Taste Fridays

This week: gourmet chocolate floods Ghirardelli Square, a kimchi expert teaches you to jar your own cabbage, a pop-up film festival screens nine shorts, the San Francisco Improv Fest enters its second week, and Disney’s leading ladies are on display. As always, check Groupon for more great things to do in San Francisco. Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival Russian Hill | Saturday, September 13, and Sunday, September 14 A ticket to the Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival doesn’t just get you in—it also gets you 15 gourmet chocolate tastings. More than 30 vendors will be offering their sweets to sample, and special events range from chef demonstrations to a messy sundae-eating contest. (Ghirardelli Square, 900 N. Point St.; $20–$40; buy tickets here) Learn to Make Kimchi SoMa | Saturday, September 13, and Thursday, September 18 Like your cabbage fermented? Ellen White, owner of Ellen’s Kimchi, will be hosting a class on making your own jar of this famed Korean food, complete with some decorative twine, a label, and a recipe you can use at home whenever that craving strikes. (739 Bryant St.; $50 with a Groupon; buy tickets here) Future Shorts Film Festival Nob Hill | Friday, September 19 Future Shorts, a pop-up film festival known for its mold-breaking short films, celebrates summer’s end with nine pieces at Firehouse 8. The films range from the bizarre music video for Bonobo’s “Cirrus” (shown above) to the locally made Typist, about a man and his typewriter navigating a technophile’s world. (1648 Pacific Ave.; $10; buy tickets here) San Francisco Improv Fest Financial District | Tuesday, September 16, to Saturday, September 20 The second week of the San Francisco Improv Fest kicks off with Speechless, a show that provides performers with a PowerPoint presentation that they’ve never seen before, and demands that they wow the audience. Also on the schedule: the all-women group Chick Flick, the guitar-toting duo Huge, and 30 Rock’s Scott Adsit. (215 Jackson St.; ticket prices vary based on the event; buy tickets here) Leading Ladies and Femmes Fatales: The Art of Marc Davis Presidio | Mondays, Wednesdays–Sundays through November 3 Animator Marc Davis was behind some of Disney’s most memorable women, including Tinkerbell, Maleficent, and Cruella de Vil. This exhibit at the Walt Disney Family Museum showcases these extraordinary ladies and the talent that brought them to life, displaying artwork from Davis’s personal collection in addition to other sources. (104 Montgomery St.; $12–$20; buy tickets here) Image credits: Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival photo by James Hall Photography, Marc Davis photo courtesy of WDW News Today

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. 

This week: giant fish fly over Berkeley, Rufus Wainwright plays at Stern Grove, Rob Delaney proves that he’s just as funny off the web, travel agents plan outer-space vacations, and Eat Drink SF showcases chef favorites. As always, check Groupon for even more things to do in San Francisco. Berkeley Kite Festival Berkeley | Saturday, July 26–Sunday, July 27 Every year, the Berkeley Kite Festival turns the world upside-down, transforming the sky into an ocean where gigantic sea creatures ride the air currents. The family-oriented fest also has free kite-making and kite-flying lessons, so anyone can add to the spectacle. (César Chávez Park at the Berkeley Marina, 11 Spinnaker Way; free) Rufus Wainwright at the Stern Grove Festival Merced Manor | Sunday, July 27 Rufus Wainwright only needs a piano to perform his trademark marriage of pop and classical music—and that’s all he’ll have at this intimate outdoor concert. Arrive at 2 p.m. to hear Quartet San Francisco open with their genre-jumping instrumental songs. (19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard; free) Rob Delaney Russian Hill | Wednesday, July 30 Rob Delaney wears many hats, all of them hilarious: he’s a legendary Twitter presence, a memoir author (Rob Delaney: Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage.), and a standup comedian. Catch him in that third role at Cobb’s Comedy Club on Wednesday, as long as you’re OK with foul language and a two-drink minimum. (915 Columbus Ave.; $20–$25; buy tickets here) Intergalactic Travel Bureau SoMa | Wednesday, July 30–Friday, August 1 Even if you have the budget for space tourism, it can be tough to decide on a single destination. That’s where the Intergalactic Travel Bureau comes in. Its agents—a team of actors versed in astronomical research—will tell you where to go and what to do there, whether it’s skiing on Pluto or hiking the red canyons on Mars. Stop by [freespace] between noon and 8 p.m. for your consultation. (1011 Market St.; free) Eat Drink SF Marina | Friday, August 1–Sunday, August 3 One of many food festivals scheduled for this summer, Eat Drink SF certainly sets the bar high. The first day kicks off the celebration with My Big Obsession: Can’t Stop. Won’t Stop. Eatin’, a gathering of dishes beloved by the city’s best chefs. Expect bites from restaurants such as Casey Thompson’s Aveline, Flour + Water, Delfina, and Spruce. (Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Blvd.; prices vary depending on the event; save on regular or VIP admission with a Groupon, or buy regular tickets here) Image credits: Berkeley Kite Festival photo by _e.t, Rufus Wainwright photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Intergalactic Travel Bureau photo by Olivia Koski, Eat Drink SF photo by Gamma Nine.