This week, May 5–11, 2025: Hear the story behind Poorboy Coffee, play Banned Books Bingo, explore AAPI art at Levi’s Plaza, read silently at Bazaar Café, and dance to La Santa Cecilia at Yerba Buena Gardens Festival's opening show.

Wednesday:

  • Kick off a new storytelling series, My Friends Do Cool Sh!t, featuring host Russ speaking with Brandon Sardi, founder of Poorboy Coffee, as he shares the journey of building his coffee company from the ground up. Expect a laid-back evening of conversation, inspiration, and community—plus wine, nonalcoholic drinks, and Poorboy beans for sale. Come support a dream in progress and maybe spark one of your own. Wednesday, May 7, 6–8 p.m. // Wave Collective, 663 Haight St // $20

Thursday:

  • Celebrate the “fREADom” of expression at Banned Books Bingo—an evening of fun, prizes, and literary rebellion. Play bingo with a banned book twist in a cozy pub setting, all while supporting Island Press and its mission to tackle environmental challenges through informed solutions. Thursday, May 8, 4:45–6:30 p.m. The Pig and Whistle, 2801 Geary Blvd // $20

Friday:

  • Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with a dynamic evening of art, culture, and community at this Pop-Up Exhibit. Featuring work from a diverse range of Asian American and Pacific Islander artists, the exhibition explores themes of identity, migration, resistance, and heritage through painting, sculpture, installation, and mixed media.

    Participating galleries and organizations include Creativity Explored, Glass Rice, Jonathan Carver Moore, Root Division, Schlomer Haus, Marrow Gallery, Qualia Contemporary Art, Slate Gallery, and Art Span. Friday, May 9, 6–9 p.m. // Levi’s Plaza, 1255 Battery St // Free

Saturday:

  • Join the Western Neighborhoods Project (WNP) for a relaxing morning of reading in community at the WNP Book Club Silent Reading Party. Bring your current read—or the featured book Outer Sunset by Mark Ernest Pothier—and settle in at Bazaar Café with a curated soundtrack, good vibes, and refreshments available for purchase. Saturday, May 10, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. // Bazaar Café, 5927 California St // Free; RSVP encouraged
  • Yerba Buena Gardens Festival kicks off its 2025 season with Grammy-winning headliner La Santa Cecilia, blending cumbia, jazz, boleros, and alt-rock with deep roots in Mexican traditions and a vibrant, contemporary Latin sound. Opening the show is SF’s La Doña, whose signature “femeton” style fuses reggaeton, rancheras, and cumbias. DJ Wonway Posibul starts the party at 1:30pm. Saturday, May 10, 2–4:30 p.m. // Great Lawn, Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission St. between 3rd & 4th St // Free