This week, the Mission is all about Día de los Muertos. Go out with candles, flowers and mementos of loved ones to celebrate and honor ancestors and those who have passed away.
Oct. 31, Tuesday
Altar exhibit from Precita Eyes Muralists
Attend the special evening viewings of the exhibition on Oct. 31 and Nov. 2 from 5 to 9 p.m. at 2981 24th St.
The altars honor those who have died, with homages to departed siblings, spouses and friends, as well as refugee children, victims of police shootings, and a few San Francisco celebrities.
MCCLA: Calavera Sip N’ Paint
Paint your own calaverita with the guidance of an artist at the Mission Cultural Center on Tuesday from 6 to 9 p.m. Enjoy an evening full of painting, tricks, treats and music.
Tickets are $35 each, which includes a canvas and painting supplies, as well as an empanada, salad, snacks and wine. Find out more information here.
Halloween party at Public Works
Travel back in time to 2012 at the Sorry for Party Rocking Halloween party at Public Works at 161 Erie St. Featuring music between 2010 and 2015 from KE$HA, Rihanna, Black Eyed Peas and more, the party promises to take it back to a simpler time, where pop and dance music went hand in hand at every party.
Costumes from the 2010 to 2015 era are encouraged. The party is free if you RSVP and arrive before 9:30 p.m. and general admission is $20. Purchase tickets here.
Halloween swing bash at Verdi Club
Join the swing dance party at Verdi Club at 2424 Mariposa St. on Tuesday night, dancing to the music from the Curiosity Jazz Band, a tiny ensemble playing the standards of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. Learn your basics at a drop-in basic swing dance lesson at 9 p.m. and then enjoy the live music dance party and an after-hours musicians jam session.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and you can find out more here.
Nov. 2, Thursday
Celebration at Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts
Join the 37th annual Día de los Muertos community celebration at Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts at 2868 Mission St. from 5:30 to 10 p.m.
Festival of Altars at Potrero Del Sol Park
The Marigold Project presents the Festival of Altars and the Ritual Poetry Circle at Potrero Del Sol Park (also known as La Raza Park) located at 25th Street and San Bruno Avenue on Nov. 2.
Five community altars will be erected to symbolize the connection to the earth and ancestors. People are also invited to build personal altars to commemorate an ancestor. Participants can sign up ahead of time to reserve a location to erect an altar.
The altar-building will start at 8 a.m., and ceremonies will take place at noon and 5 p.m. Bring flowers, eight-inch glass prayer candles, and mementos of loved ones to contribute to the Community Altars.
NightLife: Día de los Muertos at Cal Academy of Sciences
Head to the California Academy of Sciences at 55 Music Concourse Dr. in Golden Gate Park to honor departed souls in a night of tradition and connection featuring ballet folklorico, mariachi and more.
Starting from 5:45 p.m., Xiuhcoatl Danza Azteca will kick off the celebration with a traditional Aztec blessing at the main entrance of the museum. The night also features a ballet folklorico performance, rhythms and melodies from Mariachi San Francisco, and face painting sessions with artist Beatriz Zaldivar. The event also hosts more than 20 Latinx vendors selling merchandise from artisanal jewelry to handmade ceramics.
NightLife at California Academy of Sciences is for adults 21 and older. Tickets are $24 and can be purchased here.
Día de los Muertos local tour
Mission Lotería is hosting a guided Mission tour on Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m., where attendees will learn about the rituals of Día de los Muertos and what it means to those who celebrate it.
The tour will start at Artillery Ceramics at 2751 Mission St., where participants will create their own clay calavera with help from ceramicists. The tour then ventures out to explore the Mission, with stops to pick up marigold flowers and buy sugar skulls.
Tickets are $60 and can be purchased here.
Procesión Ritual Día de los Muertos
El Colectivo del Rescate Cultural is organizing a ritual procession at 6 p.m. on Thursday to honor loved ones who have died, starting from the intersection of 22nd and Bryant streets.
At 7 p.m., the ritual procession will begin moving at 22nd and Bryant streets, running through Bryant, 24th, Mission and 22nd streets before ending back where it began.
‘Dia de los Muertos: Transitions‘
Visit Brava Theater to see “Dia de los Muertos: Transitions,” an annual event featuring thought-provoking presentations by Loco Block, Cuicacalli Dance Company and other community-based artists. Free and family friendly, the event explores the themes of Dia de los Muertos from both traditional and cross cultural perspectives.
The event starts at 7 p.m. at 2781 24th St. on Thursday. No registration required.
November 3, Friday
Closing reception for SOMArts’ Día de Los Muertos exhibition
“The Hummingbird’s Visit: Día de Los Muertos 2023,” curated by Rio Yañez and Bridgétt Rex, honors, celebrates, and mourns those whose work has helped to shape lives.
Join the closing reception of the exhibition, which merges traditional altars with contemporary installations, on Nov. 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. at SOMArts Cultural Center at 934 Brannan St.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. The event is free for youth 16 and under.
‘Tell’ at Dance Mission Theater
Circo Zero and Dance Mission Theater present “Tell,” a combination of anti-racist tactics and politically-engaged dance. Co-directed by Sarah Crowell and Keith Hannessy, Tell deals with the messiness, beauty and necessity of multi-racial collaboration.
Creating a space for multi-generational healing, Tell is an experimental process-based approach to both racial healing and dance performance.
The show will take place at Dance Mission Theater at 3316 24th St. on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and on Sunday at 5 p.m.
Tickets are from $0 to $30 and can be purchased here.
November 4, Saturday
Manny’s: ‘Water in the Kettle‘
MoToR/dance’s acclaimed production, “Water in the Kettle,” is set for an encore with two more performances at Manny’s this season. The performance, directed by Evie Ladin, features body music choreography that explores the enduring struggles of modern women and the country. With harmony singing, body percussion and rhythm dance, the multigenerational ensemble harmonizes over polyrhythmic body music.
The one-hour show takes place at Manny’s at 3092 16th St. on Saturday starting at 5 and 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here.
November 5, Sunday
The Marsh: Brian Copeland’s ‘The Waiting Period‘
Head to the Marsh to watch Brian’s Copeland’s “The Waiting Period” on Nov. 5 and Nov. 12 at noon. This show is an unrelenting look at a 10-day period in Copeland’s life — the mandatory 10-day waiting period before he could lay his hands on the newly purchased gun, with which he planned to take his own life.
Copeland, who’s the writer and performer of the show, hopes this very personal, and ultimately redemptive, story will reach people who struggle with depression, and help their loved ones, too.
Tickets are free and can be reserved here.
