 323 10th St., is opening its latest moving-picture marvel: “PLAY†PREY,” an immersive, multi-channel movie about God, the church, and queer Black children.
If you can’t make it for opening night, there will be plenty of other opportunities to catch the experience over the next few weeks. You can find the schedule here.
Reggae Sunday
A whole host of local artists are bringing live music back to San Francisco out at the Golden Gate Park Bandshell this Sunday. Part of a concert series put on by Illuminate and the San Francisco Parks Alliance, the theme of this weekend’s gig is reggae.
The concert, which will be free and open air, runs from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Find out more here and make sure not to miss this display of home-grown San Francisco talent.
Valencia corridor cleanup
If you are looking for ways to brighten up our community this weekend, you could join the conscientious folks at the Valencia Corridor litter-pick at 10 a.m. this Sunday.
The group will be meeting at the Mission Playground (850 Valencia St). You can sign up here to register your interest before you drop by.
I hope kids learning to ride will be taught about pedestrian safety, since they will be riding on the sidewalk. On Sept. 23, I was knocked down by an adult cyclist riding on the sidewalk at 17th and Guerrero, resulting in fractured hip, broken elbow and face lacerations. I underwent hip replacement surgery, spent 5 days at SF General and am now in rehab learning to walk, climb steps, do things with my left hand, etc . It will be a long road to a full (hopefully) recovery.
I’m confused as to why you are promoting the Blue Angels without mentioned carbon emissions and militarism. Not to mention the terror they inspire in many people who have lived in war zones.
¡Viva los Angeles Azules!
I don’t think that’s Valencia Street.