Now through May 24
Art: Ward Schumaker
Selected works, from 2003 to present, from Pennsylvania Avenue resident Ward Schumaker. The Fourth Wall, 473 25th Street, Oakland.
5/3 Saturday
Community: Y for Youth Community Festival
As part of the Dogpatch YMCA’s official opening, Y for Youth celebrates Bay Area young people. Features live music and dance, kid activities, refreshments, and an appearance by Clifford the Big Red Dog. Free. Noon to 4 p.m. Dogpatch YMCA at Crane Cove.
5/3 Saturday
Community: Friends of Potrero Hill Preschool Fundraiser
Celebrate with Friends of Potrero Hill Preschool families past, present, and future at “Bloom & Build | Community Event.” Features interactive and collaborative art projects, music, food, drinks, and silent auction. Tickets are sliding scale. 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friends of Potrero Hill Nursery School, 1060A Tennessee Street.
5/3 Saturday
Journalism: Catchlight Visual Storytelling Summit
The CatchLight Visual Storytelling Summit returns to San Francisco on World Press Freedom Day with a gathering of leaders in photography and visual media, exploring the power of images to shape memory and history. This year’s summit, emceed by journalist, author, and educator Pendarvis Harshaw, explores how visual storytelling preserves history, challenges misinformation, and safeguards the integrity of shared narratives. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. KQED, 2601 Mariposa Street. To RSVP: 2025 CatchLight Visual Storytelling Summit + Night of Photojournalism Tickets| Eventbrite.
5/4 Sunday
Music: Mozart to Mendelssohn
Mozart to Mendelssohn, presented by the San Francisco Community Orchestra Association, formed in 2014 to accommodate musicians who want to perform large orchestral works. The group typically stages pieces of varying complexity and difficulty from the 18th to 20th centuries. 3 to 5 p.m. Free. Herbst Theater, 401 Van Ness Avenue. For more information: https://bit.ly/48cVO81
5/6 Tuesday through 5/26 Monday
Theater: PlayGround’s 29th annual Festival of New Works
This year’s festival, performed live at Potrero Stage and simulcast, features premiere presentations of Matthew Morishige’s Work/Shoot and Jessica June Rowe’s The Passing Storm; as well as developmental readings of The Red Fortune Cookie by Karissa Murrell Myers, Yi-An Bu Yi An (Madam Ease is not at Ease) by Lyra Nalan, Mycelium by Juliet Kang Huneke, and Winter’s End by J.S. Puller. In addition, the annual Best of PlayGround(SF) presents short works from the 30th anniversary season Monday Night staged reading series; an evening of short works by Bay Area high school dramatists as part of the 17th annual Young Playwrights Project; and a playwrights panel and festival opening reception. Free. For tickets and the full lineup, visit tickets.playground-sf.org.
5/9 Friday
Employment: STEM Networking
Meet like-minded individuals, industry experts, and potential mentors. Participate in discussions and gain insights from technology professionals. Explore new opportunities and network in the STEM community. Receive a food and drink ticket for refreshments while making meaningful connections. Come ready to be inspired, share your experiences, and take your career to the next level. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. $12.51. SPARK Social, 601 Mission Bay Boulevard. For more information: https://bit.ly/4jcGbRZ
5/10 Saturday
Art: Celebrate World Collage Day
Learn essential tools and techniques to create Victorian home-inspired collages. Led by local artist Liz Scotta, who has been crafting collages since 2019 using magazine cutouts and everyday materials, this class offers insight into her creative process. Liz’s piece, Zoom Meeting, was accepted into the de Young’s On the Edge exhibition in 2020. Liz will provide guidance on surrealistic collage techniques, how to layer materials and construct both realistic and dreamlike images of San Francisco’s iconic Victorian architecture. Work with magazines, scissors, glue, and wooden sub stacks to complete two unique Victorian home collages; one on paper, one on a wooden block. Class is limited to 10 students. 1 to 4 p.m. $75. ARCH Art Supplies, 1490 17th Street. For more information: https://bit.ly/4lfKzBx
5/10 Saturday
Community: Dogpatch Spring Market
Join the Dogpatch Business Association, merchants, and vendors to enjoy shopping and activities from local spots and artists, with food, drinks, live music, and more! 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., 22nd Street between Third and Illinois streets.
5/12 Monday
Books: The Big We by Hali Lee
Through stories of giving circles around the country, including her own experience starting the Asian Women Giving Circle, Hali Lee writes about an expansive vision for philanthropy’s future, one led by people focusing on community, who care about rebuilding civic space, and are yearning for connection, and purpose. 5:30 p.m. doors open, 6 to 7 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing. Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California, 110 The Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium. Prices range from free to $38. Online tickets also available. For more information: https://bit.ly/3EcPYIU
5/17 Saturday
Garden: Beginning Beekeeping
An introduction to bees and beekeeping practices, whether starting a backyard hive or just bee-curious. Bee basics, their progress through spring and summer, and what to expect as colonies expand in the warmer, longer days. Class outline, suggested reading, and additional recommendations provided. Instructors will bring an observation hive to see bees in action, with Garden for the Environment’s hives visible from a distance. The class is designed for absolute beginners; no prerequisite knowledge required. Part of an ongoing series of beginning beekeeping classes; each class will emphasize what’s happening in a beehive throughout the seasons. $27.24 to $53.49. Garden for the Environment, 1590 Seventh Avenue. More information: https://bit.ly/4j8ztwu
5/18 Sunday
Dance: TLFit – Live
TLFit – Live (and LIVESTREAM) is a high energy cardio dance workout. Full-body exercise that makes the most of an hour and keeps things fresh, with a mix of music. 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The Smuin Center for Dance. To register: https://tinyurl.com/eyfemmcn
5/24 Saturday and 5/25 Sunday
Festival: Carnaval
A two–day festival that sprawls across 17 Mission District blocks, with five main stages, 50 local performing artists, and 400 vendors. This year’s theme is “AfroMundo: African Diaspora in the Americas.” The festival includes international food, dancing, sampling sites and entertainment for families, couples and friends of all ethnic, social and economic backgrounds. Welcoming more than 400,000 people annually, Carnaval San Francisco is California’s largest multicultural celebration. The Grand Parade boasts a 60-contingent lineup, with more than 3,000 artists representing the cultural heritages of Brazil, Mexico, Panama, Bolivia, Cuba, Peru, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Colombia, Trinidad & Tobago, Guatemala, El Salvador, and more. Festival: Saturday and Sunday, May 24 to 25, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Grand Parade: Sunday, May 25, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Parade begins at 24th and Bryant streets. Free. For more information: https://carnavalsanfrancisco.org/