Things To Do In Pacifica

This week: games of Twister in Jessie Square, a DJ set from Chromeo, spooky stories at a hidden locale, standup comedy at the Pacific Pinball Museum, and too many old postcards to count at the Vintage Paper Fair. As always, check Groupon for even more things to do in San Francisco. Lunchtime Board Games at the Contemporary Jewish Museum SoMa | Tuesday, July 22, noon From noon to 1 p.m. on certain Tuesdays, a game cart sits outside the Contemporary Jewish Museum, stocked with classics like Twister and Operation. Grab a pastrami sandwich from Wise Sons Jewish Deli and watch the fun, or get in on a round of Trouble. (Jessie Square Plaza, 736 Mission St.; free with museum admission) Chromeo DJ Set Union Square | Wednesday, July 23 Alongside Jazzy Jim, DJ E-Rock, and Romeo Reyes, Canadian duo Chromeo will bring their electric-disco sensibilities to Infusion Lounge for this installment of Boombox Wednesdays. Showing up early is recommended, so consider snacking on some sweet-and-sour pork at the club’s restaurant before hitting the dance floor. (124 Ellis St.; free with RSVP) An Evening of Ghost Stories with William T. Vollmann ??? | Thursday, July 24, 7 p.m. Half haunted reading, half scavenger hunt, this eerie event requires guests to pick up a black envelope from City Lights Bookstore to learn its location. Author William T. Vollmann will read tales that build bridges between the living and the dead from his latest collection, Last Stories and Other Stories. (free) Comedy and Collisions at the Pacific Pinball Museum Alameda | Friday, July 25, 8 p.m. In celebration of a year of comedy shows at the Pacific Pinball Museum, six San Francisco comedians will bring their best biting routines while guests partake of “flipper food.” Come early to play some pinball (there’s more than 90 playable machines!), and stay late to hear DJ Darewon curate the dance music. (1510 Webster St., Alameda; $15; buy tickets here) Vintage Paper Fair Inner Sunset | Saturday, July 26, and Sunday, July 27 The Vintage Paper Fair is a seemingly neverending trove of two-dimensional treasures, from antique postcards and pinups to propaganda fliers. Whether you work on collages, want to start a scrapbook, or just feel like browsing through hundreds of thousands of historical documents, it’s the place to look. (San Francisco County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park, 9th Avenue and Lincoln Way; free) Image credits: Chromeo and postcard images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, pinball photo by Chase N.

This week: Filter brings the noise, a carnival takes over Candlestick Park, a theater ensemble plays with Macbeth, the symphony teams up with Pixar, and Japanese pop-culture icons pay the bay a visit. And if that’s not enough for you, check Groupon for more fun things to do in San Francisco. Filter, Helmet, and Local H NoPa | Tuesday, July 15 Filter frontman Richard Patrick got his first big gig playing guitar for Nine Inch Nails on tour. Now, six Filter albums later, his band is on their own “anti-folk” tour alongside metal gurus Helmet and the two Chicago-based rockers of Local H. (The Independent, 628 Divisadero St.; $25; buy tickets here) Tech Carnival at Candlestick Park Bayview-Hunters Point | Wednesday, July 16 The Silicon Valley Sports League has organized a fitting sendoff for Candlestick Park, filling it with carnival attractions for all ages. Jousting battles, wrestling matches with sumo suits, and old-fashioned fairground games will all compete with food trucks and musical acts for attention. Meanwhile, the league will host its playoff games to see who will win the title of champion. (Candlestick Park, 490 Jamestown Ave.; $10; buy tickets here) Makbet Mission | Wednesday, July 16; Friday, July 18; Saturday, July 19 Part of the Fury Factory Festival of Ensemble Theater, Makbet is a loose interpretation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth that relies on each of its actors to know every single line of the play. Members of the ensemble Dzieci switch spontaneously from role to role during the performance, which also incorporates rituals and chants from Eastern Europe. (Z Below, 470 Florida St.; $16; buy tickets here) Pixar in Concert Civic Center | Thursday, July 17–Sunday, July 20 Accompanied by movie clips, the San Francisco Symphony will play music from all 14 of Pixar’s films, from Toy Story to Monsters University. Each performance is hosted by a Pixar filmmaker—director Lee Unkrich, writer-director Brad Bird, or chief creative officer John Lasseter—who will talk about the making of their whimsical works. (Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave.; $35–$150; buy tickets here) J-Pop Summit Festival Japantown | Saturday, July 19–Sunday, July 20 The J-Pop Summit Festival contains even smaller festivals inside of itself, including the Japan Film Festival and the delicious premiere of Ramen Street. This celebration of Japanese pop culture also hosts fashion events, a pocky-eating contest, and musical guests such as legendary beatboxer Daichi. (Post Street between Webster and Laguna Streets; free admission) Image credits: Filter and Macbeth images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Tech Carnival photo courtesy of Silicon Valley Sports League, J-Pop Summit Festival photo by Vincent Samaco. 

Bowling around San Francisco has changed greatly over the years. No longer are the lanes only the domain of children’s birthday parties and greasy finger food. These days, there are slick, stylish and even hip bowling alleys competing for the adult market, which means this city has more options than ever to set ‘em up and knock ‘em down. The Yerba Buena ice-skating rink and bowling alley is an unsung hero of central SoMa, standing out amongst its artsier neighbors. Although relatively slick and stylish compared to other bowling spots, this twelve lane semi-secret retains most of what people remember from growing up: easy shoe rentals, daytime discounts, glow-in-the-dark bowling sessions and big group events. There’s no bold 70s stripy paint job on the inside, just clean, amusing fun in the heart of one of San Francisco’s best neighborhoods. Housed in one of the odder locations for a bowling alley, Presidio Bowl sits in a decommissioned military building just off the Main Post. Odder still, it serves breakfast starting at 9 a.m., along with salads and the usual assortment of deep-fried fare. This twelve lane facility can feel like a delightfully weird time-warp, but reasonable rates, retro video games and occasional free pizza on Sundays make it an ideal outing for big groups on the hunt for some retro fun. Far more modern is South of Market’s Lucky Strike, the San Francisco location of a lounge-y national bowling chain that stays open late. Billiards, a dance floor and lane-side food service keeps the atmosphere light and swanky, and everyone enjoys the on-site photo booth after a few cocktails. By serving elevated entrées like truffle mac ‘n’ cheese, it’s entirely plausible that you could spend a fun night with friends at Lucky Strike, and never even end up strapping on bowling shoes. The humble game of knocking over pins with a ball reaches the peak of fanciness at Mission Bowling Club on 17th Street. This hard-to-book alley has only six lanes, so the wait to throw strikes can be long. But with couches in lieu of plastic lane benches, a gourmet kitchen – including weekend brunch service on the back patio – and a respectable wine list, Mission Bowling does everything to win both the hipster and the bowling enthusiasts’ vote. And all without being the least bit ironic.