Culture Groups San Francisco

Discover SF -- Italian Heritage Festival & Parade

Place holder, register if interested. The Parade begins at 12:30 pm at the foot of Jefferson and Powell Streets in Fisherman’s Wharf, proceeds south through North Beach on Columbus Avenue and ends in Washington Square in front of Saints Peter and Paul Church. Parade viewing is available throughout the entire route.

The Lives We Almost Lived: A Poetry Gathering on Choice, Chance, and Possibility

Every life contains other lives. The city we almost moved to. The work we once imagined doing. The place we never expected to call home. The friendship that began by accident. The door we opened without knowing where it would lead. Some possibilities disappear quietly. Others arrive without invitation and change the course of everything. A chance conversation. A missed train. An unexpected yes. A sudden departure. Someone entering our lives at precisely the right moment. Our lives are shaped not only by the choices we make, but by chance. By timing. By circumstance. By the paths we choose and those that close before us. By encounters we could never have planned. Years later, we sometimes look back and wonder how differently everything might have unfolded. Perhaps every life is accompanied by other possible lives. Selves we once imagined. Paths we chose and paths we left behind. Possibilities we lost—and possibilities we never knew to hope for. **The Lives We Almost Lived** is **a gathering devoted to choice, chance, possibility, and the roads not taken.** Together, we will explore the curious relationship between the life we once imagined, the lives that might have been, and the surprising life that somehow became our own. Across traditions, poets and writers have wondered about these turns of fate and possibility. C.P. Cavafy wrote of journeys and the lives formed along the way. Fernando Pessoa inhabited multiple selves and imagined identities. Elizabeth Bishop found entire histories inside departures and distant places. Wisława Szymborska returned again and again to chance—the astonishing accidents through which one life becomes ours rather than another. Agha Shahid Ali wrote across memory, migration, exile, and return. This gathering asks: **How have unexpected choices and chance encounters shaped the lives we are living?** **What possibilities opened when other paths did not unfold as we imagined?** **What parts of our earlier dreams and imagined selves still travel with us?** **How might the roads not taken help us see the road we are on differently?** We will read poems about choices and coincidences, missed encounters and unexpected arrivals, abandoned dreams and surprising beginnings, alternate selves, migration, love, friendship, and the mysterious turns through which a life acquires its shape. You are welcome to bring: * A poem about a choice, chance encounter, or turning point. * A piece about a road taken—or not taken. * A poem about a place you almost called home or someone who might have changed your life. * A piece about an abandoned dream, an earlier self, or a future once imagined. * An original work about the person you might have become. We invite poetry from all languages and traditions. Together, we will read, translate, reflect, and listen—allowing different possibilities and different lives to meet in the same room. As always with Kaavya Connections, the gathering may wander beyond the theme. We follow where the poems, memories, and conversations lead. Join us for an afternoon not about regret, but about possibility—the choices and accidents that shape us, the paths that disappeared behind us, and the mysterious life that somehow became our own. Bring a friend, a poem, an unlived possibility—or simply come to listen. **Above all, bring the roads you have traveled and the ones you still sometimes wonder about.** Please find more about us here — Kaavya Connections Website: [https://www.kaavyaconnections.com/](https://www.kaavyaconnections.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) Please also join the mailing list for upcoming gatherings and events: [https://www.kaavyaconnections.com/mailing-list/](https://www.kaavyaconnections.com/mailing-list/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) If you would like to volunteer to help organize future gatherings and performances, please email: [contact@kaavyaconnections.com](mailto:contact@kaavyaconnections.com) **Kaavya Connections**

Mini-Meetup: An Exotic Lunch at Middle East Cafe in Berkeley

Round Table Book Discussion September Meeting

Join us for an in-person, open discussion on the fiction or non-fiction book or podcast/movie/news article/cultural event that most engaged you. Give a brief summary of a book or article that interested you, and we will discuss it, along with the issues other participants select. Or just come to check it out. Find us by the Roundtable sign on the table. Thursday, September 17, 2026 at 6:30 pm **We are at our warm-weather outdoor location:** ### Caffe Strada 2300 College Avenue · Berkeley, CA

The Geography Within Us: A Poetry Gathering on Place, Memory, and Belonging

Perhaps home is not simply the place we come from. Perhaps it is a language in which our name sounds different. A kitchen where someone knows what we like to eat. A city whose streets our feet remember. A landscape whose seasons still live somewhere in the body. A person beside whom we do not have to explain ourselves. A song that returns us somewhere. Or a place where we arrived as strangers and, slowly, unexpectedly, learned to belong. We carry many geographies within us. The place where we were born. The neighborhood where we grew up. The cities we chose and the ones circumstance chose for us. The landscapes we left behind. The languages through which we learned to understand the world. The people who made unfamiliar places feel like home. Over time, these places become more than locations on a map. They enter our memories, our gestures, our food, our music, our language, even the ways we understand distance and belonging. Sometimes we leave a place and discover that it never entirely leaves us. And sometimes a place we never imagined belonging to becomes part of who we are. **The Geography Within Us** is **a gathering devoted to place, memory, and belonging, and to the many landscapes, languages, people, and journeys that quietly become part of our inner lives**. Together, we will explore not simply where we come from, but the more mysterious question of **what places have become part of who we are.** Across traditions, poets have carried entire worlds within their poems. Mahmoud Darwish carried Palestine through memory and language. Agha Shahid Ali recreated Kashmir across distance and longing. Derek Walcott explored the ways landscape, history, and identity become inseparable. Naomi Shihab Nye finds belonging in family, language, ordinary encounters, and the crossings between cultures. Joy Harjo writes of land, ancestry, memory, and our deep relationship with place. Their poems remind us that geography is not only something outside us. It can also become something we carry within. This gathering asks: **What places have become part of who we are?** **How do landscapes, languages, cities, and communities continue to live within us long after we leave them?** **And how do the places we discover unexpectedly change our understanding of where we belong?** We will read poems about childhood streets and adopted cities, familiar landscapes and distant homelands, kitchens and train stations, migration and arrival, language and memory, journeys and returns, and the unexpected places where belonging finds us. You are welcome to bring: * A poem about a place that has shaped you. * A piece connected to a city, landscape, language, neighborhood, or community you carry within you. * A poem about leaving somewhere, arriving somewhere, or unexpectedly finding a sense of belonging. * A song, photograph, recipe, memory, or passage that transports you to another place. * An original work about a geography, real or imagined, that has become part of who you are. We invite poetry from all languages and traditions. Together, we will read, translate, reflect, and listen, allowing the different geographies we carry to meet in the same room. As always with Kaavya Connections, the gathering may wander beyond the theme. We follow where the poems, memories, and conversations lead. Join us for an afternoon exploring the places that made us, the places that changed us, the places that surprised us, and the places that continue to live quietly within us. Bring a friend, a poem, a place, or simply come to listen. **Above all, bring the worlds you carry within you.** Please find more about us here — Kaavya Connections Website: [https://www.kaavyaconnections.com/](https://www.kaavyaconnections.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) Please also join the mailing list for upcoming gatherings and events: [https://www.kaavyaconnections.com/mailing-list/](https://www.kaavyaconnections.com/mailing-list/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) If you would like to volunteer to help organize future gatherings and performances, please email: [contact@kaavyaconnections.com](mailto:contact@kaavyaconnections.com) **Kaavya Connections**

BTS K-Pop Workshop in San Mateo!

**BTS Fans, this one is for YOU!** Join us for a Special **BTS K-Pop All Levels Workshop with Chloe** and get ready to dance to choreography inspired by some of their most popular hits! In this 2-hour workshop, you’ll learn fun, powerful moves, performance energy, and K-Pop stage attitude in a welcoming, beginner-friendly environment. Whether you’re part of the ARMY, a K-Pop fan, a dance lover, or just looking for something exciting to try, this workshop is for you! \*No experience needed — all levels welcome! Open to **teens ages 12+** and **adults 18+** who want to dance, perform, and have a blast. **When: Saturday September 19th, 2026** **Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm** **Price per person:** **$55 Early Bird (until Sept 11th)** **$65 General Admission** Spots are limited —[ ](https://motionartscenter.com/kpop-workshop/)**[Sign Up Online Here](https://motionartscenter.com/kpop-workshop/) to save your place in class!** Registration required. No walk-ins. ✨ **Feeling inspired? Come dressed in your favorite BTS-inspired outfit or best K-Pop style for extra fun and photo ops!** 📍 **Location:** Motion Arts Center 217 S Claremont St, Downtown San Mateo, CA **Workshop Level:** This is an **all-levels workshop**, meaning no prior dance experience is necessary – just a love for K-Pop and a desire to move! Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to learn some killer moves, meet fellow K-Pop enthusiasts, and experience the joy of dance. | | | --- | |

Peña Manantial-Otoño

**The inaugural Peña Manantial will feature the group Manantial featuring the music heard on the album Manantial-Muchas Aguas** **https://open.spotify.com/album/6K1h8eP51nivNYbi1LCu90?si=JDF4oKFATmmwckcDYDERBg&utm_source=copy-link** **Musicians and poets, as well as visual artists are encouraged to be ready to share during tweener sets, in between the sets of the entertainment for the evening**

Adult Game Night- Survey Says and more (Online Game Night)

**\*TO ATTEND GET TICKET AT - [https://www.socialevents123.com/event-details.aspx?id=13723#tix](https://www.socialevents123.com/event-details.aspx?id=13723#tix)** (Multiple Meetup groups are co-organizing so the RSVP's shown are just a very small portion attending. ) This is the ADULT version of our very popular Survey Says game. There is nothing X-rated, but some of the questions would be considered R-rated or involve adult themes. HOW IT WORKS: This completely online event will be LIVE and you will be able to see and hear the other participants while playing. In addition you will get to meet and interact with other participants. At game time, your host will read off several survey questions on a variety of topics. Your goal is to come up with the number one answer to each question and write it down on your paper. Once the round is over (about 6 questions), we will go through the answers and determine who had the highest score for the round. The winners will get a raffle ticket for a chance to win a prize at the end of the event. Prizes will be an Amazon Gift card! HOW DO YOU FIND THE ONLINE EVENT ROOM: Zoom link will be emailed to you DAY OF THE EVENT. RSVPS on here are NOT reflective of actual attendance as this is a multi group event. Prepay required at **[https://www.socialevents123.com/event-details.aspx?id=13723#tix](https://www.socialevents123.com/event-details.aspx?id=13723#tix)**

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!**

French Film ‘On Call’ at BAMPFA, Alice Diop in Person

Please join the members of Bonjour! French Conversation Group for an evening of French film. In conjunction with her residency at UC Berkeley as 2026–27 Avenali Chair in the Humanities at the Townsend Center for the Humanities and Pajus Distinguished Visitor in French Studies, BAMPFA presents a retrospective of Alice Diop’s cinema of formal rigor and ethical commitment. The film, ‘On Call’ is one of a series of films being offered. I chose this one for our group, but all these films seem wonderful, so if you are unable to attend on this date, please check out the other dates/films. One small medical office holds an eternity of stories in Alice Diop’s fly-on-the-wall observational documentary that bears witness to a doctor’s steady stream of patients—immigrants, refugees, and undocumented immigrants—as they reveal their physical and mental suffering. “To see On Call is a therapy against the reflexes of exclusion” (Olivier Barlet, Black Camera). 1 hour, 36 min run time GET TICKETS HERE: (prices range by type $5 to $18) https://secure.bampfa.org/33283/33312 A bientôt!

Noche de Español: Cultura, Juegos Y Buena Vibra. Sept 24

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 🎈 🎈

Bollywood Nights at 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!**