From the Bay Area return of singing star Kehlani to the Black Cowboy Parade and Symphony San Jose’s season opener, there are some great shows to catch this week.
Here’s a partial rundown.
Homecoming show for East Bay star
Kehlani is heading back to the Bay Area in a major way.
The Oakland R&B/hip-hop/pop star, who seems to grow more popular with every passing week, is set to perform not just one but two big nights at the largest amphitheater in all of the Bay Area — Shoreline Amphitheatre.
So expect big turnouts of “Day One” fans as well as newer listeners when the Kehlani World Tour hits the Mountain View venue on Oct. 3 and 4.
The singer, who first came to fame as a member of the teen pop group PopLyfe on the TV show “America’s Got Talent” in 2011, is supporting a self-titled release that came out in April. The record includes guest appearances from Missy Elliott, Lil Wayne, Brandy, Clipse, Usher, Cardi B, Lil Jon, T-Pain, Big Sean and Leon Thomas.
“Kehlani” features the singles “Out the Window,” “Back and Forth” and “Folded” — with the latter being a multiplatinum hit that reached No. 1 on the R&B charts. “Folded” also nabbed Kehlani a pair of Grammys — for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song — at the 2026 award show.
Details: Showtime is 6:30 p.m. for both concerts; tickets start at $24.75; ticketmaster.com.
— Jim Harrington, Staff
Black Cowboy parade marches on
Back in the era of the great Western cattle drives, around the 1860s-1880s, it’s estimated that a full quarter of the cowboys were Black. That legacy lives on in the Bay Area with the Oakland Black Cowboy Association, which each year stages a lively parade with colorful attire and dancing horses.
“Founded in 1976, the Oakland Black Cowboy Association was created to bring the hidden stories of Black cowboys and cowgirls into the spotlight,” the association writes. “These pioneers were more than riders; they were heroes of the frontier. Today, we continue their legacy by celebrating their contributions and sharing their stories with the world.”
There is plenty of cowpoke conviviality planned for the 52nd annual parade, which kicks off on Oct. 3 at West Oakland’s De Fremery Park. There will be food and local vendors and youth activities. Attendees can participate in line dancing, or take their child on their very first pony ride. And then there’s the procession itself, which in past years has drawn contingents from across America, including the Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle.
As the cowboys take to the streets to trot past newfangled machinery like cars and Lime scooters, attendees should feel free to let loose with the association’s call-out: “Together we ride! Together we thrive!”
Details: Event takes place 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Oct. 3 (parade lines up at 9 a.m. and begins at 10 a.m.); 1651 Adeline St., Oakland; oaklandbca.org.
— John Metcalfe, Staff
Classical picks: Symphony San Jose, ‘Queen of Scots,’ more
Symphony San Jose’s new season and an iconic historical figure highlight this week’s trio of selections.
“Mary” tells her story: Scottish composer Thea Musgrave has brought her 1977 opera “Mary, Queen of Scots” to the San Francisco Opera this season; it’s a work that tells the tale of one of history’s most intriguing female characters. A co-production made of power and politics and sung in English, the work is a co-production with English National Opera; performances continue through Sunday.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2 and 4; War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco; $30-$405; sfopera.com.
Symphony San Jose: The orchestra is kicking off its 25th anniversary season with a celebration of the United State’s 250th birthday. The program includes a work co-commissioned by the symphony, “Rhapsody on America,” composed by Jonathan Leshnoff and featuring pianist Joyce Yang. Woks by Copland and Dvorak complete the program.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 3, 2:30 p.m. Oct. 4; California Theatre, San Jose; $17.50-$135; www.symphonysanjose.org.
Singing Strauss: Soprano Renée Fleming returns to the San Francisco Symphony for a program highlighting the music of Richard Strauss. Singing the composer’s “Four Last Songs,” she joins the orchestra, conducted by Santtu-Matias Rouvali. The program also includes the orchestra in Strauss’ symphonic poem “Ein Heldenleben” (A Hero’s Life). Arrive early for insights; each event includes one of the Symphony’s always-fascinating Inside Music talks.
Detail: 2 p.m. Oct. 1 and 4, 7:30 Oct. 3; Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco; $108-$297; sfsymphony.org.
— Georgia Rowe, Correspondent
LVO celebrates a milestone
Like Symphony San Jose, Livermore Valley Opera is marking a big anniversary. The company is opening its 35th season this weekend with a production of Giacomo Puccini’s one-act work, “Suor Angelica.” Set in a cloistered convent in the 17th century, the plot revolves around the title character, a young nun with a closely guarded secret from her past. Lyric soprano AnnToomey takes the title role, with contralto Sara Couden singing as her aunt, La Principessa. La Badessa, the convent’s abbess, is sung by mezzo-soprano Alexandra Jerinic, and soprano Saori DeBruyn sings as Suor Genovieffa, another nun in the convent.
Details: Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 3 and 10, and 2 p.m. Oct. 4 and 11 at the Bankhead Theater In Livermore; $25-$115, livermorevalleyopera.com.
— Bay City News Foundation
Here are your freebies of the week
Two big free festivals this weekend celebrate the wide-ranging and exhilarating art and culture of Africa. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 3 you can catch the African Arts Festival at the Yerba Buena Center for Arts at Mission and 3rd streets. The event is presented by the Duniya Dance and Drum Company along with Yerba Buena Gardens Festival and the Museum of the African Diaspora. The festival will feature some 10 performances ranging from Duniya Dance and Drum to the hamboning, juggling comedian known as Unique Derique to Ethiopian performer Mulu Senshaw and Oakland-based Zimbabwe troupe Chinyakare Ensemble, and much more. There will also be a variety of dance and drumming lessons, face-painting for the kids and a wide selection of arts, crafts and food and drink for sale. More information is at www.duniyadance.com.
In Livermore, Chanel Aleta is presenting the 14th annual Taste of Africa from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 3 at the Bankhead Theater Plaza. The free event likewise offers a wide variety of dance and music performers representing more than a dozen African countries and cultures – including the Cheza Nami Ensemble, Maa Sidai Warriors, Gata Bantu and more. There will also be more than 20 vendors offering arts and crafts and culinary treats. More information is at tasteofafricafestival.com.
— Bay City News Foundation
Here’s another freebie
Calling Flyaway Productions just another dance company would be a little like saying Wes Anderson is just another person who makes movies. Flyaway Productions is unique in many ways and the Bay Area arts scene is all the richer because of it. The San Francisco company performs what is known as apparatus-based dance works, meaning that chairs or other simple items are incorporated into the performances. Their works generally are aerial performances (i.e., off the ground) and site-specific, with the location adding to the aesthetic and thematic concerns of the production. As the company puts it: “Our site-specific dances impact neighborhoods because they unfold at the very place where conflict lives.” On the next three Saturdays (Oct. 3, 10 and 17) Flyaway Productions is presenting its latest production, “Freedom Comes When One Walks Through It” at three San Francisco locations. The work connects two seemingly disparate places, libraries — where people go for self-enrichment — and prison — which is designed to punish and ostracize those who break the law.
The work, created by Flyaway Artistic Director Jo Kreiter with additional writing by April Harris, is based partly on the writings of incarcerated women dealing with everything from their frame of mind to the avenues and chances for freedom. Performances will take place Oct. 3 at Visitacion Valley Branch Library, 201 Leland Ave.; Oct. 10 at San Francisco Main Library, 100 Larkin St.; and Oct. 17 at Ortega Branch Library, 3223 Ortega St. Performance times on each date are 1 and 3:15 p.m.
Details: The shows are free and run about 30 minutes; for more information, go to flyawayproductions.com
— Bay City News Foundation
A neighborly affair
Porchfest is more than a creatively titled music event, it’s a national movement. And you can catch a new chapter this weekend in Santa Cruz. The concept is simple, in a designated area, people volunteer their porches to act as stages where bands or musicians perform. Music fans walk from house to house, porch to porch, to catch the various acts that are performing. It’s a fun, low-fi way for folks to enjoy a nice mix of music, and a great way for music fans to meet and befriend other music fans. The first Porchfest, according to some reports, was staged in Ithaca, N.Y., in 2007. San Francisco began hosting one (usually in the spring) in 2015, with the event growing in size to 100 bands on 28 porches before being scaled back a tad. On Oct. 3, it’s Santa Cruz’s turn. That city’s event runs from noon to 6 p.m. on some 15 porches hosting more than 50 performers, and includes pretty much any musical genre you can think of, from folk to hip-hop to reggae to Latin to mandolin-fueled classical Italian and much more. The event is free and no registration is necessary.
Details: For more information, go to santacruzporchfest.lovable.app
— Bay City News Foundation