Art, music, science, Pride and lion dancers. This weekend has it all. Get details of our picks for some great happenings this weekend, all around the Bay Area. It's supposed to be on the cooler side, so keep your layers close for outings in the city and East Bay. South Bay folks, don't forget your sunscreen.
As always, double-check event details and keep an eye on health and safety guidelines.
San Francisco Chinatown's Autumn Moon Festival
How is it the Autumn Moon Festival already?! We'll be headed to SF Chinatown this weekend to enjoy the lion dancing, entertainment, food vendors, mooncakes, kids activities, and general revelry. Free and no reservations necessary, but sign up ahead of time on Eventbrite for a chance to enter a raffle for gift certificates to local small businesses in Chinatown.
When: Saturday, Aug. 27 & Sunday, Aug. 28, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: Grant Avenue Between California & Broadway
Information: www.moonfestival.org
Bonus: Really lean into Bay Area Chinese heritage this weekend and head out to the China Camp beach and historical site in San Rafael for China Camp Heritage Day Saturday to celebrate and learn about the Chinese fishing village once located there. More lion and dragon dancers, musical performances, food, crafts and games. Kids can learn about local wildlife, ecology, and history through hands-on activities. Saturday, Aug. 27, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., China Camp State Park; parking $5 for non-members.
Silicon Valley Pride Parade & Festival
Just when we were really starting to miss Pride month, the largest Pride event of the South Bay is here for the South Bay's 44th annual celebration of the right to choose who to love and live with. The family-friendly Pride parade and festival takes place over this Saturday and Sunday (with various run-up events already happening). Tickets are $5 per day and available at the festival gates. The parade goes from Julian Street and Market Street to Plaza de César Chávez Park.
Here's the full schedule for the main events:
Saturday, Aug. 27, 6 p.m.-11 p.m. - Night Festival
Sunday, Aug. 28, 10:30 a.m.-noon - Parade
Sunday, Aug. 28, noon-6 p.m. - Day Festival
When: Saturday, Aug. 27 & Sunday, Aug. 28
Where: Plaza de César Chávez Park, Downtown San Jose
Information: www.svpride.com
Palo Alto Festival of the Arts
After a two-year break, the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts is back for its 39th installment with nine blocks of art, entertainment, eats and drinks. Expect: more than 300 fine art and contemporary craft displays, plus an Italian Street Painting Expo where 60+ artists will create giant chalk pastel art during the festival right on the asphalt; live performances on two stages; street corner concerts; and a "play-me" piano. Gourmet food, wines and micro-brews for the grownups, and a kids' art studio for the littles with free "make and take" art activities.
Free entrance and plenty of parking nearby, or take public transit to drop-off locations near University Avenue. No pets.
When: Saturday, Aug. 27 & Sunday, Aug. 28, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Where: University Avenue, Palo Alto
Information: www.paloaltochamber.com/festival-of-the-arts/
"Remembered Light" Stained Glass Exhibition in San Francisco
In 2003, 13 contemporary artists created stained glass windows using fragments of glass from churches bombed in Europe during World War II. The windows they crafted make up the Remembered Light exhibit, intended to commemorate the devastation of WWII bombings and celebrate reslilince and hope. Starting this weekend, the exhibit is coming to the Veterans Building first floor gallery in San Francisco. Admission to the exhibition is free and it will run through Nov. 20.
The windows feature glass that U.S. Army Chaplain Frederick McDonald collected from desecrated sanctuary sites in 1944 and 1945. Each piece includes a transcript from McDonald’s memory of the specific location and events related to it. The artists used McDonald’s notes from World War II, his recollections after the war, and their own research to create original artworks that speak directly to the glass's origins in the bombings across Europe.
When: Aug. 28-Nov. 20, Wednesdays-Sundays, 1-6 p.m.
Where: War Memorial Veterans Building, 401 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco
Information: evvnt.com / www.interfaithpresidio.org
Live Music & DJ on a Rooftop in Berkeley
Have you checked out the awesome new (as of mid-spring) rooftop bar and restaurant atop the 17-story Residence Inn in Berkeley? Tucked in just below the UC Berkeley campus, the Study Hall Rooftop Lounge offers beautiful campus views under the stars, plus Bay views from the sides of the rooftop, but a building just west creates a wind barrier. Snuggled in between that and the Berkeley hills rising to the east, at night time this spot feels a lot cozier than you might expect from other outdoor watering holes in the area.
What's more, the rooftop is hosting live music from local artists Tuesdays through Saturdays, followed by DJs on Fridays and Saturdays. The live acts go on 6:30-9 p.m. and the DJ takes over from 9 p.m.-midnight. (Check out the lineup.) Don't worry about staying out late – just say you're going to study hall.
When: Fridays & Saturdays, 6:30 p.m.-midnight
Where: Study Hall Rooftop Lounge, 2121 Center Street, Berkeley
Information: www.studyhallrooftoplounge.com/live-music
Shifting Shorelines: A Lake Merritt Site Exploration
Get your science on at this climate-focused event along the shores of Lake Merritt on Sunday. There will be science activities from the Exploratorium and The Rotary Nature Center Friends, demonstrations, talks about the climate and sea level rise, nature journaling, chalk art, plankton viewing with the Greater Farallones Marine Sanctuary, underwater robot observations thanks to the Lake Merritt Underwater Observatory, water quality testing, a student art exhibit and more. The event will take place in the Lake Merritt Boathouse and outside.
When: Sunday, Aug. 28, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Where: Lake Merritt Boat House, 568 Bellevue Ave., Oakland
Information: www.eventbrite.com/e/shifting-shorelines-a-lake-merritt-exploration-tickets-405950297267
