Get out of the house with these SF events

The London-born author will stop by Book Passage’s Ferry Building outpost for a reading and signing for his dark literary thriller “In the Wake of Golgotha.” The book reimagines Judas Iscariot and Pontius Pilate in modern-day New York’s crime scene. Grace is also a vintner, and guests will be able to taste one of his red wines, which was made at his vineyard in Italy.

The Bosnian musician is coming to Davies Symphony Hall, where he will be joined by his backing ensemble. The group performs Balkan music with brass players, string instruments and vocals. 

Comedian Tony Sparks will take over the Orbit Room with help from a rotating cast of fellow Bay Area talents. Located at 1900 Market Street, the watering hole serves pizzas with draft beers, cocktails, wines and other spirits. 

Supervisor Connie Chan, state Sen. Scott Wiener and progressive activist Saikat Chakrabarti — three candidates vying for San Francisco’s congressional seat — are coming to Sydney Goldstein Theater for a debate hosted by City Arts and Lectures, Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California, Manny’s and KQED. The debate will be moderated by KQED’S Scott Shafer and Sydney Johnson. The candidates will discuss topics including climate policy, immigration and housing and affordability, according to organizers. 

Tickets for the event, which is being co-presented by City Arts and Lecture, are available online. They range in price from $18 to $36. The debate starts at 7:30 p.m. 

Specs’ Twelve Adler Museum Cafe will host Nathan Bickert, a pianist who plays jazz and soul music, and Levi Gillis, a saxophonist who performs contemporary, classical and folk music. 

The show runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and will take place at 12 William Saroyan Place.

Ikea will bring participants down to Market Street for an all-ages workshop, where attendees will learn how to paint by creating their own portraits. Materials will be provided, and children must be accompanied by guardians.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts is staging a drop-in workshop at which participants will use felt to explore color, shapes and imagery and make a collage. Materials will be provided, and attendees can take their creations home. Organizers said this edition is inspired by “gather tender night,” Diedrick Brackens’ solo exhibition on view through Aug. 23. 

Employees at the 4 Star Theater are bringing an evening of musical performances to the neighborhood. The lineup features the band France, the four-piece experimental-rock group Pateka, and Agnes Martian, an experimental duo.

Caldwell Snyder Gallery will present a solo exhibition for Napa Valley artist Matt Rogers, who specializes in landscapes and floral paintings. An Oakland native, Rogers trained at the San Francisco Art Institute. 

The reception runs from 5 to 7 p.m., with Rogers’ exhibition on view through April 30. The gallery is located at 341 Sutter St. 

Second Street from Market to Howard streets will once again come alive with a free all-ages block party. This month’s edition celebrates Earth Month. Guests will be able to make reusable art at pop-up stations and shop local businesses, and booths set up by the California Academy of Sciences and the Museum of the African Diaspora will also be present. The former will have games and free giveaways, and the latter will host performances by dancer Natalya Janay Schoaf and DJ Kream. DJ Reggie Watts is this month’s headliner, with his set taking place from 7:45 to 9 p.m.

San Francisco Public Library’s main branch will host a traveling exhibition that highlights wood engravings made by artists from six different countries. Sixty items are on display and over 140 works were submitted, according to organizers.

The opening reception runs from 6 to 7:45 p.m. and will take place at 100 Larkin St.  

At this Exploratorium after-hours event, guests ages 18 and up will be able to listen to readings by local poets and learn how to craft their own verses as part of a freestyle workshop. Other activities invite participants to explore the connection between language and physical movement, as well as a lounge where patrons can write and converse with each other. 

Clarinetist McGill will be joined by pianist Chien for a performance at Herbst Theatre. The duo will perform pieces by composers Claude Debussy, Camille Saint-Saens, Andre Messager, Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms.

Bamboo Hut, a North Beach tiki bar, will host an evening where patrons can dance to pop music hits from the 1990s, 2000s and 2020s. DJs will spin tracks by musical acts such as Rihanna, Paramore, Nsync and Britney Spears.

Harman Projects, a contemporary art gallery located at 1275 Minnesota St., will host over 30 artists for an exhibition where all entries have been made on 16-inch-by-20-inch surfaces. The exhibition will be on view through April 25, and the gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

The opening reception runs from 5 to 7 p.m. 

The Children’s Creativity Museum will host the touring Launderland Circus, which will present an all-ages show in which a magical laundromat stands up to a greedy boss. Guests will bear witness to aerialists, giant puppets, jugglers and other talents.

Dolphin South End Runners, The City’s oldest running club, will host 5K and kids races at the west end of the park, near the intersection of 11th Avenue and Lake Street. Adult runners will participate in the first race at 9 a.m., followed by a race for children ages 12 and under that will be a half-mile in length. 

Residents will flock to Vermont Street in Potrero Hill to watch participants ride down the crooked road on their big-wheel bikes of choice. Children will ride from 2 to 3 p.m., followed by adults riding the course from 3 to 5 p.m. Participants are asked to wear helmets, gloves and pads for their knees and elbows.