“The Bay Area is dead,” they say. “The art scene is boring; there’s nothing to do; blah blah blah.”Lies! Here at COYOTE we know that the Bay Area is bursting with interesting, surprising, and eye-opening events. We’re here to tell you what, where, and when those events are.
As Emma Silvers writes in her piece, calendars are a core strand of alt-weekly DNA; the event listings have long recorded the cadence of a city’s cultural heartbeat. “That’s what told you how to live your life in the city as a person who loved the arts,” former alt-weekly writer and current NPR music critic Ann Powers told Silvers.
As we embark on our calendar journey, we’re in incredible company with Decentered Arts, the Oakland Review of Books, Bay Area Current, White Crate, and other outlets that publish listings to help you figure out your weekend plans. Consider COYOTE's calendar an additive offering: our own snapshot of what the Bay has going on in a given week. Our staff is full of cool and interesting people — poets and music experts, film buffs and voracious readers, artists and gourmands. Together, we aim to give you a menu that surprises, delights, and reminds you of why you spend so much fucking money to live here.
Eventually, we have big dreams of creating a Big Honkin’ (Howlin?) Calendar that is more comprehensive, stuffed full of as many concerts, shows, readings, protests, art openings, parties, pop-ups, and more as we can find. But for now, we’re going to share a curated list with you every week. We’ll normally post these on Wednesdays.
Got suggestions? We can’t include everything, but feel free to hit us up at calendar@coyotemedia.org, and one of us will check out your idea.
Sunday Supper with Pantera Negra and Shuck Buddy 〰️ "Think picnic, but make it swanky." This special meal involves five courses (plus wine/NA pairings) and promises "peak tomatoes, late-season stone fruit, and everything lush." Plus, you get to meet someone who goes by "Shuck Buddy," which is worth at least $10. 〰️ 5 p.m. 〰️ Oakland 〰️ $175 〰️reservations
Soil and Sunlight Tour 〰️ Are you: a) queer b) in love c) sad or d) all of the above? Good news, no matter which of those you picked there's something for you at this show. Maggie Gently, Katherine Paterson, Harvey Forget playing songs about queer love, signs from the universe, softness, layers, and what it means to experience the world together. 〰️ 8:30 p.m. 〰️ El Rio, SF 〰️ $10 〰️more info
Jyoti Mukharji & Auyon Mukharji in conversation with Frances Baca about Heartland Masala 〰️ Come hear Indian cooking instructor Jyoti Mukharji and her son Auyon Mukharji talk about their new book Heartland Masala which weaves recipes by Jyoti with essays by Auyon. 〰️ 6:30pm 〰️ Omnivore Books, SF 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Never Bored record release show 〰️ Never Bored promises that the songs are rarely more than three minutes so you'll... never be bored. And now, Amir Sberlo is releasing a record called EVERYTHING IS BUGS (incredible title). Come through, get a record, "and it'll be over before you have time to talk $@& about it." 〰️ 8pm 〰️ El Rio, SF 〰️ $12 〰️more info
Figure/life drawing session for Black artists 〰️ Join Artsy Black People for a chill, supportive figure life drawing session featuring Black models. All levels welcome to come and draw — no instruction given for this one, "just an opportunity to express yourself freely enjoy the company of fellow creatives, and vibe." 〰️ 6:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m. 〰️ Port Labs, Oakland 〰️ $23.50 〰️tickets
Winter Williams Presents an all-female Instrumental Funk Session 〰️ If you ever get to pick the music at a powerlifting gym, instrumental funk will never let you down. This show promises a live version of that curated especially for lovers of Afrobeat, Jazz, R&B and more. Featuring Gurlz Play 2, Chanelle Ignant, Danielle "drummagurl" Wansley-Strong, Jewell McMilon, Richelle Scales and some surprise guests. 〰️ 8pm 〰️ Ivy Room, Albany 〰️ $10 in advance, $20 at the door 〰️tickets
Writers With Drinks featuring Caro de Robertis, Michal "MJ" Jones and more! 〰️ Charlie Jane Anders always puts together an incredible lineup. The event is back this month with a killer list: Caro de Robertis, Michal "MJ" Jones, Charlie Jane Anders, Annalee Newitz, Frida Sierra and Renée Swindle. 〰️ 7pm-9pm 〰️ Strut, SF 〰️ FREE, donations to Strut/Magnet requested 〰️ 😷COVID SAFE (masks required and they'll be on the balcony assuming weather permits) 〰️more info
Bounce SF 〰️ Pretend you're in Berlin without having to learn German! Simply rock up to this bounce and eurotrance set with Berlin-based DJ Cargo, also featuring DJs Just Tosh and Dogtooth. Your BART train will not be as on time as a German train, but the music will be just as good. 〰️ 9 p.m. 〰️ Underground, SF 〰️ $15 〰️tickets
Arundhati Roy in conversation with Deepa Fernandes 〰️ Arundhati Roy talks about her forthcoming memoir, Mother Mary Comes to Me, "a soaring account of how the author became the person and the writer she is, shaped by circumstance, but above all by her complex relationship to the extraordinary, singular mother." 〰️ 7:30 p.m. 〰️ Sydney Goldstein Theater, SF 〰️ $59+ (ticket price includes a copy of the book) 〰️tickets
Tattoo flash day fundraiser for West Oakland Punks with Lunch 〰️ Get tattooed by some of Oakland's greatest artists! And if your mom gets mad you can tell her it was for a good cause — after cost of materials, all proceeds will go to West Oakland Punks With Lunch. Plus, members of PWL will be present with volunteer info, harm reduction supplies, zines, merch, and more. 〰️ 12 p.m. 〰️ Thorns Tattoo, Oakland 〰️ 😷COVID SAFE (masks required)
Craft Corner with Amy Ting at Books Inc. Campbell 〰️ The world is on fire. You probably need a cute little friend. Now you can learn how to make one, in the Japanese "amigurumi" tradition. Join Amy Ting for a crafting session to celebrate the release of her book, Amigurumi Critters and make a spooky-themed pal out of pipe cleaners and yarn while Amy shows off the crochet critters you can make with her book. 〰️ 2 p.m. 〰️ Books Inc., Campbell 〰️more info
The Whole Pie Dinner 〰️ Pie Ranch in Pescadero is hosting a 20th-anniversary fundraiser dinner. Their pie is unreal. Proceeds from the fundraiser will go towards programs that teach about food justice, farming, and culinary skills to Bay Area youth; create career pathways and land access for BIPOC farmers at our Regenerator Program at Cascade Ranch; and support advocacy work towards a structural change in our food system that aims to heal our relationships with self, other, and the Earth.〰️ 3 p.m.–9 p.m. 〰️ Pie Ranch, Pescadero 〰️ $265 〰️ tickets
Duncan 〰️ Come see a "radical experiment and mutual exchange" between NIAD artists and Christopher Robin Duncan. "The show’s punchy title refers both to the physical mechanism that allowed for these works to be created and to the greater concept of a pulley system: a collection of wheels and ropes that operate in concert to lift an object." NIAD shows always impress me. 〰️ 3 p.m.–5 p.m. 〰️ Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Gaza Surf Club Film Screening and Community Fundraiser 〰️ Join Albany & El Cerrito for Palestine for a screening of the 2016 documentary Gaza Surf Club. After the film hear from local surfers, artists, and activists connected to the Gaza surf community today. 〰️ 5:30 p.m. 〰️ Banana Yoga Studio, Emeryville 〰️ Suggested donation: $20-$250 (all proceeds go directly to Gaza) 〰️more info
Oakland Roots Pride Night 〰️ See the Oakland Roots take on FC Tulsa and celebrate pride at the Coliseum. 〰️ 7 p.m. 〰️ Oakland Coliseum 〰️ $22+
Live in the Laurel: The Gold Souls 〰️ Good, old-school cosmic funk and soul by way of Sacramento, as part of the Live in the Laurel event series. 〰️ 8 p.m. 〰️ Degrees Plato Tap Room, Oakland 〰️ FREE
Game Market West 〰️ Indie tabletop games as far as the eye can see! Plus, an open play area, and special guest Ryan Goldsberry, the artist for board games like Burgle Brothers, Paperback, and Fugitive. 〰️ 10 a.m.–3 p.m. 〰️ Guildhouse, San Jose 〰️more info
Premiere of Yakuza Ondo 〰️ Join the cast and crew of the short film Yakuza Ondo at Takahashi Market (the main location in the film) for a screening, other short films from local filmmakers, music, and tasty food. 〰️ 6:30 p.m .〰️ Takahashi Market, San Mateo 〰️ FREE 〰️more info ️
Briny Boi's Bash Oyster Fest 〰️ Slurp some oysters and get tattooed at the same time! Featuring the Pleasure Principle, the Yard, Vinyl Wine Bar, the Cook and Her Farmer, and the Salty Pearl Oyster Bar. Flash tattoos by Inkbold Tattoo Studios. 〰️ 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. 〰️ Humble Sea Brewing, Alameda 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Canyon Fest 2025 〰️ Music, food, and a dance party under the stars at a beautiful outdoor campus in the East Bay hills. "Rooted in community and sunshine, it will be a fresh air music festival not to miss!" The festival is also a fundraiser to help the school expand their garden program. 〰️ 1:30pm 〰️ Wildcat Canyon Community School, El Sobrante 〰️ $50 〰️tickets
LaRussell, Souls of Mischief and Ruby Ibarra at Music in the Park 〰️ Come see Vallejo's reigning king of rap LaRussell, alongside Oakland legends Souls of Mischief and Bay Area Filipina emcee (and recent Tiny Desk Contest winner!) Ruby Ibarra. 〰️ 4 p.m. 〰️ Plaza de Cesar Chavez, San Jose 〰️ $49 〰️ tickets
Mud Always Comes Back with Anna Tsing 〰️ Are you a sucker for an esoteric academic talk? What about mud? This lecture asks: "What if we considered Southeast Asia from the perspective of its muddy coasts and inland swamps? Before colonial rule, "soft coasts” supported a maritime world in which diverse peoples were connected by trade, kinship, and fealty." Hear Anna Tsing, a professor of anthropology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, speak about reclamation, repair, and postcolonial wetlands. 〰️ 5 p.m. 〰️ UC Berkeley, Dwinelle Hall 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
'Women of Afrofuturism' exhibition tour at SFO 〰️Because it's a shame to only see the works at the San Francisco International Airport when you're rushing to your gate. See work by Oakland filmmaker and artist Celia C. Peters, digital artist Nettrice Gaskins, and interdisciplinary artist Alisha B. Wormsley, on view alongside futuristic fashion by San Francisco's Afatasi the Artist professor D. Denenge Duyst-Akpem. Real ID or passport required; the tour will go through TSA security together. 〰️ 10 a.m. 〰️ Harvey Milk Terminal 1, SF International Airport 〰️ FREE 〰️ more info
Bay Area Transit Month pop-up transit art fair 〰️ At COYOTE we love public transit! We also love art. See both at the Bay Area Transit month art fair full of local artists like Bionyo Illustrations, Shane Donahue, Lily Poppy Art, Miriam Sweeney, Alvar Jacomet, Gibby.SF, Rondo Fish, Christine Innes, Shrey Purohit and more. 〰️ 3 p.m.–6 p.m. 〰️ Salesforce Transit Center, SF 〰️ FREE 〰️register
Stud Country Queer Line Dancing & Two-Stepping 〰️ Have you noticed that all your cool queer friends are line dancing these days? Join them every Wednesday at Stud Country where best friends Sean and Bailey teach partner dancing and classic era line dances from disco to nineties country, while mixing in new genre pop songs. "They believe line dancing should be easy, fun and accessible." 〰️ 8 p.m. 〰️ Verdi Club, SF 〰️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!
Reo Eveleth is an award-winning reporter and writer who has covered everything from fake tumbleweed farms to million-dollar baccarat heists. Their work has been nominated for a Peabody, an Emmy, and an Eisner Award.
