COYOTE Calendar: November 20–November 26

Welcome to the COYOTE Calendar. Here are this week’s hand-picked events, just for you. This week we’ve got vinyl record swaps, a nighttime art experience featuring box trucks, and free bowls of pho. We’ll post new events each Wednesday. Go forth and enjoy!

• Queer Bedtime Stories 〰 This queer live-reading event at Tamarack sounds cozy and soul-nourishing, like chicken soup in a hostile, heteronormative world. Join to listen to stories that either center queerness or are by an LGBTQ+ author, or bring a reading of your own to share. 〰 7:30-10pm 〰 Tamarack 〰 Oakland 〰 Sliding scale $2-20 〰 more info
• ‘The Strike’ screening 〰 This riveting feature documentary by two UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism alumni tells the story of how men in California prisons resisted the state’s cruel solitary confinement policies by organizing the largest hunger strike in U.S. history. You’ll leave the screening feeling inspired about the power of solidarity. We need some of that, right? 〰 6:45pm 〰 The New Parkway 〰 Oakland 〰 $12+ 〰 more info 
• Mushroom Foraging Workshop 〰 If you’re curious about gathering wild mushrooms but feel intimidated about where to start, this public library event is for you. Join Carrie Staller from Fork in the Path for a hands-on hour of learning about how to identify common edible winter mushrooms, like porcini and chanterelles. Imagine telling your dinner guests, “Yeah, I picked those mushrooms myself.” Bad. Ass. 〰 6-7pm 〰 Tarea Hall Pittman South Branch Library 〰 Berkeley 〰 FREE 〰 more info
• ‘Sex Change and the City’ with Tuck Woodstock & Soleil Ho 〰 Our very own Soleil Ho interviews Tuck Woodstock, creator of the Gender Reveal podcast, about the new anthology he co-edited, Sex Change & the City, a collection of 45 trans and queer perspectives that were inspired by HBO’s classic series. The book goes beyond asking “Are you a Miranda?” to consider more pressing questions, like “When will Miranda start HRT and begin going by Hobbes?” 〰 6:30-8:30pm 〰 Local Economy 〰 Oakland 〰 $10 sliding scale 〰 more info

• 9th Ave: Fall of Freedom 〰 A coast-to-coast call for artists to rally against authoritarian forces lands in the Inner Sunset. Expect local makers, tarot, and action-driven postcard writing. Donations go to the Immigration Institute of the Bay Area. Bring canned food for a bonus raffle entry – good karma included. 〰 5-8pm 〰 Green Apple Books on the Park 〰 San Francisco 〰 $0-20 〰 more info
• AROC Community Celebration and Fundraiser 〰 The Arab Resource & Organizing Center is a leading Bay Area force that fights for strong communities and a free Palestine. Show up with your moral — and financial — support. Enjoy a casual happy hour with food, drinks, and music, and stay to honor collective courage. A portion of proceeds supports AROC’s work. 〰 5-8pm 〰 Understory Oakland 〰 Free entry, donations encouraged 〰 more info

• Botánica Negra Teaser Pop-Up 〰 Oakland-based creative DJ Kream is unveiling a new queer- and Black-owned brand that she’s been building over the last three years. Botánica Negra lets you tap into your powerful, witchy self, while staying luxe. Preview select Botánica Negra pieces, shop candle offerings and enjoy all-vinyl DJ sets by DJ Kream herself, Fresh Daily, Moonhunti and Musa Bey. 〰 11am-10pm 〰 Couchdate 〰 Oakland 〰 Free (RSVP for a Free gift!) 〰 more info
• Make-Out Room Record Swap 〰 Music fans and crate diggers rejoice! After a very successful record swap earlier this year, local DJs are hosting the event again at the dive bar – just in time for you to swipe some fresh vinyl for your holiday shopping. No generic Secret Santa gifts here. Check out a variety of vendors and drink specials throughout the afternoon. 〰 12-5pm 〰 Make-Out Room 〰 San Francisco 〰 Free 〰 more info
• Lost Horizon Night Market 〰 What can you do with an empty box truck? This event answers that question with this unexpected, interactive nighttime art experience where you can encounter a variety of performances, mysterious lounges, and other installations, all situated within seemingly ordinary box trucks. 〰 6-9pm 〰 Intersection of Seaport Ave and S 50th St 〰 Richmond 〰 Free 〰 more info
• Rexx Life Raj at the Fillmore 〰 It’s a hometown victory lap as Berkeley born-and-raised rapper Rexx Life Raj headlines the Fillmore. He’s rolling through with the Hella Slept On Tour, delivering what he does best: introspective bars, smooth flows, social insight, and straight-up bangers. Featuring special guest and opener Iman Europe. 〰 8pm 〰 The Fillmore 〰 San Francisco 〰 $48 and up 〰 more info

• Thangs Taken: Rethinking Thanksgiving 〰 This annual gathering is in its 18th year of challenging and reshaping the colonial ‘thanksgiving’ narrative by centering the voices and perspectives of Native culture bearers and activists. This year’s event is extra special: It marks the 10th anniversary of the Shuumi Land Tax, a voluntary rematriation program led by Sogorea Te' Land Trust. Come join an evening of art, music, and storytelling. All proceeds go directly to the Indigenous organizers of the gathering. 〰 6-9pm 〰 La Peña Cultural Center 〰 Berkeley 〰 $17.20-$60 〰 more info
• Community Press 〰 Calling all olive harvesters (all three of you?)! Sonoma’s The Olive Press is hosting a special Community Milling Day where anyone can bring their olive haul to help create a community-sourced extra virgin olive oil. It’s a very wholesome, very Mediterranean tradition — and yes, you get a cut of the oil based on what you contribute. Be sure to skim the Community Press Do’s and Don’ts before you go. 〰 9am-2pm 〰 The Olive Press 〰 Sonoma 〰FREE // more info
• Bruce Lee Day 〰 The Asian Art Museum is celebrating the wisest, most famously low-body-fat icon with a full-day tribute packed with activities, including a talk and podcast taping with culture critic and author Jeff Chang, pineapple bun tastings, screenprinting, film screenings, and martial arts self-defense workshops. Truly something for everyone. Come honor the life and legacy of the San Francisco Chinatown-born legend. 〰 10a-5pm 〰 Asian Art Museum 〰 San Francisco 〰 General admission ticket price: $0-20 〰 more info
• Pickwick Vintage Show 〰 On your mark, get set, vintage! Dive into a glorious (and very stylish) day of sifting through dazzling vintage clothing, jewelry, and accessories from over 40 vendors. Quality is high, treasures are unique, and yes, the crowds are real. Try your best to snag one of the limited number of tickets ahead of the show; tickets will be sold at the door as capacity allows. 〰 10am-4pm 〰 Ferry Building 〰 San Francisco 〰 $11.54 〰 more info
• Burritos by Xulo 〰 If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of trying the buttery, mouthwatering flour tortillas from Xulo, you’ve been missing out. Seriously, where have you been? Luckily, this breakfast/brunch burrito pop-up will make it right. There will be three pre-rolled, hot and ready burritos to choose from, featuring braised beef shank, ratatouille and midnite black beans. I would order all three if I were you. 〰 10am-1pm 〰 Berkeley Kitchens 〰 Berkeley 〰 more info

• Pho for the People 〰 For the past six years, Monster Pho has dedicated one day during Thanksgiving week to give out free bowls of pho. The restaurant is a community leader in more ways than one: It was one of the initial local businesses that stepped up to provide food to people losing SNAP benefits during the government shutdown. This heart- and belly-warming day will also feature a live performance from local rapper Seiji Oda and a toy drive to benefit Oakland Chinatown’s Friends of Lincoln Square Park. 〰 10am-3pm (or until they run out!) // Monster Pho 〰 Oakland 〰 Free 〰 more info
• SNAP Food Drive and Potluck 〰 All November long, Lylac Health and Couchdate are hosting a community-powered SNAP food drive and potluck where community members can drop off non-perishable grocery items every Saturday and Sunday. Tap into that “we take care of us” energy, because the federal government clearly won’t. 〰 4-7:30pm 〰Couchdate 〰 Oakland 〰 Free 〰 more info

• Pigeon Pit and June Henry 〰 Washington folk-punk band Pigeon Pit brings its raw, diary-like storytelling and energy to Berkeley. Pitchfork once said their music “sounds like a honky-tonk held in the creaky living room of a local punk house.” Honestly, half the fun might be watching how the crowd tries to dance to it. They’re joined by freak-folk singer-songwriter June Henry. 〰 7:30-11pm 〰 924 Gilman 〰 Berkeley 〰 $18 〰 more info

• San Jose’s Holiday Ice Rink “Skate Under the Palms” Opening Day 2025-26 〰 Looking for a cute third date idea? Glide into the holiday season with the opening of the downtown San Jose rink, which will operate daily through January 19, 2026. The local tradition has been around since 1994 and is, apparently, "the only rink in the world that offers skating in and around a circle of 32 palm trees." Only in California, right? 〰 5-9pm 〰 Downtown Ice 〰 San Jose 〰 $21 〰 more info
• Free Admission Day at the Chinese Historical Society of America Museum 〰 CHSA is hosting its annual Free Admission Day, which also includes free access to the We Are Bruce Lee: Under the Sky, One Family exhibition (this month also marks Lee’s 85th birthday). It’s the perfect chance to learn some Chinese American history, because our school curriculum did us dirty. 〰 11am-4pm 〰 Chinese Historical Society of America Museum 〰 San Francisco 〰 Free 〰 more info

You can see all of COYOTE's past calendar picks here. If you have an event you'd like to see on a future COYOTE Calendar, email us at calendar@coyotemedia.org. If you attended and enjoyed any of these events, we'd love to hear about it in the comments!