This Month's Must-Catch Events, Performances & More

This month's must-attend events, galas and more.

9/4
San Francisco Symphony Gala
The San Francisco Symphony celebrates its 108th season with the black-tie Opening Night Gala honoring Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas and his husband, Joshua Robison. Four tiers of patronage are available for this evening, featuring cocktails, dinner, performance and afterparty. 6PM, tickets from $475, City Hall and Davies Symphony Hall, sfsymphony.org

9/6
San Francisco Opera’s Opera Ball
The San Francisco Opera’s 97th season opens with an Opera Ball themed At the Capulets’ Masked Ball, co-chaired by Elizabeth Birka-White and Jane Mudge. The black-tie event features a cocktail reception, dinner and performance of Charles Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet. 5PM, tickets from $1,619, War Memorial Opera House, sfopera.com

9/6-11/2
Unhinged
Step into a real-life psychological and paranormal thriller at the Winchester Mystery House. A suspenseful walkthrough experience, Unhinged, is presented by the minds behind ThemeDream Productions and the writers of San Francisco’s most famous immersive-theater show, The Speakeasy. 6:40PM, tickets from $44, Winchester Mystery House, San Jose, winchestermysteryhouse.com

9/7-8
Mountain View Art & Wine Festival
Mountain View celebrates art, music and food during the 48th Annual Art & Wine Festival. Browse handcrafted work by 500 of America’s top artists and craft-makers, and enjoy live music, specialty food purveyors and festival eateries serving up flavorful fare, seasonal craft beers, premium wines, sangria, fresh-fruit margaritas, bloody marys and signature cocktails, as well as home and garden exhibits, health and wellness displays, and more. Sat., 11AM-7PM; Sun., 10am-6pm, Castro Street, Mountain View, miramarevents.com

9/8
Montalvo Food & Wine Classic
The Food & Wine Classic returns for its 16th year with delicacies from celebrated Bay Area restaurants, wine tastings, and live and silent auctions—all held on the grounds of Montalvo’s historic villa and picturesque grounds, and benefiting the nonprofit’s arts and education outreach programs. 4-7:30PM, tickets from $250, Montalvo Arts Center, montalvofoodwine.com

9/21
Celebration Gala and Auction
The Celebration Gala and Auction fetes the San Jose Museum of Art’s 50th anniversary and features a live auction, as well as a Mirror Ball afterparty with cocktails, late-night bites, live music and dancing. 5:30PM-midnight, tickets from $1,000, afterparty tickets from $100, San José Museum of Art, sjmusart.org

9/21
Conscious San Jose Festival
Mindfulness is the Valley’s buzzword, so get your wellness in gear at the third annual Conscious San Jose Festival, with yoga, meditation, arts, music, community service and more. 9AM-7PM, tickets from $20, St. James Park, conscioussanjose.org

9/29
St. Lawrence String Quartet
Stanford Live presents the St. Lawrence String Quartet (with special guest James Austin Smith on oboe), celebrating the band’s 30th anniversary season and fabled partnership with the university. 2:30PM, tickets from $32, Bing Concert Hall, live.stanford.edu