Oct 17–18 · Published Wednesday, Oct 14
vampires, vintage cars, and market street after dark
Twenty things for the weekend of Oct 17–18: a 51-year-old R&B festival, a vampire film marathon, car-free streets in the Excelsior, and one night of art on Market.
- 20 things to do
- 10 free
- 14 neighborhoods
- 3 ready-made plans
from the editors
Halloween has taken over the calendar: vampires at the Balboa, a haunted house inside the Old Mint, and a costume challenge at the Sunset Mercantile.
It’s also a big weekend to be outside. Potrero Hill throws its 51st R&B festival, Sunday Streets closes Mission Street in the Excelsior, and Market Street turns into one long arts festival for a night. Check the weather plan before you pick.
plans for the weather
Ideas for whatever San Francisco does this week.
-
If it's cold or wet
host a soup night
One big pot, and everyone brings bread or a topping. The best excuse there is to have people over.
-
If it's foggy
walk Lands End in the fog
Fog is the point: cypress trees, the Sutro Baths ruins, and the bridge appearing and disappearing.
-
If it's sunny
go to the park and read
Dolores, Alamo Square, or a quiet corner of Golden Gate Park. Bring a blanket and one friend, or none.
top picks
What we'd actually go to, and why. The details are in each card; the organizer's page is the last word.
Culture · Street festival
51st Potrero Hill R&B Festival (opens the organizer's page)
The 51st year of a neighborhood institution: two stages of blues and R&B, a beer garden, and a kids' fair. Easy to drop into with a group and stay all afternoon.
- Saturday, Oct 17
- 10am–4pm
- 20th St, Wisconsin to Missouri, Potrero Hill
Details from Mission Local ↗
Film, books & games · Film festival
International Vampire Film Festival (opens the organizer's page)
Seven films, one day, in a 100-year-old theater people swear is haunted. Pick two screenings, bring the friend who loves horror, and call it a Halloween warm-up.
- Saturday, Oct 17
- 11am
- Balboa Theater, 3630 Balboa St · Outer Richmond
Details from AllEvents ↗
Arts & making · Arts festival
One-Night Market Street Arts & Theater Festival (opens the organizer's page)
Market Street for one night: 50+ things between 5th and Van Ness, dancers on the sides of buildings, and a free Mark Farina set. RSVP, then wander.
- Saturday, Oct 17
- 4pm
- Market St, 5th St to Van Ness, Mid-Market
- Free (RSVP)
- Free with an RSVP; a few shows are ticketed
- Mark Farina and Monarch play The Market, 5–10pm
Details from Market Street Arts ↗
Sports & fitness · Run club
Diplo's Run Club 5K (opens the organizer's page)
Not cheap, but it's a 5K that ends in a Diplo set with 15,000 other runners. Sign up with a friend and Sunday morning is sorted.
- Sunday, Oct 18
- 8:30am
- Robin Williams Meadow, Golden Gate Park
- $128.80
Details from Diplo's Run Club ↗
Outdoors · Street festival
Sunday Streets: Excelsior (opens the organizer's page)
Mission Street with no cars from Silver to Geneva, plus music, dance, and a block party. The easiest free afternoon of the weekend.
- Sunday, Oct 18
- 11am–4pm
- Mission St, Silver Ave to Geneva Ave, Excelsior
- Free
- Bring a bike or skates; the street's yours until 4pm
Details from Sunday Streets SF ↗
Nightlife · Day party
Daytime Realness Season Finale (opens the organizer's page)
The last Daytime Realness of the year: DJs and drag on the El Rio patio until 8. Go as a group and end the weekend loud.
- Sunday, Oct 18
- 2pm–8pm
- El Rio, 3158 Mission St · Mission
- $25
Details from Resident Advisor ↗
ready-made plans
A few listings that fit together into one outing. Send one to the group chat and you're done planning.
saturday on the west side
Classic cars in the park at seven, vintage racks at ten, then vampires at the Balboa. All three are west of Stanyan, so you can bike or bus between them.
-
11am
International Vampire Film Festival (opens the organizer's page)
Balboa Theater, Outer Richmond
saturday night on market
Latin soul on the lawn, then up Market for the festival and the Mark Farina set. Still going? The Great Northern runs until 2.
-
2pm
Joe Bataan at Yerba Buena Gardens Festival (opens the organizer's page)
Great Lawn, Yerba Buena Gardens, SoMa · Free (RSVP)
-
4pm
One-Night Market Street Arts & Theater Festival (opens the organizer's page)
Market St, 5th St to Van Ness, Mid-Market · Free (RSVP)
a slow, free sunday
Books, more books, then a game you can learn in an afternoon. Good for two or three people, or for going alone and meeting people at the mahjong table.
-
11am
SF Photobook Fair (opens the organizer's page)
Harvey Milk Photo Center, Duboce Triangle · Free
quick lists
free 10
No ticket needed (a few want an RSVP).
- Sat 7am 38th SF Old Car Picnic
- Sat 10am Secondhand Saturday
- Sat 11am Shipyard Open Studios
- Sat 2pm Joe Bataan at Yerba Buena Gardens Festival
- Sat 4pm One-Night Market Street Arts & Theater Festival
- Sun 10am FilBookFest 8
- Sun 11am SF Photobook Fair
- Sun 11am Sunday Streets: Excelsior
- Sun 3pm Mahjong & Mixer
- Sun 3pm SF Civic Symphony: "Great Mysteries"
outside 8
For when the weather plan says go.
- Sat 7am 38th SF Old Car Picnic
- Sat 10am 51st Potrero Hill R&B Festival
- Sat 12:30pm Read The Room: A Celebration of Books
- Sat 2pm Joe Bataan at Yerba Buena Gardens Festival
- Sat 4pm One-Night Market Street Arts & Theater Festival
- Sun 8:30am Diplo's Run Club 5K
- Sun 11am Sunday Streets: Excelsior
- Sun 3pm Mahjong & Mixer
after dark 4
Starting at 7pm or later.
- Sat 9pm PW Sweet 16, Night Three: QUEEN OUT x FAKE & GAY
- Sat 9:30pm Drunk Theatre Halloween Special
- Sat 9:30pm SET with Lee Foss
- Sun 7pm Big Gay Halloween
the complete guide
Everything we found and checked for Oct 17–18 — not every event in the city. Times and prices come from each organizer; check their page before you go. Want it filterable? Browse it on Activities.
saturday Oct 17 · 11 things
Morning
-
7am–4pm
Car show
38th SF Old Car Picnic (opens the organizer's page)
A meadow full of pre-2001 classic cars and motorcycles. Great morning photos.
- Where
- Hellman Hollow, 800 John F Kennedy Dr · Golden Gate Park
- Cost
- Free
- Go early: the light's best before 10am
SF Funcheap FreeOutside
-
10am–4pm
Street festival Top pick
51st Potrero Hill R&B Festival (opens the organizer's page)
Two blues and R&B stages, a beer garden, and a kids' fair, until about 4pm.
- Where
- 20th St, Wisconsin to Missouri · Potrero Hill
- Cost
- Not listed
Mission Local OutsideAll ages
-
10am
Vintage market
Secondhand Saturday (opens the organizer's page)
One of the last two dates of the season: a vintage market, a DJ on the deck, and a Halloween costume challenge.
- Where
- Sunset Mercantile, 1994 37th Ave · Outer Sunset
- Cost
- Free
Sunset Mercantile Free
-
11am
Film festival Top pick
International Vampire Film Festival (opens the organizer's page)
Seven vampire films from around the world in one day, at the 100-year-old (and reportedly haunted) Balboa.
- Where
- Balboa Theater, 3630 Balboa St · Outer Richmond
- Cost
- Not listed
-
11am–6pm
Open studios
Shipyard Open Studios (opens the organizer's page)
130+ artists open their studios, with a beer garden and live music.
- Where
- Hunters Point Shipyard · Hunters Point
- Cost
- Free (RSVP)
- Runs
- Saturday, Oct 17 – Sunday, Oct 18
- Both days, 11am–6pm; RSVP requested on Eventbrite
- Free parking at the shipyard
SF Funcheap FreeBook ahead
Afternoon
-
12:30pm
Books
Read The Room: A Celebration of Books (opens the organizer's page)
An outdoor celebration of books in the alley beside the legendary bookstore.
- Where
- Jack Kerouac Alley at City Lights · North Beach
- Cost
- Not listed
Instagram post Outside
-
2pm
Live music
Joe Bataan at Yerba Buena Gardens Festival (opens the organizer's page)
A Latin-soul legend playing free on the lawn, with MeloDious opening.
- Where
- Great Lawn, Yerba Buena Gardens · SoMa
- Cost
- Free (RSVP)
- Free, but RSVP on Eventbrite
- Bring something to sit on
Eventbrite FreeOutsideBook ahead
-
4pm
Arts festival Top pick
One-Night Market Street Arts & Theater Festival (opens the organizer's page)
One night only: 50+ experiences, BANDALOOP's vertical dancers, drag, and a free Mark Farina DJ set.
- Where
- Market St, 5th St to Van Ness · Mid-Market
- Cost
- Free (RSVP)
- Free with an RSVP; a few shows are ticketed
- Mark Farina and Monarch play The Market, 5–10pm
Market Street Arts FreeOutsideBook ahead
Late
-
9pm
Club night
PW Sweet 16, Night Three: QUEEN OUT x FAKE & GAY (opens the organizer's page)
Public Works' 16th birthday weekend. FAKE & GAY is back for one night, hosted by Drag Race's Joella.
- Where
- Public Works, 161 Erie St · Mission
- Cost
- $30
-
9:30pm–11pm
Comedy
Drunk Theatre Halloween Special (opens the organizer's page)
One comedian takes five whiskey shots and improvises a play with sober castmates. Halloween edition.
- Where
- Eclectic Box, 446 Valencia St · Mission
- Cost
- $23
-
9:30pm–2am
Club night
SET with Lee Foss (opens the organizer's page)
The Hot Creations co-founder's first set in this building since 2018. Runs until 2am.
- Where
- The Great Northern · SoMa
- Cost
- Tickets on RA
sunday Oct 18 · 10 things
Morning
-
8:30am
Run club Top pick
Diplo's Run Club 5K (opens the organizer's page)
A timed 5K, then a Diplo set, with about 15,000 runners.
- Where
- Robin Williams Meadow · Golden Gate Park
- Cost
- $128.80
Diplo's Run Club Outside
-
10am
Book festival
FilBookFest 8 (opens the organizer's page)
The largest Filipino American literary festival, with panels, readings, and signings.
- Where
- SF Main Library, 100 Larkin St · Civic Center
- Cost
- Free
SF Funcheap Free
-
11am
Book & art fair
SF Photobook Fair (opens the organizer's page)
About 40 international presses selling photobooks and zines.
- Where
- Harvey Milk Photo Center, 50 Scott St · Duboce Triangle
- Cost
- Free
-
11am–6pm
Open studios
Shipyard Open Studios (opens the organizer's page)
130+ artists open their studios, with a beer garden and live music.
- Where
- Hunters Point Shipyard · Hunters Point
- Cost
- Free (RSVP)
- Runs
- Saturday, Oct 17 – Sunday, Oct 18
- Both days, 11am–6pm; RSVP requested on Eventbrite
- Free parking at the shipyard
SF Funcheap FreeBook ahead
-
11am–4pm
Street festival Top pick
Sunday Streets: Excelsior (opens the organizer's page)
Car-free streets with music, dance, and the Salvi Soul Sunday block party.
- Where
- Mission St, Silver Ave to Geneva Ave · Excelsior
- Cost
- Free
- Bring a bike or skates; the street's yours until 4pm
Sunday Streets SF FreeOutside
Afternoon
-
2pm–8pm
Day party Top pick
Daytime Realness Season Finale (opens the organizer's page)
The last DTR of the year, with DJs Ms. Smith and The Baptist and drag on the patio.
- Where
- El Rio, 3158 Mission St · Mission
- Cost
- $25
-
3pm–6pm
Games
Mahjong & Mixer (opens the organizer's page)
The last one of the year: lessons and guided play with @mister_mahjong.
- Where
- Union Square Plaza · Union Square
- Cost
- Free
- Never played? The lessons are the point
Instagram post FreeOutsideGood solo
-
3pm–5pm
Classical
SF Civic Symphony: "Great Mysteries" (opens the organizer's page)
Liszt, Saint-Saëns' Cello Concerto No. 1, and Elgar's Enigma Variations.
- Where
- Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave · Civic Center
- Cost
- Free (RSVP)
SF Funcheap FreeBook ahead
Evening
-
6pm
Immersive haunt
Terror Vault: "SLASHED: Return to Hellville" (opens the organizer's page)
Peaches Christ's 18+ haunted-house theater inside the 1874 Mint.
- Where
- The Old Mint, 88 5th St · SoMa
- Cost
- Dynamic pricing
- 18+ only
- $10 off with code FUNCHEAP
-
7pm
Cabaret
Big Gay Halloween (opens the organizer's page)
Acrobats, ghouls, and drag royalty.
- Where
- Great Star Theater, 636 Jackson St · Chinatown
- Cost
- $30–$45
- Listings say 7pm or 8pm; confirm the time before you go
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