COOL HAPPENINGS ~ rad / unique / authentic ~ Bay Area
-<<< MAY >>>[Until-May5th : Berkeley] APPETITE OBSCURE: TEST KITCHEN "In this workshop we will work in pairs to create a series of food-based interactions. We will get into our bodies and keep things moving, rotating partners every few minutes with each new prompt. No experience or preparation is required, and all ingredients will be provided for you. The goal of this workshop is 1. big fun, 2. creative brainflex, 3. learning tips and techniques from over 10 years of Appetite Obscure. Come kind of hungry but not too hungry. And if you have any particularly fun props or ingredients you want to come share, bring them!" ($5-$20)[5/1-9 : SF ] International Arts festival celebrates the arts by bringing together a global community of artists and audiences[5/3 : Oakland] hoodslam // Faith in Monsters cosplay pro-wrestling (30$)[5/3 : Oakland ] First Fridays Oakland Art Murmur art night, galleries, music, food, street art[5/3 : SF ] First Fridays Northbeach Art night art night, galleries, music, street art5/4 : SF Stories that Make Us a gathering to meet/chat/hang with some talented filmmakers regarding their work involving creative social movements. ($25 +)5/4 : Free Comic Book day The Berkeley Public Library will be giving away hundreds of free comics in celebration of Free Comic Book Day. Free comics will be available for children, teens, and adults at all library locations, while supplies last!5/4 : SF THIS Weird! (an unofficial How Weird afterparty) Prepare yourselves for a night of circus-themed wonderment, where the extraordinary becomes the norm and the impossible becomes reality! 7-hour back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back DJ marathon! It's a musical journey like no other, brought to you by your favorite Bay Area clown DJs! ($25)5/4 : Berkeley Bloomining Hallucination: Technology as Nature artists group show (Free)[5/8 : Berkeley 6:30-8 ]Berkeleyside Idea Makers "Join us for Berkeleyside’s Idea Makers on May 8 at BAMPFA for an immersive, lively conversation on plant-based meats, foraging adventures, and the captivating world of fungi. " Don't miss this evening of discovery, as we explore the diversity, sustainability and deliciousness of food and fungi in the East Bay and beyond.$15-20) ticket holders receive free access to the BAMPFA galleries[ 5/9 : SF, 8:30pm ] The People’s Palace A free performance installation by Joanna Haigood - performed in five 30 minute cycles from 8:00pm to 10:30pm. Aerialists and performers will interact with the architecture and large scale projections, transforming these symbols into new, more inclusive narratives that more accurately reflect San Francisco’s diverse and dynamic cultures and community. Through performance, music, storytelling, and immersive technologies, The People’s Palace invites the audience to actively engage these new narratives, to see themselves within the broader context of the city, and to appreciate the richness of diverse perspectives. (free)[5/9 : Oakland ] Ruckus Revival Circus. Comedy. Carnage. Battle Rap. Burlesque. Interactive mayhem. All of that and MORE “Ruckus is a tent revival for misfits and freaks, those whose artistry or spectatorship has a homespun bent and a bandit streak…a dazzling, inspiring and celebratory display of talent.” ($23 +)[5/9 : SF ] SL❤️TS michelle tea and friends (poetry/lit event)[5/10: East bay, 7:30pm] East Bay Bike Party! location (tba) (free)5/10 : Oakland 510day We Still Here "A day to protest gentrification by celebrating our rich history and culture boldly in public" (free)[5/10-11] Get a Grip! The Stagehand This solo clown show uses physical comedy and circus acts rarely seen in the US such as: plate spinning, jar juggling, 12ft bamboo pole umbrella manipulation. If you don't know what those things are, you better come find out! Be whisked away to a distorted realm of this oddly eccentric "underdog" and their authentic and strange reality! ($25-30)[5/11 : SF ] HYBRID FUTURES Land, Genomics, and Technology Exploring the entanglement of humankind, nature, and technology through cyborg-eco-feminist science-fiction, rooted in real discoveries. @Telematic Media Arts, SF, 323 10th St. @ Folsom SF[5/11:SF 4-6]In Praise of Shadows: Lydia Greer with Facing West Shadows A show of short shadow puppet films. Facing West Shadows (principal members: Lydia Greer (artistic director) and Caryl Kientz (theatrical director) is a collective of artists, puppeteers, filmmakers and musicians hybridizing art forms to create magical acts of rebellion as experimental art that is sustainable in the current gold rush climate of the Bay Area. FWS combines analog shadow theatre with original animation, video projection of found footage and sometimes Opera performed live.[5/10 : SF, 5-10 ] Bhangra and Beats Night Market-2024 Season Kick Off Reinvigorating three city blocks, the Bhangra and Beats Night Market returns to create a lively cultural hub and marketplace. Running from 5 pm to 10 pm, attendees can dive into an electrifying experience, blending the lively rhythms of South Asian Bhangra music by the Non Stop Bhangra collective with a rich tapestry of popular Bay Area music genres showcased across two stages: The Bhangra and Beats Stage and the World Music Stage. (free)[5/14 : SF ][ The Wholesome circle Join a monthly social club centered around your three centers of intelligence: the mind, the heart & the body. Discover More of yourself through a set of interactive activities curated to help you experience what neuroscience says about emotional intelligence and relationship building. ($15-20)[5/14 : SF ]Happy Endings A monthly mixtape of poetry, stories, and comedy, This time on the topic of: Late Bloomers: Getting better with age, coming out “late”, divorce, reinvention, second acts, third acts, metamorphosis, being the last to something, ect[5/14: Oakland hills] False Profit and Priceless Present: Spring Training 2024! "We bring the tunes. You bring the picnic blankets and the dancing. Invite your dogs, your kids, and your friends! Spring Training is more than just a dance party… it’s a community celebration of sunshine and laughter and the seasons. But it still is a dance party,[5/17 : SF ] The Queer Prom: The Enchanted Garden "Ready for a spellbinding evening? Please join us at The Enchanted Garden, where you’ll be transported to a world of twinkling lights, gorgeous drag, live performances, music, a fun photo booth, and more. Don’t forget to don your fairy wings, elf ears, and sparkling outfits—all faeries welcome!" (free)[5/17 : SF] Recology Art show The Artist in Residence Program at Recology San Francisco is thrilled to announce exhibition dates for current artists-in-residence Nicolaus Chaffin, Bryan Keith Thomas, and CCA MFA candidates Kelley Finley and Deena Qabazard. Friday, May 17, 2024 from 5-8pm with performance at 7pm
Saturday, May 18, 2024 from 12-3pm Tuesday, May 21, 2024 from 5-7:30pm with artist talk by Kelley Finley & Deena Qabazard at 6pm (401 Tunnel), Bryan Keith Thomas at 6:30pm (503 Tunnel), and Nicolaus Chaffin at 7pm (503 Tunnel).[5/21 : Oakland] Broken Bone Bathtub: the Documentary is about Siobhan O’Loughlin’s moving one-woman show which she performed in the bathtubs of private residences. Screening followed by discussion with the film maker.[5/24,25 : SF. 9:30Pm,8pm ] MR CHONKERS Solo performance show, Kind of a clown show though not really. Absurd. Simple. Outrageous. Stupid. Fun ($25)[5/24: SF, 8p, 9:30p] A Retrospection: A solo clown play at Church of Clown in San Francisco by Claire Woolner “A frantic and bewildering mash-up of clowning and performance art that is far more accessible and emotional than should be possible’ ($25+)[5/24-26 : SF] Psyched! Radio Tenderloin Music and Arts Festival, spanning May 24th to May 26th. Joining forces with the Tenderloin Community Benefit District and the Office of Economic & Workforce Development, this dynamic three-day event illuminates over 100 local bands, DJ’s, writers, comics and artists across diverse venues. Celebrating the Tenderloin’s rich cultural legacy while amplifying awareness of its ongoing struggles, the festival serves as a poignant tribute to resilience and community spirit.[5/31 : SF] Puppet Summit Puppet storytellers from 3 coasts, join for an interactive weekend of avante garde vingettes, giant puppet building ( with you) and experiementing and play. This is an event that is somewhere between a conference, a party, and a festival.
>>> WEEKLY >>>[Mon-nights : SF] Circuit hacking Monday, @ noisebridge (free)[Mon-nights : SF] Gettin Knit:Knitting Nights Get together on with some very talented and creative knitters. If you can knit (or crochet hooker) or if you want to learn come on by and enjoy the company of like minded folk.[Mon-nights : Oakland, 7:30 ] Women and non-binary coding night @ The Sudo room at Omni Commons (free)[Mon-nights : Oakland, 7-11pm ] [Live west coast blues] The big vic, no cover @ Elis Mile high club - 3629 Martin Luther King Jr Way[Tues-nights : Oakland, 7:30 ] Hardware Hacking Tuesdays @ The Sudo room at Omni Commons (free)[Tues-nights : SF ] SF Writers Workshop drop-in workshop: (free)[Tues-nights : SF ] Contact improv jam at Counter Pulse(5$)Wed-Fri. (11:30am to 5pm), and Sat. (11:00am to 3pm)
The Solano Human project
Can you save humanity from AI while strolling on Solano. It's a city-walk / outdoor-escape-room / alternate-reality-game adventure ($13)[Wednes-nights : Oakland ] Improv Jam, Come together and play. Improv warm ups and scenes. Anyone is welcome to participate (free)[Wednes-morning/Satur-morning : SF ] Garden for the Environment Come volunteer at Garden for the Environment and get your hands dirty! Help keep the garden healthy and thriving and learn to garden.[Thurs-nights : Berkeley ] Contact improv jam at The Finnish Hall] (7$, NOTAFLOF)[Thursnights : Oakland ]THURSDAY NIGHT
PANTHER PROWL free, family-friendly event every Thursday night at the DeFremery Park basketball courts from 6pm to 9pm. It's an official Oakland Parks & Rec program where the community comes together to skate in a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment. There is a rotation of live DJs from the community providing the music and snacks and drinks are provided by members of the community to share with all at no cost.[Fri-nights : Oakland, 5:30-9:30] DAYS LIKE THIS, A community dance party in Oakland bringing joy. @ Lake Merritt Pergola (free)[Fri-nights, Satur-nights, Sun-nights SF] Infinite Wrench, The Neofuturists Ensemble write and perform thirty original plays in sixty minutes. ($20)[Fridays, Saturdays : SF] visit the David Ireland house ($20, NOTAFLOF[Fr-nights: SF, 5:30-7pm] Bollywood Nights at Downtown Rooftop Park: Learn fun, choreographed moves. all-levels Bollywood dance to eclectic music from India while providing an empowering cultural experience. free and open to the public. @ Main Plaza 425 mission[Saturdays : Berkeley, 4-5pm] Inspiration for Perspiration free dancing[Saturdays : Berkeley, 10a-5pm] Aftel Archive of Curious Scents Museum of scents ($25 entree)[Saturdays/Sundays : Berkeley, 11a-6pm] Tilden Park Steam Trains Rideable small locomotives, through redwood forests, tunnels, and miniature towns $3.50[Saturdays](almost every Sat. ; SF) Land, Villains, and Revolutionaries walking toursSun-nights 4-6pm until Clown And Improv Drop In Series Embrace your primal nonsense with clowning. In this eight week drop-in series, Dana Merwin and April Garro introduce basic principles of clown — physicality, emotional expression, audience engagement — to make you a more dynamic improviser and more joyful human.<<< MONTHLY >>>[3rd Mondays :SF] Monthly all-ages Queer Bowling event! Come and bowl for free while enjoying bites from local food pop ups, discounted drinks, DJs, and drag ($10)(2nd Tuesdays: SF] San Francisco Botanical Garden’s Free Day[ First Thurs-nights : SF ] First Thursday Art Walk explore Downtown and Tenderloin galleries.[Last Thursdays : Oakland] Out of Focus TV presents AV Club @ Shapeshifters Cinema A/V Club is a chill hang for folks who want to meet and share film/video/sound/music projects in progress, or recently completed projects—open screening-style. Bring something to show, or just come to watch some cool work, meet some new people and join in conversation.[First Fridays : Oakland. Art murmur in Oakland, Art gallery openings, art booths, street dance, food vendors.
[First Fridays : Northbeach SF] Art night](https://www.instagram.com/northbeachfirstfridaysofficial/) art night, galleries, music, street art[2nd Fridays: East bay, 7:30pm] East Bay Bike Party! location (tba) (free)[2nd Fridays: SF, 6-9pm] SF’s Lowrider Cruise of the Mission (Every 2nd Friday) Check out the Bay’s polished and decked out lowriders cruising Down Mission Street 20th and Mission[2nd Sundays: Oakland 1:30-4:30] Mixed-Media collage workshop with Rock Paper Scissors artists, at Oakland Main Library 125 14th street.[1st Saturdays : SF ] [4/6: SF 12pm] MAPP Mission Arts Performance Project MAPP is a familia, a community and a series of arts, music and activist events encompassing several venues as well as public spaces, street corners, bart stations, cafes, bars, taquerias, homes all over La Mission.[4th Sundays: Oakland] Rollin with the Homos (rolling skating and drag)[Last Sunday : Kensington] : Beatles Thingy : Beatles Karaoke with live accompaniment @ Kensington Circus Pub, Kensington. *Also Happens first Tuesday of the month @ Rite Spot, 17th & Folsom 7:30-9:30, FREE!
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<<< WHAT IS THE COOL HAPPENINGS? >>>Cool happenings lists things under $30 or free, as to be accessible to diverse people. The list hopes to share local culture, mix different groups together, and provide special things to do for people seeking creative activities.The lists prioritizes rad/unique/authentic and is curated by a kind of intuitive magic, so not every type of thing will get listed. To get your event listed, submit below. Thank you