It’s a week of ghosts, galas, monsters, and pups.
Halloween fun ramps up with a spooky fashion show, gourmet murder mystery dinner, corgi costume contest, and your pick of haunts. Give back and get treats with glamorous fundraisers for the Asian Art Museum and Root Division. The rest is a grab-bag of fun: giant sandcastles, immersive art, and gumbo.
Jump ahead to this week’s top events:
Deliciously defend women’s rights at the “My Taco, My Choice!” taco competition at Merkado.
Usher in A New Dawn at the Asian Art Museum’s annual gala.
Stand in awe of giant sandcastles in the annual Leap Sandcastle Classic.
Catch costumed corgis on parade at a Japantown Halloween celebration.
Have a good one.
Take your pup to happy hour with a special “Paws on the Patio” gathering at Terrene with treats for all; Monday, 5pm to 7pm. // 1 Hotel, 8 Mission St. (Embarcadero); details at 1hotels.com
Deliciously defend women’s rights at “My Taco, My Choice!” a taco competition that brings together top local chefs to raise funds for women’s health and reproductive freedom; Tuesday at 5pm // Merkado, 130 Townsend St. (SoMa); tickets at resy.com
Raise a glass with WineLuv with unlimited tastings of wines from more than ten wineries poured by the winemakers and proprietors; Wednesday, 5pm to 8pm. // Amador Club, 550 Montgomery St., Flr. 10 (FiDi); tickets at eventbrite.com
Experience the awe of Aura at Grace Cathedral. Expect a breathtaking night of original music, illusion, lighting effects, and projection mapping that will transform the iconic space and your soul; through December 31st. // Grace Cathedral, 1100 California St. (Nob Hill); tickets at feverup.com
Dig in, family-style, to a kamayan feast in celebration of Filipino American History Month. Sit down to a communal table full of traditional dishes from award-winning chefs from SF, Seattle, Oakland, and Chicago; Wednesday at 6pm. // Abacá, 2700 Jones St. (Fisherman’s Wharf); reservations at opentable.com
Study up on vampires, craft brew in hand, with a “Profs and Pints” presentation on the folkloric origins and literary evolution of the fanged creatures; Wednesday, 6pm to 8:30pm. // Faction Brewing, 2501 Monarch St. (Alameda); tickets at ticketleap.events
Usher in A New Dawn at the Asian Art Museum. Their annual gala promises an evening of immersive art activations, inventive cocktails, curated bites, and surprise appearances with a can’t-miss afterparty; Wednesday, 8pm to 1am. // Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St. (Civic Center); tickets at asianart.org
Bundle up for an outdoor screening of Edward Scissorhands with Sundown Cinema and the SF Standard. Save room for snacks from onsite food trucks; Thursday at 4:30pm. // Presidio Civil War Parade Ground, Graham St. and Keyes Ave. (Presidio); RSVP at fillout.com
Wish culinary legend Jacques Pépin a happy 90th birthday with an exclusive dinner at Torc with Jacques, his daughter Claudine Pépin, and SingleThread; Thursday at 5:30pm. // Torc, 1140 Main St. (Napa); tickets at celebratejacques.org
Kick off the SF Latino Film Festival with an opening night screening of ASCO: Without Permission followed by a local afterparty; Thursday, 6pm to 8pm; festival through November 6. // Roxie Theater, 3117 16th St. (Mission); tickets and details at cinemassf.org
Peep fabulously spooky lewks at a Halloween fashion show with designs from Phantom Threads, a costume contest, and live DJ tunes; Thursday, 7pm to 10pm. // Music City San Francisco, 1355 Bush St. (TenderNob); tickets at eventbrite.com
Bring your favorite read to a quiet and cozy evening with the SF Public Library’s new silent book club; Thursday, 6pm to 8:30pm. // Saluhall, 945 Market St. (SoMa); details at saluhallmarket.com
Uplift and support local artists at Root Division’s annual auction and benefit event as you bid on artwork from more than 160 established and emerging Bay Area artists; Thursday, 7pm to 10pm. // Root Division, 1131 Mission St. (SoMa); tickets at rootdivision.org
Throw down for some mahjong and martinis with the Mahjong Movement and the Jay Hotel. Enjoy open play for all levels and specialty drinks on deck; every other Friday, 3pm to 5pm. // The Jay, 433 Clay St. (FiDi); RSVP at jayhotelsf.com
Solve a thrilling murder mystery while you dig into a three-course chef’s meal for a Murder in The St. Francis Suite. Don’t forget to don your 1920s best; Friday, 7pm to 10pm. // The Westin St. Francis, 335 Powell St. (TenderNob); tickets at eventbrite.com
Dance through the opening night of Rave into the Future: Art in Motion, a new exhibit inspired by the West Asian music and dance scene featuring live performances and interactive art; opens Friday at 5:30pm. // Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St. (Civic Center); tickets at asianart.org
Party like they do in the Bronx at the Bodega Rave Tour, a tequila-fueled night of music and community spirit with Cazadores and Mundo Soundsystem in the Mission; Friday at 10pm. // Tickets and location details at eventbrite.com
Meet the “ghosts of vintage’s past” at the Alameda Vintage Fashion Faire, and shop clothing, accessories, jewelry, textiles, and more from 75+ vendors; Saturday, 5pm to 9pm and Sunday, 11am to 5pm. // Alameda County Fairgrounds, 2005 Valley Ave., Building C (Pleasanton); details at vintagefashionfaire.com
Go all in on gumbo and Southern delights with a day of tastings, live music, art, and shopping to celebrate the finale of the Bayview’s National Gumbo Week; Saturday, 11am to 4pm. // Gumbo Social, 5176 3rd St. (Bayview); tickets at humanitix.com
Stand in awe of giant sandcastles at the annual Leap Sandcastle Classic. Check out sandy sculptural art, live music, and food trucks, all to benefit arts education for Bay Area public schools; Saturday, 11am to 3:30pm. // Ocean Beach (Outer Sunset); details at leapsandcastleclassic.org
Enjoy spirits of multiple varieties during a haunted pub crawl that takes you through ghost stories and historic places; Saturday, 6:30pm to 9pm. // Barbarossa Lounge, 714 Montgomery St. (Jackson Square); tickets at eventbrite.com
Whip up some sweet fall treats with Lisal Moran of Parker Hill Provisions. Make and take home some spiced pumpkin butter, plus get tips for creating your own fall fruit zeppole and Cabernet granita; Saturday, 2pm to 4pm. // h2hotel, 219 Healdsburg Ave. (Healdsburg); tickets at eventbrite.com
Check out a community arts market from Arts.Co.Lab. The all-ages event brings together more than 20 community-based artists, makers, and wellness vendors for a day of performance, healing, and community gathering; Saturday and Sunday at 10am. // Presidio Tunnel Tops, 210 Lincoln Blvd. (Presidio); RSVP at eventbrite.com
Catch costumed corgis on parade at a Japantown Halloween celebration. Come for the costume contest and photo ops, then stay for an outdoor screening of Frankenweenie; Saturday at 12pm. // Osaka Way (Japantown); details on Instagram
Geek out and get hands-on during the Bay Area Science Festival. The free science celebrations offers games, demonstrations, lab tours, film screenings, and science talks; Saturday, 11am to 4pm. // UCSF Mission Bay Campus, 1975 4th St. (Mission Bay); details at bayareasciencefestival.org
Get onboard for the USS Hornet Monster Bash. On deck: a huge dance floor, a costume contest, haunts, food, and more; Saturday, 7pm to 1am. // USS Hornet Museum, 707 W Hornet Ave. (Alameda); tickets at eventbrite.com
Honor 60 years of resilience, cultural power, and artistic imagination at the Chinese Culture Center. Enjoy a party with retro drinks, burlesque and go-go dancers, and groovy fun; Saturday, 6pm to 11pm. // Chinese Culture Center Gallery, 667 Grant Ave. (Chinatown; tickets at cccsf.us
Drift away from the Sunday scaries at a healing-focused sound bath and group reiki meditation session; Sunday, 10am to 11:30am. // Bituin Studio, 445 Natoma St. (SoMa); tickets at eventbrite.com
Be the first to see Dimensions Dance Theater’s latest work, The Reclaiming: Healing to Joy Part 2, a powerful production reflecting the resilience and brilliance of Black dance traditions; Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 4pm. // ValleyCenter for the Performing Arts, 3500 Mountain Blvd. (Oakland); tickets at healingtojoy2reclaiming.bpt.me
Visit Alamo Scare and trick-or-treat at the Painted Ladies during a neighborhood Halloween block party; Sunday, 4pm to 6pm. // Hayes St. and Steiner St. (Alamo Square); details at alamosquare.org
Escape to San Ramon this fall for tranquil spa treatments, relaxing trails, and top dining. When you book a trip this October through November, you can save 15 percent at select hotels, and get a sweet $50 gift card to Spavia for the ultimate staycation. // Learn more at discoversanramonca.com
Thank you to our partners at Discover San Ramon.