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NightLife: Black Thursday
Buy ahead to skip the line and save on tickets. 21+.
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Black History Month isn't just about the past, it's about understanding how this shared history informs the present and taking action to shape a better, more just future for everyone. In honor of Black History Month, we're turning up the celebration with a night all about Black joy. Get ready for lit live performances, candid conversations with Black Panther legends, a multimedia art installation that will change the way you view the word “Black,” a marketplace supporting 20+ Black-owned businesses, and a whole lot more.
Sounds by Lady Ryan
Check out Lady Ryan's exclusive NightLife: Black Thursday Playlist on the NightLife Spotify page
Music
The Music - Lady Ryan, SOL Development, & Make History
The Music
Piazza
Grab a cocktail and hit the floor with the return of Lady Ryan to NightLife. She’ll be spinning classics all night with a brief break for a performance from Oakland-based hip-hop, jazz, and soul collective SOL Development. Then Gideon Chiwinke Mekwunye II, co-founder of the breaking group Make History, will open up the dance floor and talk about the group's upcoming events.
- 6:00 PM - Lady Ryan
- 9:00 PM - SOL Development & Gideon Chiwinke Mekwunye II
- 9:15 PM - Lady Ryan
The Talks - Bamidele Agbasegbe-Demerson & Women of the Black Panther Party
The Talks
African Hall
- 7:30 PM - Grab a seat for Bamidele Agbasegbe-Demerson, Chief Curator of the African American Museum and Library at Oakland as he leads an engaging talk,“Interpreting Africa’s Gifts to the United States: Black American Contributions to Our Society.”
- 8:30 PM - Hear from iconic women of the original Black Panther Party for a candid discussion about their experience as female activists. Panelists include Katherine Campbell, an artist and former chef for the Panthers’ Free Breakfast Program, Minister Gayle Dickson, a graphic artist, teacher, ordained minister, and the sole female graphic artist for the Party newspaper in the early 1970s, and anti-hunger advocate "Auntie" Frances Moore, whose work continues with the Love Mission Self-Help Hunger Program.
The Market - SF Black Wall Street & In The Black Shop
The Market
Swamp
6 - 10 PM
Support Black-owned businesses and shop a marketplace with wares from 20 exceptional local Black-owned stores, curated by SF Black Wall Street and In the Black Shop. Featuring:
Art & Wellness Corner - “Black Box” by Michael Coppage, Budding Lotus Meditation, TendWell Collective, Wise Health SF
Wellness Corner
Curiosity Grove
6 - 10 PM
- Expand your mind with the "Black Box" art installation by multi-disciplinary social activism artist Michael Coppage.
- Take a deep breath and practice self-care with Morgan Norvell, founder and owner of Budding Lotus Meditation. Stop by her table to learn about the importance (and lack of) mental health care in Black community.
- Loosen up and get your first session of chair yoga in with the good folks of TendWell Collective.
The Menu - Signature food and beverage offerings from Chef Rob and the Liquid Happiness team
The Menu
At the Academy Cafe
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Soul Food Egg Rolls - BBQ chicken, collard greens, mac n cheese
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BBQ Jerk Chicken Pizza
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Catfish Po' Boy - Beer battered cajun catfish, spicy remoulade, lettuce, tomato, onion
At the Swamp & Aquarium Bars
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“Noir 75” - Common Ground Gin Basil & Elderflower, lemon, honey syrup, sparkling champagne
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“For the Culture” - Uncle Nearest whiskey, lemon, simple, orange liqueur
A few don't-miss NightLife details:
- NightLife guests are no longer required to provide proof of full vaccination or a recent negative test. We still strongly encourage all guests to stay up-to-date on their vaccinations, and to mask up indoors. As always, if you’re feeling under the weather, please NightLife another time. View health and safety information here.
- Last entry into the rainforest exhibit is 7:30 pm—our animals need their sleep.
- Morrison Planetarium is now open at NightLife with 4 showtimes. To maximize staff and guest safety, planetarium passes are required and capacity is limited. Passes are available online in advance for an additional $5 while supplies last to reserve a seat at a 6:30, 7:30, 8:30, or 9:30 pm planetarium show. Please see our FAQs for more details. (Please note: A limited number of standby seats will be available for all showtimes as space allows on a first-come, first-served basis. Food and drink are not permitted inside the planetarium.)
- Beverages are available at various bars throughout the building, but food must be enjoyed outdoors or in the Academy Café only.
- NightLife is for adults 21+ only. Valid, physical photo ID required.
- Still have Qs? See our FAQs here.
Planetarium Shows
8:30 pm, 9:30 pm
Discover how a deeper understanding of Earth might help us spot other living worlds light-years away.
6:30 pm, 7:30 pm
Explore the immense scale of the known Universe in this live presentation that leaves Earth far behind.
Upcoming events
January 9th at 6:00 pm
Explore the Academy at night and jump-start 2025 alongside nearly 60,000 live animals.
January 16th at 6:00 pm
See what’s revealed once the sun goes down and explore the nocturnal side of the Academy.
January 23rd at 6:00 pm
Start your weekend early at NightLife – we won't tell! Claude and the rainforest are waiting for you.
January 30th at 6:00 pm
Local treasures, tasty treats, LED lion dances. It’s time to ring in the year of the snake the NightLife way.
February 13th at 6:00 pm
Blow a kiss to our African penguins and 60,000 other creatures when you explore the Academy at night.
February 20th at 6:00 pm
We’re back with another collab with SF staple Noise Pop Music and Arts Festival featuring a DJ set by DāM-FunK.