What’s up, everyone? The weather has been especially nice these last few days, and promises to sweep us into a glorious summer. Stay safe against omicron, and then feel free to join in on a few neighborhood events this week (or all of them).
Today’s Mission
Alamo Drafthouse turns 25! The theater first started out in Austin Texas, but our local outlet has become an iconic sight for those living in the Mission District. The theater expects to announce a bunch of new events coming soon.
You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream!
Talk about yum! The Garden Creamery tonight begins serving a new macadamia nut chocolate chip cookie ice cream flavor, meaning that, somewhere, my mother is already drooling. The flavor was inspired by a friend of the store, who was raised on Chamorro chip cookies, with the same flavors, in Guam.
The Garden Creamery is located at 3566 20th St. and is open Thursdays from 6 to 10 p.m., Fridays from 6 to 11 p.m., Saturdays from 1 to 11 p.m., and Sundays from 1 to 9 p.m.
It is also partnering up with other local organizations for a youth event and Meals on Wheels fundraiser this Saturday, May 21. Volunteers will prepare and distribute bags of food for unhoused neighbors. To get involved, check out this link.
Asian food that’s out of this world
Here’s your ping to eat some dank Hawaiian food. Outer Orbit, the Hawaiian restaurant and pinball bar, announced a deal in collaboration with Project By Project San Francisco to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage month. Diners will get a three-course prix-fix meal for $36. If the thought of yakisoba and malasadas makes you drool as much as it does me, then head on over to 3215 Mission St. near Fair Avenue (Coincidentally, near Mitchell’s Ice Cream).
Visit Wednesdays through Mondays from 5 to 9 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 10:30 p.m. Only people 18 and older are allowed inside, sorry! For more information, contact Outer Orbit at (415) 574-6166, or visit the website here.
The utter possibilities
Milk SF is looking to hire folks who are acquainted with kitchen work and/or who have food-handler experience. If you just want a summer job or are thinking more long-term, don’t hesitate to apply. Starting rate is $17 an hour, and obviously, queer folk are highly encouraged to apply! Send a resume to admin@milk-sf.com .
And, if you’re looking for more play than work, come to bed … Queer Bedtime Stories that is! The show is tonight, Thursday, May 19, at 8 p.m. at the Milk SF cafe. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. It’s free, but the cafe kindly suggests a $5 donation. Cozy up at 302 Valencia St.
The Lab
Mix four days of feature films and add The Lab and you get … a lot of fun! The Lab SF, Bimodal Press and the SF Cinematheque kick off a four-day celebration of music and live cinema in “Gravity Spells II.” Watch how essays, music, film and sound art practices meld together for an eye-popping experience. Twenty-four artists joined forces to put this on, so show some love.
Swing by The Lab at 8:30 p.m. tonight for the first show at $10 apiece. The Lab is located at 2848 16th St. More information here.
Mild Universe, heavy Makeout sesh
The disco pop band Mild Universe, founded by CoffeeShop’s lovely barista, Sam, plays one of its last shows in a while tonight at the Makeout Room. The last time I watched Mild Universe at Rickshaw Stop was maybe one of the last times I felt joy. Be prepared for groovy outfits, killer vocals, and a fun, dance-filled time. Don’t miss out!
The performance is in conjunction with Oakland artist James Wavey, who celebrates their album release.
Show is at 7 p.m. at the Makeout Room on 3225 22nd Street. The bar/club is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. More information here.
Folks, the weekend
Public banking
The more you know, the better. For those interested in public banking — a bank that’s under government control — you’re in luck. Thomas Marois, a political economist and author, is presenting in front of the San Francisco Local Agency Formation Commission on the San Francisco government channel Friday at 10 a.m. The concept has been gaining interest in political discussions, specifically after Supervisor Dean Preston introduced legislation to start opening a public bank in San Francisco last June. Tune into the discussion on SFGovTV.
Sunday Streets hits the Bayview
The Sunday Streets streak continues, and this time, it extends to the sunny side of Sunnyside! See the new route along Oakdale Avenue, Lane Street, Keith Street and Third Street, and pop in for some activities on Revere Avenue and Yosemite Avenue.
Multiple community groups, like the Bayview Senior Services and SF African American Arts and Cultural District, will host a lineup of jazz, blues, and soul music and there will be plenty of outdoor activities like baseball and rock climbing for the kiddos. In addition, there will be a “Portraits of Bayview” exhibit and performances inside the historic Bayview Opera House.
That’s not enough? How about some free kites, food, massage therapy, and, frankly, just a chance to touch some grass? Plus, city leaders like Supervisor Shamann Walton will give remarks at noon.
Don’t miss out. The event is Sunday May 22, from 11 to 4 p.m. Go here for more information.
Mark your calendars
Return of the Carnaval
You already know that Carnaval is coming back to the Mission. Even better? For the first time in the pandemic, the parade returns. Carnaval could also be the first street fair in California to allow legal cannabis use, if permits receive approval.
Why not celebrate by soaking up those deals and giving back to the community? Calle 24 Latino Cultural District has listed numerous storefronts on the street that are giving generous discounts during Carnaval weekend or the month of May. A few recently highlighted are:
Luz de Luna at 3182 24th St. is giving 20 percent off masks and 10 percent off earrings for the whole month.
Diju Jewelry at 3247 24th St. takes off 20 percent on all silver jewelry on Carnaval weekend.
Shipyard K-9 Supplies at 3160 24th St. are selling doggie water bottles half off.
Mixcoatl at 3201 24th St. offers 40 percent off on all clothing.
Compusync at 2865 Mission St. will sell, repair and unlock phones, tablets, and laptops for 10 percent off.
Follow Calle 24’s Instagram for more information and gangas.
The afterparty
After all that Carnaval fun, you’re still not ready to go home? Carnaval understands. That’s why its organizers rounded up the Makeout Room’s superritmo king DJ Kool Kyle, as well as Lando Uno, Ras Rican and Stepwise for an outdoor party outside Curio Bar on Sunday, May 29. Dance it out to a Brazilian band and other musicians, and get yourself a drink if so inclined. The fun is from 4 to 10 p.m. Curio Bar is at 775 Valencia St.
The kids are all right
It’s pretty amazing what high schoolers can accomplish, but don’t take my word for it. Come see the new exhibit at 780 Valencia St., through the Drawing Room’s Annex, which displays hundreds of artworks from hundreds of high school students in San Francisco. As a result of the all the submissions, the gallery’s 5,750-square-foot space is filled with “wonder, expression, process, emotion and beauty,” Renee DeCarlo wrote in an email.
Due to Covid-19 concerns, the opening reception is scheduled for May 28 at 4 to 9 p.m. “The High School Art Show” runs through July 11. Visit the gallery Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Somos esenciales
Let’s take a walk. Acción Latina launches a Paseo Artístico to honor the essential Latinx workers in the neighborhood on June 18, from noon to 6 p.m. Few examples better highlight the mantra “hood takes care of the hood” than the Mission Food Hub, and local theater-maker Paul S. Flores turned the remarkable story into a multimedia performance project. Flores studied 15 Hub volunteers for his performance/research project. Following the show, Flores will talk about mental health and Covid-19 with heads of city departments, San Francisco doctors, writer and activist Adriana Camarena and Food Hub director and founder Roberto Hernandez.
Other fun events on the art walk include poetry at Precita Eyes, a Mission food history tour, music, and a dance film by Vanessa Sanchez and John Leaños called “Ghostly Labor.”
For more information, go here.