Our usual primary calendar compiler is in India (hi from the other side of the globe, Marthine!) and Aaron always helps out and deserves a break, too, so this one is 90% from yours truly (Annie). The result is something much less comprehensive and way more full of my opinions. Pour one out for the poetry scene, you’ll get your chronicler back soon enough. (Oh, and don't forget: in addition to ORB happy hour on Thursday, for which, see below, next week is ORB's holiday party at Local Economy) - AL
Tuesday, December 9
Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson, 6PM, Location TBD (Downtown Berkeley). Back in May, Tourmaline published the first full-length biography of Marsha P. Johnson, which in some ways is crazy (no one had written one yet??) and intuitive (Tourmaline was born to do this). Tourmaline herself will be in conversation about the book with Angela Davis and Eric Stanley. The only way to know the location is to register, so hurry!! [Eventbrite]
Fox Oakland Architecture and History Tour, 1:30 and 3:30PM, Fox Theater (Uptown). Apparently the concert venue most responsible for the “is everyone I know in this room right now?” feeling is actually a treasure trove of secrets. Oakland Heritage Alliance is putting on two backstage tours of the theater and is leaning into the building’s mystery: “Why was the largest and most technologically advanced theater west of the Mississippi built in Oakland in 1926? What were theaters like a century ago? And why did Oakland pay millions of dollars to renovate this old building?” Either get an architecture degree or spend 1 hour and 15 minutes on this tour to find out. [Oakland Heritage Alliance]
The Nutcracker, 6PM, War Memorial Opera House (West Bay). Did you know San Francisco Ballet put on the first Nutcracker in the US in 1944? Unless you’re a real ballet sicko like me you probably haven’t seen any version of The Nutcracker since you were a kid. Don’t let the production’s childish reputation deter you in the present – it’s a real treat, and Tchaikovsky never misses. Plus, it’s a tight 80 minutes or so and is a rare Bay Area event where you can expect people to dress up. Runs through the end of December, but tickets are more affordable for the early shows (like this one). [SF Ballet]
Wednesday, December 10
Story Time for Caregivers, 10AM, Local Economy (College Ave). “Bring the babies, but the books are for YOU!” reads the tagline for this Local Economy event series. This edition features local writer Tomas Moniz and a reading from his set-in-the-Bay book All Friends are Necessary. Social hang after the reading – I’m imagining a group of toddlers loitering in front of Local Economy and exchanging College Avenue gossip. [Luma]
Bay Area Co-op Party, 5:30PM, Tamarack (Downtown). There are a LOT of worker co-ops in the Bay and they’re throwing an end-of-year party at Tamarack. Go if you yourself are a worker co-owner (although if you are, and you found out about the event from us and not fellow co-op people, maybe send around some texts and figure out why) or if you are an aspiring worker co-owner. Or if you just like to hang and schmooze the night away. [Instagram]
Nuclear Waste in Our Midst, 7:30PM, 518 Valencia (West Bay). ShapingSF is closing out their 2025 public talks with a doozy. Apparently toxic waste from H-bomb testing in the 40s and 50s ended up in the soil at Hunters’ Point (racial capitalism stays winning). Learn about the history from the people who have done the work to uncover it. [ShapingSF]
High and Low, 7PM, BAMPFA (Cal). Some Japanese director re-made a Denzel Washington movie. Looks fun. [BAMPFA]
Thursday, December 11
Socialism Beats Fascism Community Meeting, 6PM, East Bay Community Space (Temescal). All year, East Bay DSA has been putting on these monthly community meetings that connect organizers in and out of DSA to local struggles that fight fascism from all sides. If your impression of DSA is still the grad school-pilled insular org of mostly 25-year-olds trying to get Bernie Sanders elected, this is a great way to update your narrative and plug into local struggles from a socialist’s point of view. This iteration of the event is a retrospective on the series so far and a look to the future, so it’s a great opportunity to jump in and keep the movement going. [East Bay DSA]
Movie Night at Eli’s, 6PM, Eli’s (MLK). Maybe you’ve seen a blues guitarist on Eli’s stage, or a DJ, or a singer-songwriter. But have you seen Chris Columbus’ magnum opus, Home Alone? My guess is no. Lucky for you, the opportunity of a lifetime has arrived. Eli’s is doing a double feature of Home Alone and Batman Returns on Thursday night. [Eli’s Mile High Club]
ORB HAPPY HOUR 5PM, Ghost Town Brewing (West Oakland). That’s right, we’re putting on another happy hour. Come drink and be merry with ORB and anyone in the orbit. Get amped for our Holiday Party at Local Economy next week. [No RSVP necessary, but email us to say hi beforehand if you want]
From Here to the Ocean Book Release Party 6PM, Golden Sardine (West Bay). In honor of our usual poetry-heavy calendars, here is a poetry event. I know nothing about contemporary poetry or any of these people, but I do like Golden Sardine as a place to eat delicious cheese and have good wine, and my impression is that they curate good events. So this will probably be solid! [Golden Sardine]
Friday, December 12
Restore Oakland Holiday Market, 6PM, understory (Fruitvale). As Reo from Coyote says: Fuck Amazon, shop local. If you still have to buy gifts for your loved ones (or yourself…), no better place to do so than at Restore Oakland’s 4th Annual Holiday Market. Not only can you shop from local artists and artisans, but understory is providing drinks and food for the night. [Luma]
It Was Just an Accident, 8:30PM, The Roxie (West Bay). Jafar Panahi’s latest is already almost out of theaters in the Bay (boo), so the Roxie’s screenings this week are likely the end of its theatrical release here. The Waiting for Godot-esque story follows a group of Iranians who believe they’ve found the man who tortured them while they were imprisoned for resisting the regime. Panahi draws loose inspiration from his own imprisonment: his films are “propaganda against the Islamic Republic,” and the Iranian authorities have imprisoned him twice already and sentenced him to another year in prison in absentia this past week. The film is phenomenal, and Panahi is a major contender for the Best Director Oscar. IYKYK: “squeak.” [The Roxie]
Oakland White Elephant Preview Sale Ticket Release, 8AM, Online. Ok, so this isn’t the actual White Elephant preview sale–the event itself is in January–but tickets go live at 8AM on Friday and will likely go quick. Set an alarm. [White Elephant]
Carmen Maria Machado on I Who Have Never Known Men, 7:30PM, City Arts & Lectures (West Bay). This is sold out, but who knows, maybe go loiter out front and find someone who has to give away their ticket or volunteer to be an usher or something. Be grateful that BookTok did a good thing for a small, local publisher, for once. [City Arts & Lectures]
Saturday, December 13
Central Park, 3PM, BAMPFA (Neighborhood). BAMPFA continues its retrospective of Frederick Wiseman, documentarian extraordinaire who is somehow still alive at 95. He released Central Park in 1990 as a young 60-year-old. The documentary follows the restoration of the park and all the unglamorous labor that goes into keeping the public marvel available for regular use. [BAMPFA]
East Bay Open Studios, all day?, all over (East Bay). If you missed the first open studios weekend last weekend, or if you went but didn’t cover nearly as much ground as you had hoped, head to one of the dozens of artists studios opening themselves to the public for the event. [East Bay Open Studios]
Nancy Vogl & Friends, 7PM, La Pena, (Berkeley). This is a fundraiser for the Bay Area Lesbian Archives, which appears to have recently found a permanent home in Oakland?? Think: music and intergenerational lesbian solidarity. (If anyone wants to pitch some kind of story on BALA, our inboxes are open). [La Pena]
Free Key Choir: Incantation, 2PM and 7:30PM, First Congregational Church of Oakland (The Lake). Oakland’s very own freeks are back at it for another performance of incredible DIY choral music. Or, another opportunity to say to yourself, “I’ve never seen this many gay people in a church at one time, except maybe the last time I came to a Free Key show.” The Friday show is sold out, but Saturday and Sunday are still available. [TicketLeap]
Bay Area Current Holiday Party, 8PM, Tamarack (Downtown). Bay Area Current is celebrating six months of active publishing (congrats, guys!). Their stuff just keeps getting better and better, and the vibes at their holiday party are sure to keep the energy going. [Instagram]
Sunday, December 14
Chamber Music for the Town’s People, 3PM, Clio’s (The Lake). The Opus Oakland Sextet is playing live at Clio’s on Saturday afternoon. Chamber music goes hard, so go get day tipsy while classical musicians play Mozart only feet away from you. [Eventbrite]
Peaces Record Release and Holiday Party, 4PM, eternal now (DM them for location address). A record release party for some new music/contemporary music artists (those are both genres, apparently, not just me lazily trying to describe music I’m unfamiliar with). [Instagram]
Solidarity Cinema #2, 12:30PM, The New Parkway (Uptown). Bay 2 Gaza Mutual Aid is presenting their second round of Solidarity Cinema. The screening features 6 short films from Palestinian filmmakers and all the proceeds go towards mutual aid funds for Gazans who are surviving genocide. Tickets are $10-$50, but I doubt anyone will stop you from paying $100 instead. [Instagram]
Robert Glasper, 9PM, Yoshi’s (Jack London Square). The absolute legend Robert Glasper is doing four nights at Yoshi’s this weekend. The early show is already sold out for all four nights, but he’s also performing at 9 or 9:30PM every night for those of you who can still stay up that late. [Yoshi’s]
