Special events
MoAD - Free Admission
MoAD celebrates our dynamic arts & culture neighborhood in conjunction with Downtown First Thursdays. Join us every First Thursday of the month for free admission to the exhibitions and programming at the museum from 4 pm - 8 pm. Be sure to check out the street party on Second Street between Market & Howard!
Wine Down Happiest Hours
Wine Down will offer Happiest Hours specials all night--$9 select wines, $7 select beer, $5 off carafes, pitchers, and cheese & meat feasts--plus DJ TASH and DJ SNKR will be spinning beats from 6 - 9 PM
House of Shields DFT Afterparty
House of Shields will be hosting Bette's (chicken parm sandos) from 5pm-10pm and DJ Jon Got'em from 8pm until late. Free and 21+
BIG FREEDIA
BIG FREEDIA
The larger-than-life ambassador of New Orleans Bounce music, Big Freedia, is a nationally recognized hip-hop artist, TV personality and cultural influencer. Known by her fans as the "Queen Diva," Big Freedia is a loud and proud advocate for racial and gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights.
She continues to push musical boundaries, following her critically acclaimed EPs ('3rd Ward Bounce,' 'Louder,' and 'Big Diva Energy') with her June 2023 album Central City, which blends old-school hip-hop, brass marching bands, and futuristic production. In August 2025, she released her debut gospel album, Pressing Onward, a deeply personal project dedicated to her late partner featuring collaborations with Billy Porter, Tamar Braxton, and K. Michelle. Over the years, Big Freedia has brought her distinctive voice to high-profile projects, such as Drake's "Nice For What", Diplo's "Drop", Beyoncé's Grammy-winning hits "Break My Soul" and "Formation", songs of her own with Ciara, Lil Wayne, Lizzo, and more.
The tireless mogul broke into television in 2013 with Fuse's Big Freedia Bounces Back, and released her memoir "Big Freedia: God Save The Queen Diva" in 2015. In June 2023, Big Freedia premiered the new tv show, Big Freedia Means Business, chronicling her triumphs in music, business, and life. The show follows her journey as an entrepreneur, developing her own line of cannabis, eyewear, and cosmetics.
Big Freedia is known for her infectious energy and personality. In 2019, she was the official host for the Met Gala IG Live Stream Red Carpet event and a host of 2021's Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve TV celebration. In 2021, Big Freedia made Ebony's Power 100 list. She has appeared on CBS This Morning, The Breakfast Club, The Problem with Jon Stewart, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Beat with Ari Melber, The Real, and more.
Listen on Soundcloud
Karaoke Zoe Cocktail Bar
Join us at Zoe for the official Block After Party with a night of Karaoke and Dance! Enjoy Food & Drink Specials starting at $3
Get ready to sing your heart out at ZOE COCKTAIL BAR!
Join us for our new monthly Thursday night Karaoke extravaganza! Show off your vocal skills and have a blast with friends.
When: First Thursday of the Month
Where: 579 Howard St. San Francisco, CA
Time: Doors open at 5 PM, Karaoke starts at 8 PM
Cost: FREE ENTRY
Enjoy our delicious Happy Hour food and drink menu while you sing along to your favorite tunes. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, everyone is welcome!
BOGO is from 9:30 to 10:30 pm with a RSVP
Beyond Walls
🫱🏾🫲🏽 A massive, ephemeral artwork by world-renowned artist Saype, will be painted across San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Gardens’ Great Lawn. Beyond Walls depicts giant intertwined hands painted on the ground symbolizing the longest human chain in the world, step-by-step, city-by-city — a global effort to promote togetherness, kindness and openness. This temporary, biodegradable fresco is an invitation to pause, to look, and to remember that we are linked.
BEYOND WALLS SCHEDULE AT YERBA BUENA GARDENS
Monday-Wednesday, October 5-7, Live Painting by Saype at Yerba Buena Gardens
Wednesday, October 7, 4:30PM: Public Celebration, Human Chain with Nearly 1,000 Locking Hands Around the Artwork
Friday, October 9: Artist Talk with Saype at YBCA
COME TOGETHER AND JOIN HANDS!
On October 7, be part of art history! Gather in community and join hands around the artwork for an unforgettable photo moment.
Karaoke Zoe Cocktail Bar
Join us at Zoe for the official Block After Party with a night of Karaoke and Dance! Enjoy Food & Drink Specials starting at $3
Get ready to sing your heart out at ZOE COCKTAIL BAR!
Join us for our new monthly Thursday night Karaoke extravaganza! Show off your vocal skills and have a blast with friends.
When: First Thursday of the Month
Where: 579 Howard St. San Francisco, CA
Time: Doors open at 5 PM, Karaoke starts at 8 PM
Cost: FREE ENTRY
Enjoy our delicious Happy Hour food and drink menu while you sing along to your favorite tunes. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, everyone is welcome!
BOGO is from 9:30 to 10:30 pm with a RSVP
Mr. CARMACK
MR. CARMACK
Make music like no ones listening is the motto of Aaron Carmack, and appropriately so. His story is a three-part series, divided into factions of past, present, and future. Every element of the past, as Aaron Carmack would explain, has had an effect on who he is today as both a writer/producer and DJ.
Being born and raised in San Francisco, attending and dropping out of college in Long Beach, CA, moving to Oahu for three years and living off income from monthly releases on Bandcamp – Carmacks music is an expression and perpetual reflection of all of it.
Constantly translating personal experience into his craft, Carmack finds inspiration from a range of sources, from his friends and fellow musicians in production cliques, Team Supreme and Soulection, to his travels and numerous sold out tours of five continents over the past two years, sharing stages with folks like Hudson Mohawke, Just Blaze, Cashmere Cat, and Diplo. These influences, combined with a hunger for discovering the newest, most cutting-edge sounds on sites like Soundcloud, are some of the ingredients to the now-Los Angeles- based producers distinct creative process.
Like a hinge to the doorway between dance music and hip hop, Carmacks musical output increasingly occupies a void frontier between the two genres, identified by his contemporaries, fans, and himself purely as Carmack.
With a devotion to the studio and a grinding work ethic, the inventive producer aims to release a prolific amount of music in coming months, all while performing as often as possible.
Listen on Soundcloud
House of Shields DFT Afterparty
House of Shields will be hosting Bette's (chicken parm sandos) from 5pm-10pm and DJ Jon Got'em from 8pm until late. Free and 21+
Madarae Happy Hour & After Party
DOWNTOWN FIRST THURSDAY OFFICIAL PARTY & AFTER-PARTY
DOWNTOWN FIRST THURSDAY IS BACK IN SAN FRANCISCO 🎉 NO COVER ALL NIGHT
The city’s biggest monthly street party is happening every first Thursday, just half a block away from MadaRae — and we’re opening our doors early. Come escape the crowds, grab a drink, and keep the party going inside.
DOORS OPEN AT 4PM
Happy Hour Specials: 4PM – 7PM
KITCHEN OPEN UNTIL 7PM
Live DJs: 830PM – Close
Sound by: WESTKRAVEN
For table reservations, please text 415-244-4222 or email reservations@madarae.com
NO COVER ALL NIGHT
FULL BAR UNTIL THE END
We’ve been selling out every FIRST THURSDAY and the place has been packed, so come early, grab a drink during happy hour, enjoy some food, and stay for the DJs as the night builds.Whether you’re starting your night, taking a break from the street party, or ending the night on the dance floor — MadaRae is the spot just steps away.
MADARAE, THE NEW STANDARD FOR SAN FRANCISCO NIGHTLIFE!
Madarae is San Francisco's newest nightclub featuring world famous house DJs with state of the art sound and lighting but in an intimate setting. Immersing the crowd in amazing sound and visuals while up close and personal to the DJ.
46 Minna, San Francisco
8pm-LATE | 21+ with Valid ID
Electric Void presents: Welcome to the Jungle
Electric Void presents: Welcome to the Jungle
📍 Monarch SF | Thursday, Month Day | First Thursdays Afterparty
All the way from Deep Playa Welcome to the Jungle! this way comes! Dust off your playa boots and your animal looks and come decompress with us at Monarch SF as we kick off this spooky month. Both upstairs and downstairs will be open to get your jungle boogie on, and flirt ferociously. We want your Axl Rose andyYour banana skirt Josephine. Only filthy animals and jungle creatures welcome. We wanna watch you bleed. We wanna hear you scream. Our djs might just bring to you to your Shananana shananana knees knees.
Come in you wildest animal print and jungle attire. We want your tiger stripes, your Lisa Frank, your playa furs. Drink specials all night! Do not get left out in the dust.
Club (House + Techno)⚡Booty Juice
⚡vRok
⚡Killer DVTCHESS
⚡Maximilian
Lounge (Disco + House + Indie Dance) ✨Questy ✨Heart Piece ✨Messiuhhh ✨Isobel
🍹 Drink specials all night 💿 Two floors, two vibes, one perfect Thursday
Pull up. First Thursdays just got an upgrade.
NEXUS PARTY
MoAD and YBCA present THE NEXUS PARTY, the official party of SF/Bay Area Black Art Week and one of the season’s most anticipated nights. Join artists, cultural leaders, and art lovers from across the Bay Area for an unforgettable celebration featuring beats by DJ KREAM and DJ Jihaari. Come ready to dance, connect, and celebrate.
First Thursdays at Per Diem
PER DIEM FIRST THURSDAYS
October 1st
7PM – 12AM
41 Minna Street, SF
Sounds By
Sagmo
Marcello Dellaccio
Aaron Marc
Femme Fatale
Vinyl Nights at the Living Room Bar
Vinyl Nights bring a fresh spin to midweek evenings with live sets by DJ Works! Join us in the Living Room every Tuesday & Thursday at 7PM.
Wine Down Happiest Hours
Wine Down will offer Happiest Hours specials all night--$9 select wines, $7 select beer, $5 off carafes, pitchers, and cheese & meat feasts--plus DJ TASH and DJ SNKR will be spinning beats from 6 - 9 PM
Academy of Art University
Shop ArtU
Join us for Downtown First Thursdays!
Come create, shop, and have some fun:
Make pottery
Shop ArtU
Trade in denim for a $25 Madewell voucher
Dress up in cosplay and get your photo taken!
Southside Spirit House
First Thursday at Southside Spirit House
Join us Thursday, October 1 for a night of good vibes, great music, and drinks at Southside Spirit House.
🍹 Happy Hour: 4–6 PM
🎧 DJs: 9 PM–late
🎶 Sounds by: J. Espinosa
📍 Southside Spirit House
575 Howard St, San Francisco
Come through for happy hour, stay for the music.
MoAD - Free Admission
MoAD celebrates our dynamic arts & culture neighborhood in conjunction with Downtown First Thursdays. Join us every First Thursday of the month for free admission to the exhibitions and programming at the museum from 4 pm - 8 pm. Be sure to check out the street party on Second Street between Market & Howard!
Join us from 5-8pm for beats with DJ Taboo, light snacks and refreshments!
House of Shields DFT Afterparty
House of Shields will be hosting Bette's (chicken parm sandos) from 5pm-10pm and DJ Jon Got'em from 8pm until late. Free and 21+
Madarae Happy Hour & After Party
DOWNTOWN FIRST THURSDAY OFFICIAL PARTY & AFTER-PARTY
DOWNTOWN FIRST THURSDAY IS BACK IN SAN FRANCISCO 🎉 NO COVER ALL NIGHT
The city’s biggest monthly street party is happening every first Thursday, just half a block away from MadaRae — and we’re opening our doors early. Come escape the crowds, grab a drink, and keep the party going inside.
DOORS OPEN AT 4PM
Happy Hour Specials: 4PM – 7PM
KITCHEN OPEN UNTIL 7PM
Live DJs: 830PM – Close
Sound by: WESTKRAVEN
For table reservations, please text 415-244-4222 or email reservations@madarae.com
NO COVER ALL NIGHT
FULL BAR UNTIL THE END
We’ve been selling out every FIRST THURSDAY and the place has been packed, so come early, grab a drink during happy hour, enjoy some food, and stay for the DJs as the night builds.Whether you’re starting your night, taking a break from the street party, or ending the night on the dance floor — MadaRae is the spot just steps away.
MADARAE, THE NEW STANDARD FOR SAN FRANCISCO NIGHTLIFE!
Madarae is San Francisco's newest nightclub featuring world famous house DJs with state of the art sound and lighting but in an intimate setting. Immersing the crowd in amazing sound and visuals while up close and personal to the DJ.
46 Minna, San Francisco
8pm-LATE | 21+ with Valid ID
Vinyl Nights at the Living Room Bar
Vinyl Nights bring a fresh spin to midweek evenings with live sets by DJ Works! Join us in the Living Room every Tuesday & Thursday at 7PM.
LOS CALDERONES @ Yerba Buena Gardens
A relatively recent arrival on the Bay Area Latin music scene, Los Calderones is a Cuban Afro-Latin Funk combo that combines the energy of Cuban reggaeton (known in Cuba as reparto or Cubatón) with timba and traditional Afro-Cuban rhythms. Led by trombonist, arranger and rapper Obrayan Calderon, who was born and raised in the town of Santa Cruz del Norte and moved to the Bay Area in 2018, Los Calderones deliver a sonic wallop, activating dance floors and entrancing listeners with a big, percussion-powered sound. Before arriving in the Bay Area, Obrayan toured internationally and recorded with renowned Cuban orchestras such as Adalberto Alvarez y su Son, Manolito Simonet y su Trabuco and Juan Carlos Alfonzo y su Dan Den. In recent years he’s collaborated with Bay Area mainstays John Santos, Jesus Díaz and Edgardo Cambón. On faculty at the Oakland Public Conservatory, he’s providing a major jolt of energy and inspiration to the Bay Area scene.
A 30-minute beginner dance lesson with Rueda Con Ritmo starts at 5:30pm. No partner required!
Wine Down Happiest Hours
Wine Down will offer Happiest Hours specials all night--$9 select wines, $7 select beer, $5 off carafes, pitchers, and cheese & meat feasts--plus DJ TASH and DJ SNKR will be spinning beats from 6 - 9 PM
CARNAVAL SF TAKEOVER WITH SONIDO LA CONGA
CARNAVAL SF x DFT feat. SONIDO LA CONGA
Carnaval San Francisco takes over 2nd Street and Latino music, culture and community take center stage: unidos en las calles. This is DFT, Carnaval SF style: joyful, proudly Latino and taking over the streets of Downtown SF.
Featuring Sonido La Conga, bringing Mexico City sonidero culture to the heart of Downtown SF. Préndelo con cumbia, salsa classics, guaracha y más sonidos auténticos, with rhythms connecting México, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and beyond. Expect Willie Colón, Sonora Matancera, tropical classics, deep cuts and a parade of favorites lighting up the dance floor.
Sonido La Conga is an iconic Mexican sound system (sonidero) founded by Pedro Perea in Mexico City, with more than three decades of experience and a longstanding presence in sonidero culture. Hailing from El Peñón de los Baños in Mexico City—a neighborhood known as "Little Colombia" for its deep roots in tropical and cumbia music—the Perea family is a legendary dynasty in the Mexican sonidero tradition.
With support from Internacional Panchito, Sonido Reina (La Chica del Sabor) and Sonido La Tapatía with Sylvia Caro.
Listen on Soundcloud
Karaoke Zoe Cocktail Bar
FIRST THURSDAYS KARAOKE PARTY @ZOË!
Join us at Zoe for the official Block After Party with a night of Karaoke and Dance! Enjoy Food & Drink Specials starting at $3
Get ready to sing your heart out at ZOE COCKTAIL BAR!
Join us for our new monthly Thursday night Karaoke extravaganza! Show off your vocal skills and have a blast with friends.
When: First Thursday of the Month
Where: 579 Howard St. San Francisco, CA
Time: Doors open at 5 PM, Karaoke starts at 8 PM
Cost: FREE ENTRY
Enjoy our delicious Happy Hour food and drink menu while you sing along to your favorite tunes. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, everyone is welcome!
BOGO is from 9:30 to 10:30 pm with a RSVP
Disclaimer: Specials may not be eligible for special events or holidays.
House of Shields DFT Afterparty
House of Shields will be hosting Bette's (chicken parm sandos) from 5pm-10pm and DJ Jon Got'em from 8pm until late. Free and 21+
Madarae Happy Hour & After Party
DOWNTOWN FIRST THURSDAYS OFFICIAL AFTER-PARTY at MADARAE - FREE EVENT - Live DJs - Full Bar
📆DATE : Thursday, ,July 2nd
🎧ARTIST : Guest Dj
💿MUSIC TYPE : Open Format
📋GUEST LIST : FREE ENTRY ALL NIGHT WITH RSVP HERE
⏱️TIME : 8PM - LATE
👗👔 DRESS CODE:
👩💼🧑💼 AGE: 21+ WITH VALID ID
📍ADRESS : 46 Minna Street, San Francisco, Ca, 94105
FOR MORE FREE PARTIES FOLLOW US
Eric Rhodes DJ SET
Known for blending throwback hip-hop, country, and today's biggest hits, Eric's mixes and mashups regularly go viral. Brands trust him, fans follow him, and crowds across the country keep coming back for more.
Vinyl Nights at the Living Room Bar
Vinyl Nights bring a fresh spin to midweek evenings with live sets by DJ Works! Join us in the Living Room every Tuesday & Thursday at 7PM.
Tarot + Wine
A Tarot Vin Pop-up At Wine Down
Wine Down will offer Happiest Hours specials all night--$9 select wines, $7 select beer, $5 off carafes, pitchers, and cheese & meat feasts--plus DJ TASH and DJ SNKR will be spinning beats from 6 - 9 PM. Plus a pop-up with Tarot Vin offering tarot card readings from 5- 8 pm.
111 Minna Gallery + KALW
KALW partners with 111 Minna gallery on the first Thursday of every month as a part of the city’s Downtown First Thursdays.
KALW’s community dance party and live broadcast, produced in collaboration with 111 Minna Gallery, programs prominent Bay Area DJs and welcomes artists who activate the space for performance, art, and interactivity.
For over 30 years, 111 Minna Gallery has been a beacon of art and culture in the Bay Area, earning accolades such as Best Art Gallery (2019 & 2018 / SF Weekly) and the Small Business of the Year Award (2018 / SF Chamber of Commerce, 2018 Ebbies).
As a longtime home for the Bay Area creative community, 111 Minna has hosted hundreds of exhibits and thousands of parties, making it a key cultivator of Bay Area creative culture. Through our partnership, KALW and 111 Minna are committed to creating a welcoming and creative space dedicated to community art and culture in Downtown San Francisco.
Happy Hour & Live Broadcast Dance Party by 91.7 FM-KALW Music | 5:30-10 P
Rising Tides: Group art show exploring ecology.
111 Minna Mini: New mini art gallery.
Free Entry at YBCA
DFT (Downtown First Thursdays) is a free monthly street party hosted in Downtown San Francisco taking place on every first Thursday of the month from 5pm to 10pm. Get ready for disco in the streets, DJs, live music, drag, fashion, street performances, and more!
Join Yerba Buena Partnership and The East Cut at Second and Minna Streets for free rotating activities like face painting, coloring, live portraits, letter writing and more.
Don't forget! Admission to YBCA and MoAD is free all evening on first Thursdays.
Karaoke Zoe Cocktail Bar
KARAOKE at ZOE COCKTAIL BAR
Join us at Zoe for the official Block After Party with a night of Karaoke and Dance! Enjoy Food & Drink Specials starting at $3
Get ready to sing your heart out at ZOE COCKTAIL BAR!
Join us for our new monthly Thursday night Karaoke extravaganza! Show off your vocal skills and have a blast with friends.
When: First Thursday of the Month
Where: ZOE COCKTAIL BAR, San Francisco
Time: Doors open at 5 PM, Karaoke starts at 8 PM
Cost: FREE ENTRY
Enjoy our delicious Happy Hour food and drink menu while you sing along to your favorite tunes. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, everyone is welcome!
RSVP now to secure your spot and get ready for a night of unforgettable fun.
MoAD - Free Admission
MoAD celebrates our dynamic arts & culture neighborhood in conjunction with Downtown First Thursdays. Join us every First Thursday of the month for free admission to the exhibitions and programming at the museum from 4-8pm. Be sure to check out the street party on Second Street between Market & Howard!
You will have free access to our current exhibitions, UNBOUND: Art, Blackness & the Universe and Demetri Broxton: Ancestral Echoes — Crops of Empire.
House of Shields DFT Afterparty
House of Shields will be hosting Bette's (chicken parm sandos) from 5pm-10pm and DJ Jon Got'em from 8pm until late. Free and 21+