Top San Francisco culture and cocktails hotspots - Part 1 - San Francisco Culinary Travel

The posting on Facebook read: “Great times and great tunes. I can’t wait for Marc Fong to DJ again.”

Props for the latest club in the Mission District? No, this Facebook fan was stoked about the new NightLife series (see picture left) at the California Academy of Sciences that launched in February.

While the club scene in San Francisco is still a lure, some of the latest hot spots are to be found in major museums and arts organizations in the city. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, noted for its film series in the 1970s, and the Asian Art Museum, which launched Art After Hours in 1998, were among the first to launch a series of after-work evening events merging cocktails with culture.

More recently the California Academy of Sciences, Contemporary Jewish Museum, de Young Museum, Exploratorium, San Francisco Ballet, San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Symphony and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts — among others — have adopted and adapted the cocktails meets culture idea to their collections, special exhibits and performance schedules.

And don’t forget “First Thursday.”

A downtown tradition since 1993, every “First Thursday” of the month finds many of the member galleries of the San Francisco Art Dealers Association open late for a casual open house. More than two dozen galleries are usually open for this event; a map and a list of the participating galleries are posted at www.firstthursdayart.com.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.)
415 Geary St., 415-749-2228

A.C.T.’s popular InterACT series offers events, parties and discussions ranging from Out with A.C.T. — post-performance LGBT night parties — to Theater on the Couch, a post-performance Q & A delving into the play’s psychological aspects with members of the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis. Dates and times for the full InterACT series are posted on the company Web site.

Admission: Events are free with ticket purchase.

Asian Art Museum
200 Larkin St., 415-581-3500

Named after the Japanese powdered green tea known for its richness and flavor, MATCHA (see picture right) combines art, performance, music, mingling and more. Participants can experience live performances, browse through the galleries, mingle with friends over cocktails, create art, enjoy special tours or chill out to the hip beats of DJs and musicians.

Schedule: Thursday evenings, June 18, August 27, October 29, 5 – 9 p.m.

Admission: Free with museum admission, $10 after 5 p.m.

California Academy of Sciences
55 Music Concourse Dr., Golden Gate Park, 415-379-8000

Every Thursday night, the Academy opens its doors from 6 to 10 p.m. for NightLife, an opportunity for adults to explore the museum in a whole new light. Some of San Francisco’s most popular DJs provide dance music. Enjoy food and cocktails, and mingle with the like-minded while exploring the Academy’s exhibits and aquarium. Each week features provocative science programming and a few surprises.

Schedule: Every Thursday, 6 – 10 p.m.

Admission: You need to be 21 or older for NightLife; a valid ID is required for entry. $10 for non-member adults, $8 for members.

Contemporary Jewish Museum
736 Mission St., 415-655-7881

Begin each month with a unique and stylish atmosphere at Oy Vey! Thursday at the Contemporary Jewish Museum. Unwind with a signature cocktail, listen to music, kvetch with friends and see some art. On view throughout the series: “Chagall and the Artists of the Russian Jewish Theater, 1919-1949.”

Adjacent to the museum, the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival turns Jessie Square into a downtown open-air dance party with live bands playing groovin’ rhythms, from polka to salsa, swing to bhangra, and beyond with their Let’s Go Dance@Jessie series.

Schedule: Oy Vey! first Thursday of the month 5 – 8 p.m. June to September; admission $5; cash bar.

Let’s Go Dance@Jessie, May to October, first Thursday of the month, 6 – 7:30 p.m.; free admission.