It’s true, the holidays are rapidly approaching, and we have some early shopping ideas for you. Meanwhile take a break for a cup of joe at the coffee festival this weekend. Chinatown looms large, grab your chopsticks, and enjoy a special weekend. Lights are aglow at the Oakland Zoo and in San Mateo at illuminOdyssey – we need that light now more than ever!

More Than 2 Blocks of Art

The revitalization of Market Street in SF is on its way. Let’s support our city by the bay and attend the 10th annual More Than 2 Blocks of Art. It is just that art to browse and purchase in various spaces from galleries to restaurants and plazas along Market Street. The free art walk event is bookended by Market Street’s The Line Hotel and the new IKEA at one end, and the Trinity Plaza sculpture garden and Orpheum Theatre at the other.

The historic and grand Hibernia will host exhibitions, a live DJ, building tours, and a cocktail lounge—the first 150 attendees each day receive a free drink with an Eventbrite registration; Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 6pm. Market Street, between 5th St. and 8th St. (Civic Center); RSVP at eventbrite.com

Holiday Marketplace Supports Women

Meet and support local women-owned brands when Marché brings its curated holiday marketplace to the Bay Area. Shop goods from tomato favorite Frank & Eileen, Estelle, Freda Salvador, Coyuchi, Amber Interiors, and more under one roof. You can also expect food and beverages from Flywheel and Norcina, holiday wreaths from Marigold, and brow appointments with Nutured Brow; Saturday, 10am to 4pm.  The Bridge Yard, Burma Rd. (Oakland); tickets at eventbrite.com

West Coast Craft Returns to Fort Mason

We sure love a good holiday market and West Coast Craft returns to Fort Mason Center November 18th and 19th. Over 275 artists and designer craftspeople are busy creating their goods just for us. Free to attend and open from 10 – 6. https://www.westcoastcraft.com/west-coast-craft-attend

One-of-a-Kind Gifts

Get in on a free street party at CCA’s Homecoming and Holiday Craft Fair. This is a day of festivities as CCA’s annual open house event returns! It’s a street party with food trucks, drinks, music, and family-friendly entertainment in addition to their annual Art & Crafts Fair featuring handmade goods for sale by the college’s talented alumni, students, faculty, and staff. Attendees are welcome inside of the CCA main building for open studios and art-making demos. This is your opportunity to really purchase some one-of-a-kind gifts for those tomatoes who have everything. This Saturday 11 – 4 p.m. California College of the Arts, 1111 Eighth St. (SoMa); details at eventbrite.com

SF Coffee Festival

Take a break from the daily grind at the SF Coffee Festival. Get ready for an immersive coffee experience when the 7th annual San Francisco Coffee Festival® kicks off. Enjoy specially curated exhibitors, including the Bay Area’s top coffee roasters, as they share with you some of the best coffee, teas, eats, and more, in the country. Want to learn more about coffee? Just ask the master roaster at their booth or attend one of the many educational panels.

But it’s all about the coffee vibes, right? Sway along to a soundtrack provided by some of the best bands and entertainment in the Bay, while you taste endless coffee at the iconic Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture’s Festival Pavilion.  Think about your ideal coffee event experience: this is it. Fort Mason Center Saturday and Sunday 10 – 4:30 p.m. https://www.sfcoffeefestival.com/about-sfcoffeefestival

Cider Fest

If you are currently skipping caffeine, Sip on something seasonal at the San Francisco Fall Cider Fest. Throw on your coziest sweater for unlimited pours of more than 30 ciders, plus food trucks, fire pits with s’mores, lawn games, live music, and more; Saturday, noon to 4pm. Spark Social SF, 601 Mission Bay Blvd. (Mission Bay); tickets at eventbrite.com

IlluminOdyssey

Inspired by the science of light, IlluminOdyssey is an immersive, interactive installation that will mesmerize kids and adults of all ages*. CuriOdyssey’s four-level Redwood Hall will transform into a glowing forest of science—light your way through a maze of luminous botanical geometry, play with rainbow refraction and swirling projections, paint with light on phosphorescent surfaces, and dance with your shadow. Explore the physical properties of light, such as photoluminescence, color, additive light mixing, waves, fluorescence, fluid dynamics, subtractive color mixing, and refraction. November 10 – January 28^th. https://curiodyssey.org

Glowfari at The Oakland Zoo Has Returned

This wildly popular, family-friendly experience is back with hundreds of ALL new, larger-than-life animal lanterns throughout the Zoo. Each lantern tells the story of the ongoing journey of wildlife, the importance of every species on our planet, and Oakland Zoo’s commitment to conservation. This years’ experience features new themes including the forests of North America with iconic native wildlife like mountain lions and wolves, our frosty friends of the Arctic with puffins and polar bears, the Deep Ocean featuring rarely seen sea creatures, and a stroll through the swamp as you encounter alligators and other animals of the Bayou! It is definitely not just for kids. Grab your pals and have some glow up fun! https://www.oaklandzoo.org/programs-and-events/glowfari

Night Market in Chinatown

A brand-new night market is coming to San Francisco Chinatown, ahead of the APEC, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which expects thousands of visitors to the City. The nonprofit BeChinatown is launching a two-day night market from 5-9 pm on Friday and Saturday, November 10-11, 2023. Local merchants will be set up along a two-block stretch of Grant Avenue between Pine and Sacramento streets. You can eat your way through Chinatown picking up egg tarts, BBQ pork buns, and additional pre-made Chinese favorites. However, unlike traditional Asian night markets, you won’t see any open flames. Vendors will be selling and serving only pre-made items; there will not be any on-site cooking at this event.