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From Bastille Day celebrations to Mahjong classes and comedy shows, get out there and make the most of this season. Jump ahead to this week’s top events: Celebrate Bastille Day with French-inspired dining at Verjus. See acclaimed international and indie films at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. Experience Mosswood Meltdown in Oakland. Enjoy Hayes Valley Carnival. Have a good one. Unwind with Jazz Nights at Novela; Monday at 6:30pm.

Foot traffic is up, hotel demand is rising, and downtown now draws about as many visitors as it did in 2019. The city has retained its charm and, at the same time, feels revitalized with vibrant public art and new businesses. This long weekend itinerary features new and notable spots, along with a couple of classics.

That’s all changing. Now, local bars are eschewing novelties in favor of an age-old attribute: conviviality. Today, a connection to others is the defining feature with gregarious regulars, friendly bartenders, and spirited bonding around Giants, Dubs, Niners games. No pretense or pyrotechnics; just good old-fashioned socializing. In other words, the neighborhood bar is back. This time, with better drinks. Shotski's Alpine Lodge, downtown's newest bar Chambongs and draft Red Bull cocktails.

The stargazing is tops at these 17 lookout spots and observatories from Silicon Valley to Wine Country. A view of the stars from Mount Tam (Courtesy of @cookdog77) Muir Woods Beach Overlook There may be no better place to gaze up at the heavens than from the sands of Muir Beach. Those who wish to, say, smolder s'mores while stargazing can do so at the designated fire pits. Looking to gawk at the stars from a higher standpoint? Make a beeline to the rocky, cliffside Muir Woods Overlook.

From sandy bayside beaches and lakes to public and hotel pools, here's where to go swimming in Oakland, Alameda, and Berkeley this season. Lake Anza at Tilden Park in Berkeley Tilden Park's Lake Anza is a bucolic East Bay getaway. Its sandy beach is open to the sun and sheltered from the wind—perfect for sunbathing—the water's ideal for cooling down after a morning hike. Make a day of it and bring along a picnic or grab refreshments from The Lake Anza Beach Club.

But if the last time you visited the neighborhood was when family were in town, prepare to be surprised. There’s more to this waterfront neighborhood than meets the eye—and more to come, as the resurgence of the area, hit hard in the pandemic, picks up speed.

Rise sky high for a vinyl night at the Starlite or head deep into the forest for Filoli’s Redwoods in the Round. For all day (or all weekend) fun, head up to the Mendocino Music Festival, then come back down in time for Ferry Fest. More music to your ears: Oracle Park’s pup-friendly day is back, Dracula’s in town, and Valencia is opening up for another free street party. Jump ahead to this week's top events: Have a good one. Check your fit at the Apthcry pop-up.

Plus, viral candy store Lil Sweet Treat sweetens up on Chestnut Street and Old Navy’s beloved Flag Tee is ready to celebrate. (Courtesy of deMain) Fashion girlies, gird your loins, as they say: A brand-new concept store inspired by the likes of Dover Street Market and 10 Corso Como has landed at 2865 18th Street (between Bryant and Florida Streets). Its mantra? Fashion, craft, and culture.

From ice cream to burgers, we’ve rounded up the best food trails and crawls in the Bay Area. Some are organized maps with a prize at the end, while others are collections of beloved local businesses connected by a single obsession. There’s just one thing they all have in common: eating is the main event. A burger topped with mac 'n' cheese from Oakland's Beeryland Oakland’s Burger Trail serves up some of the most mouthwatering burgers, so you better come hungry.

It’s the latest production from Word for Word, a performing arts company founded at the Mission-Potrero theater in 1993 with the unusual mission to stage not plays but narrative fiction (i.e., novels and short stories). A scene from Vonnegut's "The Big Space Fuck" at Z Space “We don’t change the text at all,” says co-artistic director and co-founder Joanne Winter.