Hate to break it to you San Francisco, but Valentine’s Day is coming up. And while lovey-dovey date ideas and chocolate shops are all well and good, we promise these anti-Valentine’s Day plans for singles are positively unromantic. Read on for SF’s best single-friendly activities during the week of February 14th, and hold on tight till March.
1. Enjoy Galentine’s Day, “speed mingling,” trivia, and more at SF Beer Week
SF Beer Week will take the Bay Area by storm from Feb. 9-18 and so many of the events look like an absolute blast. Check out Beer Buddies and Speed Mingling at 21st Amendment in San Leandro; Love, Queers, and Beers Pub Trivia at Black Hammer in SF; and Arcade Night at Barebottle in SF. Not to mention plenty of movie nights and parties to fill out your evenings. See the full schedule here.
2. Drop your pants and raise money for charity at Cupid’s Undie Run
The 2024 rendition of Cupid’s Undie Run arrives at SF’s Woodbury cocktail bar on February 17th. Start the day with drinking and dancing, jog about a mile in your undies, and then finish the day with… you guessed it, more drinking and dancing. Proceeds from the event go to finding a cure for neurofibromatosis (NF), a rare genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerve tissue.
3. Take yourself on a solo date around the Bay Area
In the spirit of self-care, here are some pleasant solo date ideas if you just want a little me time. Take this as your friendly reminder to get out of the house and try something new — you may just find an awesome new hobby or escape!
- Catch a temporary museum exhibition
- Find your next plant children at a local nursery
- Pick up a great read at a local bookstore
- And more
4. Let it all out at the ephemeral Valentine’s Day Pillow Fight
Arguably one of San Francisco’s more mysterious events, the Valentine’s Day Pillow Fight is a tradition that usually happens around 6pm on Feb. 14th at Embarcadero Plaza. To be clear, this is a tentative, unofficial and unpermitted event… but as the event organizer once told Funcheap, “if 1,000 people head down to Embarcadero Plaza with pillows and THINK there’s going to be a pillow fight… then there’s probably going to be a motherf*cking pillow fight.”
Some feather-related rules of thumb: wear a mask to avoid inhaling feathers, bring a synthetic pillow to reduce the amount of feathers, and bring a trash bag to help clean up the feathers. Also, don’t hit anyone who isn’t holding a pillow.
5. Laugh through the pain at these Valentine’s Day comedy shows
Sit back and join some fellow cynics with stories about breakups, worst dates, and teen angst from SF’s best comedians. Here are some great standup shows and open mics to put on your radar.
- Feb. 10 – SF’s 2024 Valentine’s Day Comedy Spectacular at Mayes Oyster House
- Feb. 17 – “Drunk Theatre” comedy show at Eclectic Box SF
- Feb. 14 – Galentine’s Day Comedy Showcase at San Francisco Eagle Bar
6. Celebrate February’s superior holiday: Super Bowl Sunday
What’s Valentine’s Day? Super Bowl LVIII arrives on Feb. 11, 2024 and it appears to be the only major holiday of note this month, especially since the 49ers will be playing. Watch the big game at SF’s best sports bars and make it a weekend to remember.