October 14-27
Documentary Festival: @ Roxie Theater, $11/$90
What do Scenes of a Crime, Dirty Pictures, and Heavy Metal Picnics all have in common? They are all documentaries that will be showcased this week courtesy of the SF Independent Film Festival. The organization celebrates and supports the mavericks in the film industry by presenting three annual film festivals. Doc Fest lures the realists in and around the bay and holds evident that truth is in fact stranger than fiction. Featuring over 50 docs from around the world, a pass is available good for admission into every screening.
October 20
Artist in the Alley/Art Walk: @ Polk St (43 Fern Alley), 6pm-10pm, FREE
This Thursday Fern Alley will be converted into a lively street scene consisting of face-to-face interactions with artists, exhibitions, and live performances. For those of you yearning for exposure to local SF artists and their affairs, these monthly art walks will initiate you unto the underground metropolis of creation and innovation. As for you already established art aficionados, I know the aspect of free and all-inclusive (complementary refreshments and table snacks are always provided) comes as a mere bonus and a secondary attraction to the cutting edge ideas and ingenuity showcased. Galleries continue this open door tradition for the buyers, browsers, and artistic nomads that shuffle through their doorways each month in pursuit of awe and discovery. With the exhibition of new and independent artists, video projections, and live graffiti, Russian Hill is only one of the many neighborhoods hosting this monthly extravaganza.
Every Saturday
Mission Flea Market: @ 1850 Mission Street, 11am-4pm
Possibly one of the most obscure flea markets in the city, the Mission flea market is almost that of a myth. Housing all of our coveted treasures, the accessories we never knew we fancied, plus home décor for the hip/financially impaired, the Mission flea market is the epitome of thrift. There lies but one problem, where exactly is the mission flea market? In search of the answer to that question I squandered the mission this past week along with its forsaken back allies. An hour long detour at Thrift Town, a delicious ice-cream from bi-rite, and countless hipsters later I stumbled upon what I do believe is the Mission flea market. Now listen carefully, it is between 15th and 14th on Mission Street, you will see a large building covered in murals called “Arriba Juntos”, right next to that building an abandoned parking lot will be marked with a sign that reads “Mission Flea Market” -you are on your own from there. Happy thrifting!
October 20
Comedy Night: @ Purple Onion, 7-9pm, FREE, ALL AGES
The Purple Onion comic club rose to fame during the Beatnik era and is now deemed one of the most historic venues in the world. What is arguably the birthplace of the San Francisco comedy scene, this intimate venue seats 80 guests with ample room for laughter. Each Thursday night in sheer tradition, the Purple Onion is devoted to the brightest and best fresh-faced comics soon to become the new sensations. This ritual is and will always remain free.
