The shortest month of the year is full of events, with Lunar New Year happenings, Black History Month and craft beer festivals to keep you busy. Whether you need a laugh from a standup show or are looking for a taste of Bay Area art and culture, here are some activities for all 28 29 days of February.
All month San Rafael Feb-BREW-ary
Downtown San Rafael is celebrating local craft beer throughout February. Participating breweries and restaurants are hosting deals, events and special menus to promote local business and showcase the best of Marin’s beer scene.
Feb 1 Ilana Glazer
Ilana Glazer showed the world that it’s possible to be goofy and whip-smart with her television show Broad City. Now Glazer brings her talents to the Masonic Auditorium for a night of standup.
Feb 8–18 San Francisco Independent Film Festival
Sundance who? For the experimenters and film fanatics among us, SF Indie presents the cutting edge of independent cinema at its annual festival in the Mission District’s Roxie Theater.
Feb 9–10 Hasan Minhaj
The Daily Show alumnus and former host of Patriot Act, Hasan Minhaj seamlessly blends political commentary and autobiography into hilarious comedy. See him at the Masonic Auditorium.
Feb 9–18 SF Beer Week
Lagers, ales and all things hoppy and frothy are coming to San Francisco’s Pier 35. The craft beer community returns with SF Beer Week, where attendees can enjoy brewery booths, tasting experiences, food pairings and more. Entrance is free, though tickets are available for the kickoff Opening Gala on Feb. 9.
Feb 10 Sausalito’s Soup-er Bowl
Sausalito is heating up for the Super Bowl with Marin’s soup event par excellence. A ticket to this walking tour/cook-off gets you access to a dozen Sausalito eateries and their specialty soups.
Feb 11 Nature-Inspired Art in the Park
Come to Paradise Park in Tiburon for Valentine’s crafts and hot drinks by the bay. This community event is contingent on good weather, and organizers will provide art supplies and cozy beverages.
Feb 11 The Artist at Work: José Figueroa
The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts’ series Bay Area Now 9 hosts and exhibits local artists. See Oakland-based artist José Figueroa in the studio as he works on his expansive and eclectic drawn archive of the world. Participants can even try out Figueroa’s style and draw alongside him.
Feb 13 Mardi Gras in the Mission
The colors, costumes and music of Mardi Gras light up February, and the city’s Mission District is taking part. Music, costume and dancing are hitting the Mission District this Fat Tuesday. As organized by Carnaval San Francisco, multiple venues host live music and performances all night for Fat Tuesday. Practice your steps for salsa, cumbia and all sorts of Latin stylings.
Feb 14 No Ordinary Love: Tribute to Sade
Still need Valentine’s plans? Vocalist and The Roots collaborator Martin Luther McCoy is putting on a showcase of the romantic songs of Sade, the Nigerian British soul legend. Sway with your sweetheart to “No Ordinary Love,” “The Sweetest Taboo” and more.
Feb 14 Valentine’s Pillow Fight
Not up for the traditional flowers and chocolates? February’s pinkest holiday comes with a twist and a cloud of feathers in San Francisco. Start training for a massive public pillow fight happening this Valentine’s Day. This event is not formally organized, but word on the street says to show up at the Embarcadero Plaza at 5:50 p.m.
Feb 15–March 10 Bees and Honey
Watch the love story of Manuel and Johaira, a newly married Washington Heights couple, as they navigate marriage and tragedy in Guadalís Del Carmen’s play Bees and Honey. This intimate, two-actor show makes its West Coast debut and its second-ever production at Marin Theatre Company.
Feb 15–17 Jackie Greene
For three nights, former The Black Crowes guitarist and Americana singer-songwriter Jackie Greene will perform his bluesy tunes at Sweetwater Music Hall. Greene’s clear voice and expert musicianship shine in his interpretations of roots music.
Feb 16 Freda Payne’s A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald
The “Band of Gold” Motown singer and Broadway star Freda Payne pays tribute to the First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald. Special guest Kenny Washington joins Payne for this one-night-only concert at the Marin Center’s Showcase Theatre.
Feb 17 Inaugural Festival of Olives
It’s not the pits. The new Festival of Olives, previously known as An Olive Odyssey, comes to Jacuzzi Family Vineyards in Sonoma in collaboration with Don’s Olives and The Olive Press. Sample an array of olive oils, ponder olive-related art and enjoy the fruit of the hour, the olive!
Feb 17–18 Marin Symphony plays Dvorak
Marin Symphony’s Chamber Music Ensembles will perform Dvorak’s famous piano quintet alongside other works. They’ll hold two performances, the first at Novato’s Marin Country Club and the second at Tiburon’s Westminster Presbyterian Church.
Feb 17 Bert Kreischer: Tops Off World Tour
Crass, loud and perpetually shirtless, Bert Kreischer is delivering his wild storytelling and endearing antics to San Francisco’s Chase Center.
Feb 21 Riding Giants at the Rafael Theater
Join 101 Surf Sports at the Rafael Theater for a screening of Riding Giants, the classic surf documentary which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Big wave surfer Jeff Clark, who is featured in the documentary, will hold a Q&A after the film.
Feb 22 Dylan Penningroth: The Hidden History of Black Civil Rights
UC Berkeley professor Dylan Penningroth joins retired judge LaDoris Cordell to discuss Penningroth’s forthcoming book, Before the Movement. Drawing on research from local courthouses and forgotten legal disputes, Penningroth illustrates how African Americans fundamentally shaped law prior to landmark rulings of the Civil Rights Movement.
Feb 22–March 3 Noise Pop Festival
Hear the best in indie music at SF’s Noise Pop Festival, now in its 31st year. This multi-day, multi-venue festival includes headliners like Snail Mail, The Mountain Goats and many more. Get to know emerging artists while exploring the frontiers of contemporary music.
Feb 24 Chinese New Year Parade
The biggest Lunar New Year parade outside of Asia, San Francisco’s world-famous Chinese New Year Parade lights up the city with lion dancers, firecrackers and thousands of attendees. The weekend’s Year of the Dragon festivities also include a community street fair. Pro-tip: Bring a raincoat! Last year’s parade saw rain.
Feb 25 Black Joy Parade
Celebrate Black History Month with a parade of joy and community at the 7th Annual Black Joy Parade in Downtown Oakland. A festival with live music will follow the parade, and attendees can support Black businesses and artists by checking out crafts, food and more from hundreds of local vendors.
Feb 23–25 Marin Arts & Crafts Show
Witness the Marin Center’s Exhibit Hall turn into a market of handcrafts and artisan wares for the Marin Arts and Crafts Show. With jewelry, decor, textiles and more, the show is a hotbed of original designs and craft.
Feb 23–March 3 SF Ballet’s Swan Lake
The famed Tchaikovsky ballet gets a modern update by choreographer Helgi Tomasson at San Francisco Ballet. With memorable music, a famous pas de deux and some of the most influential visual motifs seen in ballet, Swan Lake has been a popular production for SF Ballet since its first run in 2009.
Through Feb 24 MJ the Musical
Hear classic hits from the King of Pop in this biographical look at Michael Jackson circa 1992 as he prepares for the Dangerous World Tour. See Jackson’s artistic practice through the years alongside influential collaborators like Berry Gordy and Quincy Jones.
Through Feb 25 Our Town
Grover’s Corners is a small town full of familiar characters and simple goingson, but its story in Our Town reveals something deeper. The Ross Valley Players bring this play to life at The Barn Theater in the Marin Art and Garden Center throughout the month of February.
Feb 27–28 Madonna: The Celebration Tour
Don’t go for second best, baby. See Madonna at the Chase Center as she celebrates four decades as a pop icon. On this tour, the Queen of Pop pays homage to her musical influences and the LGBTQ+ community with a setlist that spans her hits through the years.
Through Feb 29 Lovers Month at Terrene
Terrene, the farm-to-table restaurant nestled in 1 Hotel San Francisco, is holding a month of Valentine’s-inspired fare with the help of Martha Stoumen Wines. A flight of Stoumen wines (dubbed the “Post Flirtation” lineup) will pair well with a romantic dinner and special Feb 14 offerings like seasonal share plates and a flower shop pop-up in the lobby from noon to 6 p.m. Cocktail lovers can also enjoy Joy’s Heart, a fruity combo of passion fruit, avocado pit falernum, Lillet Blanc and Appleton Estate’s aged rum.
Feb 29–March 3 Branford Marsalis
Jazz fans know the Marsalis name. The influential jazz family’s oldest brother and tenor saxophonist Branford returns to SF Jazz with his quartet. Marsalis’ career is storied and decorated, having played with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, toured with Sting and composed music for 2020’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
Through March 3 JoeSam.: Text Messages
MoAD presents the works of JoeSam., a mixed media artist who spent four decades in the Bay Area. JoeSam.’s works explore the Black community’s past and future using found materials from the streets of California. Join the artist for a panel discussion with curator Erin Jenoa Gilbert on Feb 25.
Through March 3 Wolfgang Tillmans: To look without fear
Wolfgang Tillmans’ photography veers between realistic and abstract, the political and the personal. This SFMOMA exhibit charts Tillmans’ career and his diverse works in the artist’s largest exhibition to date.
