Cultural Celebrations San Francisco

Stories with an Accent: Berkeley Storytelling Open Mic

11/11 — our storytelling open mic, all about wishes and dreams, but stories on any theme are welcome! Everyone is welcome, and ESL speakers are especially encouraged to participate — our host is one of them! Stories are usually 5–7 minutes long, but shorter ones are welcome, too. If you don't feel you have a story to tell, just come! Our friendly atmosphere might inspire you to share one spontaneously or join a storytelling game with the group. ✨ Our next meeting is on 12/12 — same time, same place. :) More info on Instagram: @storieswithanaccent

Bhangra & Beats Night Market-Official City of San Francisco Diwali Celebration

**Bhangra & Beats Night Market** **Official City of San Francisco Diwali Celebration** **Friday\, November 13\, 2026 \| 4–9 PM** **Yerba Buena Gardens + Jessie Square + Yerba Buena Lane** **Family Friendly & All Ages** **Free With RSVP:** [https://bb-diwali-26.eventbrite.com](https://bb-diwali-26.eventbrite.com) Celebrate Diwali in the heart of San Francisco as **[Bhangra & Beats Night Market](https://www.instagram.com/bhangraandbeats/)** returns to [Yerba Buena Gardens ](https://www.instagram.com/p/DdagBp2S9LJ/)for the **Official City of San Francisco Diwali Celebration**! The Gardens come alive with the infectious energy of **[Non Stop Bhangra](https://www.instagram.com/nonstopbhangra/)** bringing its signature mix of Bhangra music, dance, live drummers, colorful performances, interactive dance lessons, DJs, and an open dance floor where everyone is invited to join the celebration. Enjoy delicious Indian food, local makers and artisans, henna, family-friendly activities, arts and crafts, community activations, Bollywood music at Jessie Square plaza, plus more throughout Yerba Buena Gardens and Yerba Buena Lane. Inspired by the joy, light, and togetherness of Diwali, Bhangra & Beats transforms the heart of downtown San Francisco into a vibrant celebration of South Asian culture and Bay Area community bringing people of all backgrounds together through music, dance, food, art, and connection. Indian inspired fits encouraged\~come dressed in vibrant colors and your favorite Diwali look as we light up the gardens together! ✨🪔

🎈🎈Language and Cultural Exchange Event! Berkeley! November 14th@ 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 🎈

Celtic New Year Céilí 2026

You are invited to come celebrate the Celtic New Year with us on **Sunday, November 8**, with lots of dances and lots of dancers! We are having a big, traditional Irish dance night (known as a *céilí*) in the largest ballroom of the United Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco. There will be a mix of set and ceili dances for all skill levels – complete beginners are welcome to join! Live traditional Irish music will be performed by **TBD**. Please feel free to bring a treat to share during break time. Tea and coffee will be provided. Admission (cash or credit card at the door): * **$15** for Comhaltas members. If you are not yet a member, **[join here](https://sfcooleykeegancce.org/misc/join_cceck.html)**! * **$20** for non-members *This event is hosted by the [San Francisco Cooley-Keegan branch](http://sf.ccewest.org) of [Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann](https://comhaltas.ie), the international organization dedicated to promoting Irish culture.* *** **How to find us:** The ceili is on the 2nd floor in St. Patrick's Room (the large ballroom). Entrance will be from the REAR of the UICC through Wawona Gates on Wawona Street and up the steps from the parking lot. Elevator access will also be open.

San Francisco Diwali Festival 🪔 Free Event

Diwali Celebration: Time of Transformation

Step into a vibrant evening of reflection, togetherness, and cultural harmony. Diwali marks the triumph of light over darkness and wisdom over ignorance. In today’s changing world, "Time of Transformation" invites us to awaken our inner light and foster peace across all communities and traditions. **Event Highlights:** * Inspiring reflections and interfaith prayers * **Special Guest: BK Gayatri Naraine**, UN Representative, Brahma Kumaris (NY) * “**The Traveler's Search**” - a Theatrical Performance written and directed by **Dr. Andrei Antokhin** (University of San Francisco) * Artistic Performances and Live Music * Guided Meditation * Vegetarian dinner & warm community connections **Event Details**: * REGISTRATION REQUIRED * Doors open 5:00 PM * Everyone welcome to attend * Festive/Formal attire * No prior meditation experience required Come and celebrate this sacred and joyous evening with us! Voluntary contributions welcome ([Credit Card](https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/donate-to-brahma-kumaris-san-francisco-for-spiritual-services), [PayPal](https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=L2FJZ2ZGYSVFG), Venmo @bkwsosf).

🎈 🎉 🎊 FOURTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF MEET UP EN ESPAÑOL 🎊 🎉 🎈 NOV 5th

🎊 🎉 CUMPLIMOS CUATRO AÑOS!!! It’s been four years since we started this endeavor!!!!! Acompáñanos a celebrar nuestro cuarto aniversario! Participa de juegos, conversaciones, rifas gratis y mucha celebración. No te lo pierdas! Para que nos encuentres, la mesa tendrá los globos rojos 🎈 🎈 Safe parking behind the venue across the Street

Inaugural World Deaf & Disabled Dance Film Festival, Nov 6 - 7, 2026!

You are invited to our first-ever 2026 World Deaf and Disabled Dance Film Festival Friday Nov 6th-Saturday Nov 7th at YBCA in San Francisco presenting 28 incredible films highlighting artists and dancers from over the world! Friday Nov 6 6:00pm \- 9:00pm \| Evening Dance Documentary & Short Films Program Saturday Nov 7 11:30am \- 1:00pm \| Morning Dance Documentary Film Program 1 1:15pm \- 3:00pm \| Short Dance Film Program 1 4:00pm \- 6:00pm \| Short Dance Film Program 2 6:15pm \- 8:15pm \| Evening Dance Documentary Program 2 Film line up coming soon! Tickets $25 per individual program $80 Saturday All-Day Pass WDDDFF2026.eventbrite.com YBCA: 701 Mission St in SF - (Powell BART) Access Check: YBCA is ADA accessible, ASL interpreters will be provided and all films will be captioned and Audio Described. #WWDDDFF2026 [CONTENT DESCRIPTION: A promotional flyer for the World Deaf & Disabled Dance Film Festival. The background is a cosmic scene filled with blue, purple, pink, orange, and gold nebula clouds and stars. At the top center is a glowing rainbow globe wrapped with a golden film strip. Gold and cream text across the globe reads WORLD DEAF & DISABLED DANCE FILM FESTIVAL. At upper left is a red-and-white striped popcorn container with popcorn spilling above it. At upper right is a yellow ticket icon with a black star. Large gold, white, and cream text with black outlines fills the center and lower half of the flyer. A thin gold rounded rectangle frames the Friday and Saturday schedule. Along the bottom is a gold footer containing access and organizational logos, with a QR code at the far right. Text reads: WORLD DEAF & DISABLED DANCE FILM FESTIVAL Light Concessions Provided Tickets $25 per program $80 Saturday day pass November 6–7 Yerba Buena Center for the Arts 701 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94103 Friday, November 6 6–9 PM: Evening Dance Documentary & Short Films Program Saturday, November 7 11:30 AM–1 PM: Morning Dance Documentary Film Program 1 1:15–3 PM: Short Dance Film Program 1 4–6 PM: Short Dance Film Program 2 6:15–8:15 PM: Evening Dance Documentary Program 2 Tickets here: WDDDFF2026.eventbrite.com The footer includes logos for sign language interpretation, closed captioning, audio description, and wheelchair accessibility symbols, followed by the YBCA, Urban Jazz Dance Company, Borealis Philanthropy, Intersection for the Arts, and FilmFreeway logos. A QR code appears at the bottom right. END CONTENT DESCRIPTION]

DilSe Bollywood Rave Dance Party in SF

Cranes, Conversations & Golden Hour Walk: World Tree of Hope, Grace Cathedral

**🕊️ Cranes, Conversations & Golden Hour Walk on Nob Hill: the World Tree of Hope, at Grace Cathedral** *TownFlame November Saturday Series · Sat, Nov 7, 11:45 AM–evening* We have a long tradition of decorating the World Tree of Hope, with Grace Cathedral, during the pre-holiday season. One year old actually :), so we are coming back again, in the format of volunteering mixer, socializing after volunteering together. By our experience, volunteering together is a great way to know others, working side by side, with a shared purpose. Grace Cathedral being an iconic place on Nob Hill adds to the context. Every Saturday this month, TownFlame is helping build San Francisco’s World Tree of Hope inside Grace Cathedral. It’s the largest origami holiday tree in the world, decorated with thousands of hand-folded cranes and stars, each carrying a wish for the world. We’re turning the shift into a mixer, then heading out for a sunset walk and dinner. **How it works** We sit at small tables of 5–6 to fold, wire and sort cranes and stars for the tree. Every 30 minutes, half of each table moves to a new one, so by the end of the afternoon you’ll have worked alongside three or four different groups. Your hands stay busy, there’s always something to talk about, and you get new faces every half hour. No origami experience needed. Someone at your table will show you, and soon you’ll be the one teaching. **Schedule** * **11:45 AM:** Meet on the Grace Cathedral front steps (1100 California St) * **12:00–3:00 PM:** Folding mixer inside the cathedral Running late? Walk in and tell them you are there for the tree decoration volunteering, and tell the onsite director that you come from meetup, and ask to sit with the meetup people. * **3:15–4:45 PM:** Golden-hour walk around Nob Hill: Huntington Park, the Fairmont, the Cable Car Museum, ending at a viewpoint for sunset * **5:00 PM:** Group coffee or dinner nearby (location shared with RSVPs; pay your own way) Come for the folding only, or stay for the whole afternoon. **Before you come** * **Register with Rainbow World Fund as well as RSVPing here.** The cathedral needs every volunteer on their list: **[https://bit.ly/WorldTreeofHopeVolunteerSignUp](https://bit.ly/WorldTreeofHopeVolunteerSignUp)** * Wear layers, because the cathedral is chilly inside and it gets cold on the hill after sunset. * Coming from the South Bay? Caltrain to SF, then Muni or a cable car up to Nob Hill. **Why we do this** Each crane carries a written wish for the world. You’ll leave having helped build something thousands of people will see this December, and knowing a few more people than you did at noon. Can’t make the 7th? We’re back on the 14th, 21st and 28th. Each Saturday is a new group of people. \*\*\* **🌇 Nob Hill → Russian Hill Golden-Hour Walk (self-guided)** *About 1 mile, 1.5 hours. Steep in places. Start: Grace Cathedral steps, 3:15pm.* **How it works:** A different person reads each stop aloud. At every stop, switch walking partners so you walk the next stretch with someone you haven’t talked to yet. **Stop 1: Huntington Park** *(directly across Taylor St from the cathedral)* A small, formal park at the top of Nob Hill, with the tortoise fountain in the middle. 💬 *Which table were you at, and who taught you the best fold?* **Stop 2: California & Mason** *(walk east along California, 1 block)* The Fairmont Hotel is on the south side. On the north side is the brownstone Pacific-Union Club, the old Flood Mansion and one of the few buildings on the hill that survived the 1906 fire. In the 1870s and 1880s, Nob Hill was where the railroad and silver-mine millionaires built their mansions. 💬 *What brought you to the Bay Area?* **Stop 3: Cable Car Museum, Optional** *(walk north, downhill on Mason, to Washington St)* Free. Go up to the viewing gallery to see the big wheels that pull every cable car in the city. **Arrive by 4:15, because it closes at 5.** 💬 *Your best or worst cable car story?* **Stop 4: Ina Coolbrith Park** *(keep walking north on Mason to Vallejo, then climb the Vallejo St steps west)* This is the steep part, so take it slowly. At the top, face east toward Coit Tower, the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island. Sunset is around 5pm, so stay to watch the light change on the bay and the city lights come on. 💬 *What’s one thing you want to do before the year ends?* **Finish: North Beach** *(walk back down the Vallejo steps east to Columbus Ave)*. Anyone heading home can leave here. **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.

Thursday Kirtan and Supper

#### Thursday, 6:30–8:00 PM KIRTAN & SUPPER * Kirtan, or mantra meditation, is a call-and-response chanting practice, blending sacred mantras with music and dancing. It fosters ecstatic joy and deep collective participation. No experience needed. Suggested donation: $15. **Registration is not required.** Bhakti SF [https://bhaktisf.com/](https://bhaktisf.com/) 3250 17th Street San Francisco, CA 94110

🍜 Asian Background Social: Lounge Asia San Francisco (Easy English) @6pm

⏰6:00 to 9:00 pm SF time 🌏 Make new international friends in San Francisco. Come alone, practise your English, and enjoy a relaxed social night. 😊 A friendly meetup for networking, language exchange, and real conversation — open to everyone. Why People Love Lounge Asia 🍜 **Asian-focused event** 🤝 Many guests come alone 💬 No need for perfect English 🌏 No games or forced introductions — just enjoy the conversation Lounge Asia began within the Asian community, so people from Asia often feel comfortable and at home here. At the same time, everyone is welcome — locals, expats, travellers, students, returnees, digital nomads, and globally minded people. ━━━━━━━━━━ How to Join 1️⃣ Tap "RSVP" on this page 2️⃣ Show your Meetup QR code at reception 3️⃣ Collect your name tag and start meeting people ✅ Early RSVP is free ✅ RSVPs made within 48 hours of the event start time are $5 ✅ Limited capacity — please RSVP early Many people attend alone, so don't worry if it's your first time. ━━━━━━━━━━ How to Find Us 📍 Venue Iron Horse Cocktails 25 Maiden Ln, San Francisco, CA 94108, United States ⏰ Start Time — **San Francisco Local Time** **6pm** ⚠️ Important: This is the local time in San Francisco. Meetup may display Brisbane time or another time zone, so please follow the local time shown above. 🚶 Getting There Please use your preferred map app for directions to the venue. Our Lounge Asia organisers will be there to welcome you 😊 ━━━━━━━━━━ 🍺 Please Support the Venue This event is free or low-cost because the venue supports our community. Please purchase at least one drink during the event. Your support helps us keep organising events at great venues. ━━━━━━━━━━ 💚 Please Be Respectful Lounge Asia is a friendly social event where everyone should feel comfortable and welcome. 🚫 This is NOT a pickup or dating event. Anyone who makes others uncomfortable may be removed immediately. Not allowed: harassment, unwanted attention, MLM / crypto / religious recruitment, or anything that makes others uncomfortable. Organisers reserve the right to refuse entry or ask anyone to leave. 🪪 A valid government-issued photo ID is strictly required for entry. No photo ID, no entry. Driver's licences must be issued by the government of the country where the event is held. 📸 Photos and short videos may be taken for community and promotional purposes. If you prefer not to appear, please let an organiser know when you arrive. ━━━━━━━━━━ Lounge Asia is already growing in Australia and is now expanding across Asia — Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. Our goal is simple: More friendship, more understanding, and more genuine connections across cultures. 📱 Instagram: @_lounge_asia 🎥 Watch Event Video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNak_cu9CXw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNak_cu9CXw) 👉 GET VIP ACCESS: [https://forms.gle/t6GXAjTNFECetVuZ8](https://forms.gle/t6GXAjTNFECetVuZ8) ━━━━━━━━━━ 🌏 Come say hi! Hey, come hang out! 来一起玩吧！ 一起來聊天吧！ 気軽に遊びに来てね！ 편하게 놀러 와요! มาเจอกันนะ! Tới chơi nha! Tara, sali ka na! Yuk, gabung! လာပြီး အတူပျော်ကြရအောင်! មកលេងជាមួយគ្នាណា! ມາພົບກັນເດີ້! Хамтдаа цуглацгаая! Komm einfach vorbei! Jom join kita! See you at Lounge Asia!