Awesome ‘Very SF’ Summer Events!
This summer, San Francisco is awash with incredible, inexpensive events to go dance, sing, eat, and mingle with your neighbors! These are just a few venues and events we love and go to all the time…
FREE Block Parties & Performance Art
A FREE, BLOCK-LONG INTERACTIVE ARTS EXPERIENCE PRESENTED BY MARKET STREET ARTS
JULY 17TH 4-7PM (& Every 3rd Thursday)
MARKET BETWEEN 5TH & 6TH
LINKS: Event Map ✦ Bites & Bevs ✦ Event Photos ✦ After Unstaged ✦ Free RSVP
The Unstaged! outdoor art party is back every 3rd Thursday in 2025! UNSTAGED is a FREE, interactive arts, music, and community experience for absolutely everyone. On July 17th, tap into creativity and explore visual arts with Market Street Arts in Mid-Market’s Entertainment Zone. Performing & Painting artists: Ariel Rivera, Erik Barrios-Recendez, Evie Harra, Shrey Purohit, Wally Corona, Bea Byrne, NehaXStitch, Ambika Jain, OBSIDIENNE OBSURD, Shovelman, Suki Berry, & The Genie.
Celebrating The Roots of Pasifika
7/24 | The Commons at KQED | 2601 Mariposa St, SF | 7 p.m. | $18.67
There’s nothing more SF than KQED! Join us for an unforgettable celebration of Pacific Islander culture, as KQED teams up with Pacific Islands Together to spotlight the vibrant influence of Pacific Islanders in the Bay Area! Dive into an evening of lively dance, enriching conversations and incredible stories that celebrate the heart and soul of these communities. Don’t miss out — come be part of this dynamic event and experience the power of Pacific Islander culture like never before.
Lineup
- Siufofoga o le Moana – The Samoan Wellness Initiative Choir
- Chris Niu & Tongans Rise Up
- Hui Tarava
- Keolalaulani Hālau ‘Ōlapa O Laka (KHOOL)
- Pacific Islander Youth Alliance (PIYA) from the Samoan Community Development Center
Get your tickets here.
BHANGRA & BEATS NIGHT MARKET
Friday, July 25 | 5–10PM at Sacramento & Front St. | Downtown SF
Move to the beats of the Bay, taste delicious street food cuisines, sip cocktails, shop from unique local artisans, and celebrate San Francisco’s cultural renaissance – all while gazing at the moon rising above the stunning Downtown San Francisco skyline at Bhangra & Beats Night Market.
Happening on two Fridays in 2025 from 5pm-10pm, this FREE event will transform four City blocks into a vibrant marketplace for the delight of locals and visitors alike. Bhangra & Beats is the official destination for the City and County of San Francisco’s Diwali Celebration on October 24th.
Info Here
The 1st Ever Broke-Ass Stuart Picnic!
Sunday, July 27th from noon to 4pm
FREE
Picnic in the park with your favorite writers, busboys, bartenders, artists and weirdos, we’ll all hang out and have a fantastic San Francisco afternoon!
More info about potluck, drinks, and location, join the BAS Patreon right here.
Up Your Alley 2025
7/27 | Folsom St | 1286 Folsom St, SF | 11 a.m. | Free, 18+
Up Your Alley returns to the infamous streets of SOMA! Come get twisted with Steamworks, dance to our hot DJs and with our hotter gogos, watch kink and bondage demos that will blow your mind, cruise the artisan goods at our vendors, and get dirty at San Francisco’s notorious leather and kink block party.
Valencia LIVE! | Aug 14th
Every 2nd Thursday
A free, monthly neighborhood celebration on Valencia Street with live music, dancing, art-making and more.
See you in the streets for Valencia LIVE! A FREE, all-ages monthly neighborhood celebration spotlighting local businesses, live music, and art.
On Valencia Street between 16th and 19th Streets—in the American Indian Cultural District—the second Thursday of every month from May to October of 2025 from 5-10pm.
- Explore happenings, happy hours, and deals at local businesses
- Check out the American Indian Cultural District IndigenizeSF Craft Market
- Savor local food and delicious drinks
- Shop with amazing brick and mortars
- Dance to live music in the streets curated by Carnaval SF, Blondie’s and The Chapel
- Make art, play games, and hang out!
Info & RSVP Here.
Amazing EATS & DRINKS!
Empanada Showdown
8/5 | The Commons at KQED | 2601 Mariposa St, SF | 7 p.m. | In-Person: $24.38 ($20 ticket + fees)
From Chile to Argentina to the Philippines, empanadas are a staple; but how did each region come up with their own version?
Discover the various forms of empanadas with three locally rooted Bay Area chefs and taste their comforting creations as you learn how different cultures make their own deliciously filled concoction of vegetables, spices, proteins and flour.
Fresh Glass Uncorked: Wine Tasting and Conversation
8/16 | The Commons KQED | 2601 Mariposa St, SF | 2 p.m. | In-Person: $91.77 ($79 ticket + fees)
Join us for a live edition of Fresh Glass, the Emmy Award–winning series that celebrates flavor, culture and entrepreneurship.
Host Cassandra Schaeg will maestro the conversation with special guests like Fern Stroud, founder of Black Vines, Robin McBride, co-founder of The McBride Sisters Wine Company, and co-owners of the hottest new San Francisco restaurant, Meski, top Chef Nelson German, and Guma Fassil.
Affordable Rock & Revelry
US Air Guitar National Finals
7/26 | The Independent | 628 Divisadero St, SF | 9 p.m. | $32.47, All ages
San Francisco will host the National Finals for the first time since 2008. Regional Air Guitar Champions from twenty cities across the United States will converge to battle it out in the Bay. The winner will be crowned the 2025 US Air Guitar Champion and will proceed to represent the United States at the Air Guitar World Championships in Finland. This is the Super Bowl of Air Guitar.
Alameda Rock & Roll Flea Market
7/26 | Faction Brewing | 2501 Monarch St, Alameda | 10 a.m. | $6.79, All ages
Little Steven’s Underground Garage, DJ Sid Presley, Faction Brewing, and Satay By The Bay SF invite you and the family to step into a vibrant and eclectic world where local food, craft beer, live music, and vintage collectors converge for a full day of entertainment.
Jerry Day
8/2 | Jerry Garcia Amphitheatre | 40 John F Shelley Dr, SF | 11 a.m. | Free
Friends of Jerry Garcia Amphitheater present the 23rd Annual Jerry Day, San Francisco’s civic and cultural celebration of native son and one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time, founding member of The Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia, on Saturday, August 2 at the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater in San Francisco’s Excelsior District. Marking several significant anniversaries – the 60th anniversary of the founding of The Grateful Dead, the 30th anniversary of Garcia’s death and the 20th anniversary of the naming of the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater – this free event draws new and long-time fans to celebrate the musician’s artistry and his indelible legacy. Featured performers include Melvin Seals and JGB, with fiddle player Mads Tolling, and Stu Allen & Mars Hotel.
A FREE, BLOCK-LONG INTERACTIVE ARTS EXPERIENCE PRESENTED BY MARKET STREET ARTS
Aug 21st 4-7PM (& Every 3rd Thursday)
MARKET BETWEEN 5TH & 6TH
LINKS: Event Map ✦ Bites & Bevs ✦ Event Photos ✦ After Unstaged ✦ Free RSVP
The Unstaged! outdoor art party is back every 3rd Thursday in 2025! UNSTAGED is a FREE, interactive arts, music, and community experience for absolutely everyone. Tap into creativity and explore visual arts with Market Street Arts in Mid-Market’s Entertainment Zone.
See ya out there!
Howdy! My name is Katy Atchison and I'm an Associate Editor for Broke-Ass Stuart.
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