Culture Groups San Francisco

🇫🇷Bonjour SF! Bastille Day Social🍷

**RSVP via:** https://app.gistirl.com/event-details/KN3mo3IoXUrDcYGzlNg0 **Early Bird Discounts \| More $ Later** 🇫🇷🥂 Bonjour, fellow Francophiles! Join us for a festive afternoon celebrating Bastille Day in San Francisco! We'll kick things off with fun, app-guided conversations before heading out to experience one of the city's most beloved French celebrations together. This festival brings the spirit of France to San Francisco with delicious French cuisine, live music, dance performances, local French vendors, and plenty of joie de vivre. You'll even have the chance to learn how to play pétanque at the bocce courts and cheer on the famous Waiters Race! We'll begin with an hour of easy 1:1 conversations designed to help you meet fellow lovers of French culture, travel, food, wine, and all things français. The Gist IRL app handles all the matching, so you can simply relax, be yourself, and enjoy the conversations. After the speed-friending hour, you'll reconnect with your favorite matches, form small groups, and head into the festival together to sample French treats, sip wine, browse vendors, enjoy live entertainment, and try your hand at pétanque. By the time you step into the festivities, you'll already have a built-in crew to share the afternoon with. **The Plan:** 🕑 **2:00 PM – Check-In** Set up your quick profile on the app. 💬 **2:05 PM – 3:00 PM \| One\-on\-One Conversations** Meet fellow Francophiles and discover who shares your love of French culture, travel, food, and wine. 🥖🇫🇷 **3:00 PM\+ \| Explore Bastille Day Together** Reconnect with your favorite matches, form groups of 4–6, and head into the festival to play pétanque together or sample French dishes. Skip the awkward small talk and turn new connections into shared experiences. Whether you find your future wine-tasting crew, travel buddies for your next trip to France, or simply spend a beautiful afternoon celebrating French culture, you're guaranteed a memorable day. À bientôt- I can't wait to celebrate Bastille Day with you all! 🥂🇫🇷 **RSVP via:** https://app.gistirl.com/event-details/KN3mo3IoXUrDcYGzlNg0 **Early Bird Discounts \| More $ Later** 🇫🇷 Don’t forget to download the **Gist IRL app** and register to participate! Meetup alone does not secure your spot! [https://app.gistirl.com/event-details/KN3mo3IoXUrDcYGzlNg0](https://app.gistirl.com/event-details/KN3mo3IoXUrDcYGzlNg0)🍷

🍜 Japantown Summer Street Festival 🎌

**RSVP via:** https://app.gistirl.com/event-details/9Jqq2sfUomoA8qR70E3a **Early Bird Discounts \| More $ Later** \*\*🍜 Don’t forget to download the **Gist IRL App** and register within the app to attend! Meetup alone does not secure your spot! [https://app.gistirl.com/event-details/9Jqq2sfUomoA8qR70E3a](https://app.gistirl.com/event-details/9Jqq2sfUomoA8qR70E3a) 🇯🇵\*\* Come experience one of the Bay Area's most vibrant cultural celebrations—with a built-in crew of new friends! Let's dive into the vibrant energy of the Japantown summer street festival as massive taiko drums echo through the plaza. Join us for an afternoon of incredible Japanese street food, live music, cultural performances, artisan vendors, and meaningful new connections. We'll start with an hour of fun, app-guided 1:1 conversations designed to help you meet fellow locals who love exploring new events, food, and culture. The Gist IRL app handles all the matching, so you can simply relax, be yourself, and enjoy the conversations. You’ll reconnect with your favorite matches and head into the Bazaar together to grab traditional Japanese food and maybe even join in on some Bon Odori dancing! By the time you step into the festival, you'll already have a crew to share the bites, beats, and discoveries with! The Plan: 🕛 **12:00 PM – Check-In** Set up your quick profile on the app. 💬 **12:05 PM – 1:00 PM \| One\-on\-One Conversations** Meet fellow locals who share your love of food, culture, and community. 🍣 **1:00 PM\+ \| Explore the Bazaar Together** Form groups of 4–6 and experience the festival together! Skip the awkward small talk and turn new connections into shared experiences. And if you hit it off with someone, you can easily stay connected through the app—no phone number exchange required. Whether you're a foodie, love exploring local events, or simply want to meet like-minded people in a fun, low-pressure setting, this experience is for you! **RSVP via:** https://app.gistirl.com/event-details/9Jqq2sfUomoA8qR70E3a **Early Bird Discounts \| More $ Later**

Discover SF -- Road to Nihonmachi Fair, Japantown

Think of **Road to Hana**. Japantown's **Nihonmachi Street Fair** turns 52 this year, beyond the usual Japan culture shows, this fair also includes the **pan-asian** programs, like Hawaiian dances, Chinese culture, Filipino and Korean performances etc.. The attendance is said to be around **50k** per year, on par with Fillmore Jazz Festival. [https://www.nihonmachistreetfair.org/](https://www.nihonmachistreetfair.org/) By our experience of organizing festival and parade events in SF for the past half year, we did notice that people prefer more interactions and connections. So we design this event to optimize that -- a **scenic** city hike over the Pacific Heights **ridge landmarks**, in interactive groups, with the **road as the experience**, the fair as the **prize** destination. By our past volunteering experience, **working in small groups** together **bonds** people fast. And as you have seen, our walk column has leads and sweeps. We plan to **open** that to people willing trying, in small groups, to work together to guide the troop through different legs, in **rotation**. So **willing** people have chance to form closer bonds with each other. Notice that this is a **real** walk — about 2.3 miles, including the Lyon Street Steps, one of SF's great stair climbs. The views are the point, so we have chances to stop, to chat, to appreciate the **beauty** of the city. These are the legs we are going to cover: * **Palace of Fine Arts** * **Lyon Street Steps** * **Billionaire Row, Pacific Heights,** then **Alta Plaza Park** * **St. Dominic's Church,** on the road to **Japan Town** *** ## The Day's Program **11:30 — The Handshake.** Gather at Coffee Roastery (2331 Chestnut at Scott). Grab a coffee and a bite, get checked in, meet your walking pod. We roll at 12:00 sharp down Chestnut — the Marina's main street. **12:15 — Palace of Fine Arts.** The rotunda and lagoon. Cameras out. **12:50 — The Climb.** Lyon Street Steps: landscaped terraces, mansions on both sides, and a reveal at the top we won't spoil. We regroup at the garden landing — nobody gets left behind. **1:10 — The Ridge.** Broadway's Billionaires' Row, then an easy walk along the crest to Alta Plaza. **1:30 — Friend Circle @ Alta Plaza Park.** Our signature stop, on the terraces with the whole city as the backdrop — a quick structured round so you leave knowing the people you walked with. Group photo on the terrace steps. Then downhill all the way. **1:45 — St Dominic's Church**. Gothic Architecture appreciation. **2:00 — Nihonmachi west gate (Post & Fillmore).** Welcome to the fair. **2:00 onward — the Fair.** Split into groups and enjoy the festival, and everyone gets the plan for the evening before we split. **\~5:30 — Break Bread.** Post-shift dinner in Japantown for whoever's in. Location announced in the group chat day-of. *** ## Different Ways to Join (pick your distance) 1. **The Full Hike** — 11:30 AM, Coffee Roastery, 2331 Chestnut St. The whole arc: Palace, stairs, ridge, park, fair. 2. **Middle & late -Join** — At all the landmarks we stop. The steps, the ridge, the park and the church. 3. **Fair Gate** — 2:00 PM, the fair's west entrance at Post & Fillmore. Join for the fair, the volunteer table, and the evening. The Palace of Fine Arts & the Steps are the process to **bind the group together**. Don't miss that if you are new. One rule so the day runs on time: **the group won't be able to wait long at stops** — if you're running late, just meet us at the next join point. Someone from our crew will be watching for you at each one. *** ## Getting There **From Caltrain (4th & Townsend):** the **30-Stockton bus is a one-seat ride** from Caltrain's front door to our staging corner — board at 4th & Townsend, ride \~40–45 min through Chinatown and North Beach, get off at **Chestnut & Scott**. You're standing in front of the cafe. South Bay folks: take a train arriving SF by \~10:40 to make staging comfortably. **From BART:** exit at Montgomery, walk 5 min to **Stockton & Sutter**, board the same **30-Stockton northbound** (\~35 min) to Chestnut & Scott. **Rideshare:** \~15–20 min from Caltrain/downtown. **Driving:** Marina street parking on a Saturday is a blood sport — transit recommended. **Getting home:** after dinner, the 38-Geary runs from two blocks south of Japantown straight back downtown to BART/Caltrain connections. *** ## Bring * Comfortable walking shoes (stairs!) * Water bottle * Layers — the Marina starts foggy, Japantown ends sunny * **Eat before you come, or grab a bite at staging** — the shift starts right when we arrive at 2, so your 11:30 coffee stop is also lunch. (Fair food awaits as your post-shift reward.) * Sunscreen, and a hat if you burn *** The fair has volunteering, yet as we contacted the organizer, it isn't clear that the roles available are the booth type that our people prefer. So we won't actively organize for that this time. \-\-\-\- Side Note \-\-\-\-\- The Nihonmachi Street Fair is one of the Bay Area's longest-running cultural festivals, and one of the largest annual events in San Francisco's Japantown. The festival spans two days and features: * 🥁 Taiko drumming * 🎶 Live music * 💃 Traditional and contemporary dance * 🍱 Japanese food * 🍡 Cultural demonstrations * 🎨 Arts and crafts * 🤝 Community nonprofit booths * 👨‍👩‍👧 Children's activities * 🛍️ Local vendors **Join [TownFlame](http://www.townflame.org/), Make Life Happen.** **Liability Waiver:** Participation in TownFlame events is voluntary and involves social interaction in public spaces. Activities are designed to be inclusive and respectful. Participants assume all risks and release TownFlame, its organizers, volunteers, and affiliates from liability for injury, illness, or damages, except in cases of gross negligence or intentional misconduct. By attending, participants acknowledge that photographs, audio, and video recordings may be taken during events, and grant TownFlame the right to use such media for promotional and marketing purposes, in any format or platform, without further consent or compensation.

Noche de Español: Cultura, Juegos Y Buena Vibra. Julio 23

Bienvenidos a Noche de Español! Un meet-up relajado y divertido donde la cultura, los juegos y la conversación en español se combinan para crear una experiencia única.
Aquí no importa tu nivel de español, desde principiantes hasta hablantes nativos, todos son bienvenidos. Jugamos, practicamos, nos reímos y compartimos en un ambiente amigable, mientras descubrimos nuevas formas de conectar con la lengua y la cultura hispana. para que nos encuentres fácilmente busca la mesa con los globos a rojos 🎈 🎈

🎈🎈Language and Cultural Exchange Event! Berkeley! July 25th @ Cellarmaker

Welcome! Participate with us on Saturday for a cultural and language exchange. This event will be hosted by native Spanish speakers, however, all languages are welcome! Spend your Saturday afternoon connecting with international friends and fun interactions. Look for the table with the Red balloons 🎈

Kafa, Kava, Kafe: Late-Night Coffee Social! ☕️✨

Welcome to Balkan Social Group’s first event! If you’ve been looking for a low-pressure space to meet other people in their 20s and 30s who share Balkan roots, you’re in the right place! To kick things off right, we are bypassing the typical SF café closing times and meeting up for a proper late-night coffee. We're heading to a spot that serves authentic Turkish coffee, tea, baklava and more well into the evening! Don't worry if you don't know anyone yet; because this is our inaugural event, everyone is in the same boat! Whether you're an SF local or making the trip in from the broader Bay Area, come grab a drink, relax, and say hello. Can't wait to meet you all and kick off the group! Please RSVP so we can get an accurate headcount for the space. 🇦🇱🇧🇦🇧🇬🇭🇷🇬🇷🇽🇰🇲🇪🇲🇰🇷🇴🇷🇸🇸🇮🇹🇷

🎨  Matisse's Modern Scandal & Feel the Beat Dance Photos -- SFMOMA

🎨 **Matisse's Modern Scandal & Feel the Beat Dance Photos -- SFMOMA** ▪︎ **Purchase a 1:00 pm TIMED ticket**. Also, **if you have a membership, please obtain 2 tix** and let me know you've got an extra to share. https://tickets.sfmoma.org/tickets/type?performanceId=11223&timezone=190&type=ga **▪︎ Message me when you've bought a ticket** and I'll move you off the waitlist. ▪︎ **Meet at 12:30 sharp** at the ground-floor MOMA entrance. ▪︎ **Late lunch at Oren's Hummus after MOMA.** ▪︎ **PLEASE don't be a no-show.** If your plans change, remember to update your RSVP prior to the event. ▪︎ **A last minute cancellation** will count as a no-show. 🔆 Experience the moment Matisse used color to break the rules of modern art: In 1905, Henri Matisse sent shockwaves through the art world with Femme au chapeau (Woman with a Hat), a portrait of his wife, Amélie, painted in bold color and loose brushstrokes that defied convention. This exhibition brings the original stakes into focus and explores the enduring impact of one of Matisse’s most iconic works. **ALSO** Dance and photography operate on different temporal planes. One unfolds over time through fluid movement, whereas the other freezes that motion in a single, suspended frame. Something electric happens when these two art forms merge. Since the early 20th century, photographers have been drawn to dancers not only to document them but to grapple with the problem of rendering motion through stillness. As technology improved, dance photography moved beyond an advertising function. Photographers began to make images in which rhythm was palpable. Drawn primarily from SFMOMA’s permanent collection, Feel the Beat: Dance in Photographs traces different ways image makers have represented dance.

Alamo Square-Architectural Walking Tour & Art Gallery Visit After

**\*Don't be a no-show. *See the Group's no-show policy below.*** Don't be a no-show and lose your membership in the Group. Attendance is always taken and no-shows recorded. After our tour of the neighborhood Victorians we'll head over to the Blue Painted Lady on Alamo Square where it becomes an art gallery today as famed London artist David Wills displays his work from over a career of sixty years. Particularly apropos is being near the Haight for this display of his fabulous work from that counter-culture era. [Click here for a ticket. Choose 1:00pm, Sunday. ](https://victorianalliance.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd91bb2ee7e8b396b9f939fcd&id=20aaf808b7&e=48a00e0ad1) (The photo above of his work is automatically cropped by Meetup.com. To see a complete rendering, look in the photos below.) It's hard to resist having lunch along Fillmore and vicinity. Another, creating a Victorian architectural tour, in another SF neighborhood. Be sure to click this link to get the vital info about what is happening. If you are first to arrive please take a larger corner seating area for the group if possible. [For a lot of photos of Part 1 click the link.](https://www.relive.com/view/vdORBznP7KO) (It was similar Meetup in the Mission, May 8th.) As usual I'm not permitting guests or pets. You'll have to have your guest join, to bring a "guest". About parking: Parking tickets are up to $97.00, I know first hand. Don't be lured by a close by empty spot . Be sure to check carefully for any No Parking signs. Don't be a No-show and lose your membership in this group. I carefully take attendance and Meetup.com records every RSVP and attendance results per person as I record it.

Bollywood Nights - Salesforce Park - Free

**Bollywood Nights at Salesforce Park 🎉** Join Rang De Bollywood for some high-energy, outdoor, bollywood fun! This event is sure to leave you feeling loved, lighter, and delighted in excitement after every session. 🌈 Open to all ages, all levels, all backgrounds. ✨ Come casual or dressed, no pressure! 🎁 Free to attend – just bring your joy, your people, and your dancing feet! 🚶🏼‍♂️‍➡️Register for free so we can prepare at rang.eventbrite.com 🕔 5:30 – 7:00 PM – we’ll start with a beginner friendly dance lesson, followed by an open dance party! 💫 This is a repeating event, happening every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month, May through October and you can register for as many dates as you like. Register now: [rang.eventbrite.com](http://rang.eventbrite.com) **About Rang De Bollywood** Hailing from the dream dance city of Mumbai and Amritsar, which is also home to Bollywood and Holy Vibes, our energetic, charismatic, and fun dance instructors-performers-entertainers, Manpreet (Certified in Indian Folk by India's Best and also an author) and Amit (percussionist, actor, dancer), have spread Indian dance music and moves across the length and breadth of India, USA, and Europe. Their recent performances were at National Center of Performing Arts in Mumbai and Herbst Theater in San Francisco. **Important Notes:** * Enter through transit center building and take the elevator to rooftop. We will be close to the elevator. * No solicitors allowed. * Classes might be video taped for marketing purposes. * All choreographies are Copyrighted and Original Works of Manpreet Komal/Rang De Bollywood. *"I recently had the pleasure of attending Manpreet’s Bollywood dance class, and I must say, it was an absolute blast! Whether you're a complete beginner or an experienced dancer, this class caters to everyone's skill level. The highlight of the class was undoubtedly her teaching style. With a knack for breaking down complex steps into manageable chunks, even the most intricate routines felt attainable. The pacing was just right, ensuring that beginners didn't feel overwhelmed while keeping experts engaged. Highly recommend!" — Kavneet Bindra* **We can't wait to dance together, see you soon!**

One Night Only - RaVe from 9pm at Lux Oakland (downtown). RSVP

ONE NIGHT ONLY “RaVe” Saturday, July 18th Time: 9pm until 2am Music: EDM *HOUSE* BALLROOM at Lux Oakland. RSVP & Details here: skyconceptsentertainment.com Also, click the link or copy and paste to your url browser: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/one-night-only-rave-party-from-9pm-at-lux-oakland-tickets-1992573033582?aff=oddtdtcreator Follow @skyconcepts @flyboypromotion Cc: @FlyBoySky An exciting night-out! You don’t want to miss!! Thank you.

Bollywood Festive Nights at Union Square

Join us for an unforgettable **Bollywood Night** in the heart of San Francisco at Union Square – rhythm, fun, community. **5:00 – 6:00 PM** – *30 minute Bollywood* *Dance Lesson* + *Party* — we’ll teach you the steps, the flair, and the fun; then we dance it out together! **6:00 – 7:00 PM** – *30 minute Bollywood* *Dance Lesson* + *Party* — we’ll teach you the steps, the flair, and the fun; then we dance it out together! **7:00 – 8:00 PM** – *Dance Party* — We turn up the music and light up the floor with a 1-hour open dance party. 🌈 Open to all ages, all levels, all backgrounds. ✨ Come casual or dressed, no pressure! Bring your friends, learn some moves, find your groove, find your friends, be a part of a magical community once a month at Union Square. Previous class in 2025 summary joy v[ideo: ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHSENixJaVA&list=RDnHSENixJaVA&start_radio=1) Free class every month on 4th Friday of the Month except in August it will be on August 14th Classes go till end of September Park in garage, Uber over, or take Powell exit on Bart Do come say hello to us so we can welcome you in our La Dolce Vita :)

Let’s do Board Games for a change, Anyone? (Burlingame)