Cool events in San Francisco
17 upcoming. New and noteworthy events across San Francisco: tech, food, music, art and whatever is worth leaving the house for.
TodayFriday, October 16
5 to 10pmFree
Fort Mason CenterMonthly waterfront night market at Fort Mason with 60-plus craft vendors, food trucks, workshops and live music. Free.
7 to 9:30pm, one of 5 datesFree
SF State Observatory, Thornton Hall 10th floor, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA 94132The student-run SF State Observatory opens its rooftop to the public Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings when skies are clear, with family-friendly astronomy talks in English and Spanish and telescope viewing of Saturn, the Andromeda galaxy and more. October hours 7-9:30pm, weather dependent. Free.
TomorrowSaturday, October 17
11am to 6pm, through Oct 18Free
Hunters Point Shipyard, Building 101, 451 Galvez Ave, San Francisco, CA 94124For one weekend the historic Hunters Point naval base becomes one of SF's biggest art events: 130+ working studios of painters, sculptors, ceramicists, jewelers and metalworkers open their doors, with a silent art auction, live jazz and classical sets, food vendors, a beer and wine garden, and kids' art activities. Satellite sculptor studios at Islais Creek. Free, RSVP requested, free parking.
2 to 4:30pmFree
Great Lawn, Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission St between 3rd & 4th Sts, San Francisco, CA 94103Latin music legend Joe Bataan, a bandleader since the mid-1960s, returns to the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival for a free afternoon show on the Great Lawn. Part of the free Weekend Sessions concert series.
4 to 10pmFree
Market Street between 5th St and Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CAOne night only: Market Street between 5th and Van Ness becomes a walkable arts spectacle with 104 partners, 50+ free experiences across 35+ locations in six blocks. BANDALOOP vertical dancers, Dear San Francisco, DJ Mark Farina, drag sing-alongs at the Orpheum Sunroom, SF Neo-Futurists, Misfit Cabaret, dueling pianos, a beer garden in the Civic Center Entertainment Zone and more. Free; first 500 RSVPs get a $20 food voucher.
All day, through Oct 18Free
San Francisco Main Library, 100 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94102The Filipino American International Book Festival returns to the SF Main Library for two free days of author talks, panels, performances and a book fair celebrating Filipino American writing and culture.
SundayOctober 18
8:30am to 1pm$128.80
Robin Williams Meadow, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CARound three of Diplo's Run Club lands in Golden Gate Park: a 5K run starting and finishing at Robin Williams Meadow, followed by a morning-long post-race concert for 15,000 people with Diplo and Jax Jones. Race starts 8:30am, festival opens 8:30am, Diplo plays 10:30am.
11am to 4pmFree
Silver Avenue & Geneva Avenue, Excelsior, San Francisco, CAThe last Sunday Streets of the 2026 season turns the Excelsior's streets car-free for a free block party: active-play games, cultural performances, live music, health resources and open streets, plus a library open house with music and bubbles. Free.
1 to 7pmFree
Greenwich St & Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94123Balboa Cafe's annual street party and fundraiser for the PlumpJack Foundation takes over Greenwich and Fillmore with live music all afternoon, smash burgers and espressotinis on tap. Free entry; food and drink for purchase benefit the foundation.
3 to 5pm, one of 3 datesFree
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102Free classical concerts from the SF Civic Music Association. Oct 18: SF Civic Symphony plays Liszt, Saint-Saens cello concerto (Angela Lee) and Elgar's Enigma Variations at Herbst Theatre. Oct 24: chamber music at Noe Valley Ministry. Nov 1: Civic Strings' Mozart, Gershwin and Florence Price program at First Baptist Church, with an audience singalong. Free, RSVP advised, donations welcome.
TuesdayOctober 20
12 to 3pm, one of 5 datesFree
Fulton Plaza, Fulton & Larkin, San Francisco, CA 94102The free lunchtime concert series wraps its third season with live music outside the Main Library in Fulton Plaza, Tuesdays and Thursdays noon to 3pm through the end of October, three performers a day plus a rotating lineup of food trucks. Free, drop in on your lunch break.
6 to 9pm$40
Southern Pacific Brewing, 620 Treat Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110826 Valencia's Associate Board hosts its 21+ fundraiser for the organization's free writing and tutoring programs for SF youth: unlimited beer and wine, free books, activities, a silent auction and surprises at Southern Pacific Brewing.
7:30pm$69
Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102Watch Gore Verbinski's horror classic The Ring on the big screen at Davies Symphony Hall while the SF Symphony performs Hans Zimmer's score live, conducted by Jason Seber. Tickets start at $69.
WednesdayOctober 21
11 to 11:59pm, through Oct 22Free
Any dark spot away from city lights, Bay AreaHalley's Comet debris streaks across the sky on the Orionids' peak night, one of the most beautiful showers of the year with fast meteors and glowing trains, 10-20 per hour in normal years. Best viewed after midnight far from city lights; the Moon is about 80% full, so the brightest meteors will stand out most. Free, just look up.
SaturdayOctober 24
5 to 9pmFree
Mission District venues, San Francisco, CAThe world's largest free pop-up literary event caps off Litquake: 250+ authors across 50+ readings in three phases from 5 to 9pm in Mission District bars, cafes, bookstores, tattoo parlors and laundromats, plus free pre-crawl festivities from 2:30pm and a $10 afterparty at The Drawing Room. Free.
SundayOctober 25
All dayFree
Ferry BuildingEat your way around the world with 25+ restaurants serving dumplings from across the globe, plus live music, cooking demos, trivia and family activities. Free.
ThursdayNovember 19
5 to 8pm, one of 2 datesFree
Pier 14 to the Exploratorium, starts at 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA 94111A free bayside art stroll along the Big Art Loop - Portside from Pier 14 to the Exploratorium: live music and oysters at the Ferry Building plaza, then pop-ups at four monumental sculptures, including a glowing shrimp boat art car, paint and sip, mermaid crafts and free professional portraits. Free docent-led tours at 5:30 and 6:30pm; RSVP for tour spots.
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Seasonal events in San FranciscoSeasonal and holiday events around San Francisco: fall festivals, Halloween, Dia de los Muertos, Diwali, and holiday-season happenings.
See all lists in SF Bay Area- 8pmBig Gay Halloween at the Great Star Theater San Francisco
- All dayTerror Vault: SLASHED at the SF Mint San Francisco
- 6pmV. Sattui Winery Crush Party St. Helena
- 6pm15th Anniversary Autumn Lights Festival Oakland
- SatThe Recursive Agents Hackathon San Francisco
- MonUniversal Hackathon - Create Your Own AI Workforce | AWS Builder Loft San Francisco
- SatSunol Heritage Festival Sunol
- SatFamily Halloween Day, Randall Museum San Francisco
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