I thought SantaCon would be a disaster — it was a delightful mess instead
San Francisco’s first tornado warning brought sideways rain and wind. But soggy Santas laughed like they’d been cast in a low-budget Christmas special.
The day started with a phone alert that sounded like the end of the world: San Francisco’s first-ever tornado warning. Tornadoes, in this city? It’s like hearing the Golden Gate Bridge announced its plans to pack up and move to Fresno — absurd, and yet, somehow, today’s reality.
Maybe I’d finally reached the point where San Francisco’s weird weather moods would defeat me. But no, it was SantaCon, and I wasn’t about to miss it. I’d heard all the stories about drunken debauchery, public urination, and bad behavior — SantaCon’s reputation precedes it. I half-expected to hate it, but instead discovered an oddly chill afternoon, even when the weather couldn’t decide its own mood.
Read the latest and see all the photos by Courtney Muro
Demi Moore, Austin Butler, and Zac Posen take on The Bay (sort of)
It’s not every day we see Demi Moore, Austin Butler, and Denis Villeneuve in San Francisco — because we’re the city where fog never ends. We’re more likely to rub elbows with engineers in Allbirds than to ever encounter a member of Hollywood royalty.
But rub elbows we did, sort of. SFFILM is a great place to find an indie flick and also the ultimate one to clout chase in The Bay. Their red carpet on Monday served up many orchestrated meet-cutes for The Bold Italic. Demi Moore was too good for us while holding onto her tiny dog, but Austin Butler, Zac Posen and Denis Villeneuve all had choice things to say about San Francisco, our fashion choices and the national film industry.
This was Santa Skivvies 2024
It all started with a text from my editor: “Want to watch half-naked men don Santa hats and harnesses while they prance through the Castro?”
My immediate response? “Obviously.” Because any day that starts with a promise of leather, red jockstraps, and antler headbands can only end in peppermint schnapps and shame. And also prove once again that San Francisco knows how to do the holidays better — and weirder — than anywhere else.
Read the latest and see photos by Courtney Muro
SF Ballet’s Nutcracker is a dazzling tradition that’s thankfully not going away
There was a buzz in the air — it felt like a mixture of excitement for the debut of the beloved story ballet and relief that the performance was happening. If you need a jolt of holiday cheer, see this excellent presentation.
The Nutcracker has a special relationship with San Francisco: It was first performed in the United States here in 1944. Over the past 80 years, the show has had five versions. The current variation is celebrating its 20th year in production. Former Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson staged it in 2004, and it has since become a Bay Area classic known for being set in San Francisco in 1915. The scenery and costumes, designed by Michael Yeargan and Martin Pakledinaz, respectively, reflect this period.
Read the latest by Katie Sweeney
What we’re doing this week
‘Tis the season to be laughing
Enjoy a festive night of laughter at the Holiday Special Stand-Up Comedy Night featuring Alejandro Ochoa, Julie Ash, Big T, Sean Felipe, and Allison Hooker. With a two-drink minimum, you’re guaranteed to be laughing—whether it’s at the jokes or your bar tab.
WHEN: Wednesday, December 18th, doors at 6 PM, Show at 7 PM
WHERE: Monarch, 101 6th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show
Join drag superstars Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme for their acclaimed holiday extravaganza. This festive performance combines comedy, music, and dazzling costumes, promising an unforgettable evening of holiday cheer.
WHEN: December 18th & 19th, 8:00 PM
WHERE: The Warfield, 982 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94102
What’s on our mind
We keep content mostly fun and light at The Bold Italic, but the future of the Bay Area interests us, too. Here’s what we are thinking about in local news. Brought to you by GrowSF.
Bay Bridge lights will soon brighten our night sky again
The Bay Bridge lights are set to turn back on after a two-year absence. Crews began installing 50,000 LED lights this week, marking the latest step in a long journey to bring back the Bay Bridge’s sparkle. No official launch date has been announced, but we’re hearing it might be as early as January 2025.
Illuminate, the nonprofit behind the project, has said the updated display will feature twice as many lights as the original, which ran for a decade and went dark in March last year. The original lights struggled under typical winds and rain, not to mention the strain of running every night for 10 years.
To re-launch, Illuminate worked to secure $11 million in order to update the system and improve its visibility. The new version will be visible to San Francisco, Marin and the East Bay.
“We hope you will join us on the waterfront,” Illuminate posted in an update on their website.
It’s exciting to bring back a beloved fixture of the Bay Area skyline. For those who missed the decade-long show, you won’t be disappointed.
Join us for the GrowSF Election Victory Party
Join us for the GrowSF Election Victory Party at ANINA. We're having a celebration to honor all the hard work that went into this election season.
We're thrilled to announce that Supervisors-elect Bilal Mahmood and Danny Sauter will be joining us, and who knows, maybe a few other surprise guests will pop in too! See you there!
WHEN: Tuesday, December 17 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
WHERE: ANINA, 482 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102
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The Bold Italic publishes first-person stories on topics that are on the brains and lips of San Franciscans. We’re a hub for conversations to be heard and discussed, and we celebrate all that’s great about living in San Francisco and the Bay Area. We hope our continuing conversation will get you thinking, talking, and inspiring you to share your opinions with us on living in San Francisco.
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The Bold Italic is brought to you by GrowSF and edited by Saul Sugarman. Send us a pitch, a question, comment, or advertise with us: info@thebolditalic.com