SAN FRANCISCO and OAKLAND EVENTS

Events held in San Francisco or Oakland, unless indicated otherwise.

AUGUST

Afro Solo Festival
Celebrate the African American experience through solo performances ranging theater, dance, music, poetry and spoken word; San Francisco; http://www.afrosolo.org

SEPTEMBER

Art & Soul Festival
Annual festival featuring art, dance, music, food and more; past performers include Angie Stone, Wayman Tisdale, Rickie Lee Jones, Goapele, Klymaxx; Downtown Oakland; http://www.oaklandcvb.com

Annual Ghirardelli Square Chocolate Festival 
Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco; http://www.ghirardellisq.com

Jazz on the River
Enjoy great jazz music, food and wine tasting on the beach; past performers include George Benson, Al Jarreau, Stanley Clarke, Norman Brown, and Ledisi; Johnson's Beach; Guerneville (2 hours drive from San Francisco); http://www.russianriverbluesfest.com

Oakland International Film Festival
Annual festival featuring a collections of films that support Oakland Talent; various Oakland locations; http://www.oaklandcvb.com

Monterey Jazz Festival 
World's longest running jazz festival; Featuring over 500 artists on 7 stages; past performers include Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, Regina Carter, Branford Marsalis; Monterey Fairgrounds, Monterey (2 hours drive from San Francisco); http://www.montereyjazzfestival.org

San Francisco Blues Festival
One of the oldest blues festivals in America, Fort Mason, San Francisco; http://www.sfblues.com

OCTOBER

Black Cowboy Parade
Celebrate the cowboys who helped settle the West with a parade of cowboys and cowgirls in traditional attire; West Oakland and Downtown Oakland; http://www.oaklandcvb.com

San Francisco Jazz Festival
One of San Francisco's largest musical festivals featuring local, national and international jazz artists performing in various locations; San Francisco; http://www.sfjazz.org

NOVEMBER

Holiday Harmony Celebration and Tree Lighting Ceremony
Pier 39, San Francisco; http://www.pier39.com

Jack London Square Tree Lighting Ceremony
Featuring 70-foot holiday tree, entertainment, arts and crafts; Jack London Square, Oakland; http://www.oaklandcvb.com

Ghirardelli Square Tree Lighting Ceremony 
Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco; http://www.ghirardellisq.com

DECEMBER

Oakland Holiday Parade
Annual parade featuring giant helium balloons, popular cartoon/storybook characters, marching bands, creative floats, and performance groups; Broadway(between 11th Street and 20th Street), Oakland;  http://www.oaklandcvb.com

Black Nativity
Annual production of Langston Hughes musical; Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, San Francisco; http://www.lorrainehansberrytheatre.com

Cinderella
Annual holiday production; African American Shakespeare Company, San Francisco; http://www.african-americanshakes.org

Kwanzaa Celebration
Begins 12/26; annual 7-day celebration of this African American culture at various venues around the San Francisco Bay; http://www.soulofamerica.com/kwanzaa-celebrations.phtml

JANUARY

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration 
San Francisco honors the great civil rights leader; rally, march, and candle light vigil; Bill Graham Civic Auditorium and Yerba Buena Gardens; http://www.king-raleigh.org/natlevent/body.cfm

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration
Oakland honors the great civil rights leader; http://www.oaklandcvb.com

FEBRUARY

Black History Month
Various events celebrating Black history and culture held throughout the city; San Francisco; http://www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com or http://www.sfnoir.org

San Francisco Independent Film Festival
San Francisco; http://www.sfindie.com

Chinese New Year Festival 
Annual event attracting thousands of spectators; huge parade down Market Street is the event highlight; Chinatown; San Francisco; http://www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com

San Francisco Tribal, Folk & Textiles Art Show 
Over 80 folk and ethnic art dealers sell pottery, basketry, textiles and jewelry; Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco; http://www.caskeylees.com/shows/8/tribal/sf

MARCH

San Francisco Jazz Spring Season 
Series of concerts, films and family matinees featuring jazz legends and the rising stars they have influenced; performers include Branford Marsalis Quartet, Shirley Horn, and Ahmad Jamal; various San Francisco locations; http://www.sfjazz.org

APRIL

San Francisco International Film Festival
More than 100 films and videos from 30 countries will be showcased during this annual festival; Spike Lee makes frequent appearances; San Francisco; http://www.sffs.org

MAY

Cinco de Mayo Festival and Parade
Featuring Gala Parade  and live entertainment on two stages;  International Boulvard (between 47th and 33rd avenues); Oakland; http://www.oaklandcvb.com

San Francisco Youth Arts Festival
Annual celebration showcasing visual and performing Arts by San Francisco students; Zeum and Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco; http://www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com

Carnaval 
San Francisco's version of Mardi Gras; featuring exotic carnival dancers with a mixture of Latino, jazz, samba, Caribbean, and more; Harrison Street between 16th and 22nd Streets, San Francisco; http://www.carnavalsf.com

JUNE

San Francisco Black Film Festival 
Celebration of African American cinema and the African Cultural Diaspora; films include features, shorts, narratives, and documentaries; San Francisco; http://www.sfbff.org

Ethnic Dance Festival
Three weekends of performances showcasing the best of world dance and music representing cultures from around the world; Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco; http://www.worldartswest.org

Juneteenth Celebration
Outdoor event celebrating African American history and culture with jazz, art exhibits, vendor booths, carnival rides; San Francisco; http://www.juneteenth.com or http://www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com

Russian River Blues Festival
Enjoy great jazz music, food and wine tasting on the beach; past performers include Al Green, Ike Turner, Shemekia Coleman and Rawls Revue; Johnson's Beach; Guerneville (2 hours drive from San Francisco); http://www.russianriverbluesfest.com

Monterey Bay Blues Festival 
One of the largest blues festivals on the West Coast; past performers include Little Richard, Ashford & Simpson, Etta James, Neville Brothers, James Brown, Keb Mo; Monterey Fairgrounds, Monterey (2 hours drive from San Francisco); http://www.montereyblues.com

Stern Grove Music Festival
Free series of concerts featuring R&B, jazz and world music; Stern Grove, San Francisco; http://www.sterngrove.org

JULY

Fillmore Street Festival 
Featuring three stages of jazz performances, over 300 artists booths, and international food courts; Fillmore Street between Jackson and Eddy Streets; San  Francisco; http://www.fillmorejazzfestival.com

 
North Beach Jazz Festival
Annual festival featuring local and national artists with an emphasis on Latin Jazz and New Orleans Jazz; North Beach, San Francisco; http://www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com