Bay Area community members remember “fierce and generous” Beatrice Dong, the co-founder of Berkeley’s Eastwind Books and lifelong activist for racial solidarity.
The new novel from San Francisco sci-fi writer Annalee Newitz is a thought-provoking meditation on human nature, told from the perspective of an adventurous alien amoeba.
If you're looking for a calendar exclusively for COVID-safe events, check out (and support)CSL3 who posts a roundup each week; and if you're only interested in sapphic events, check out theSapphic in the Bay calendar.
Banned Books Week begins on Monday, and I am going to encourage you to engage with that by getting involved infighting current book bans, rather than buying and reading books by already famous and/or dead authors who do not need your money. SF Tech Week is also happening and the only thing I can really recommend about that is for those attending to get involved inresistance,union, andactivism efforts.
This week we've also got live mural painting, mushroom architecture, slow walking, and more. We'll post new events each Wednesday. Go forth and enjoy!
Touch Grass with REAL People's Organizing Collective 〰️ Love local small businesses? Not sure how to support them other than just shopping there? Like vaguely terrifying tasks that involve talking to strangers? Wow you are the luckiest reader in the world, because this is your chance to combine all three: canvas with the Real People’s Organizing Collective, talking to real businesses about the issues they’re facing. Stick around after for a drink with your fellow canvassers. 〰️ 3-6pm 〰️ Everett & Jones BBQ, Oakland 〰️ FREE but do RSVP 〰️ more info
Chilean Folktale & Sculpture Workshop 〰️ Start with learning about traditional Chilean folklore (researching for this entry led me to learn all aboutEl Caleuche, very cool!), then get a sculpture workshop based on that story from artist Antonia Lara Sanchez, an interdisciplinary artist "passionate about the healing nature of art, immigration and community." All materials are provided, adults only for this one. 〰️ 6:30pm 〰️ Civic Center Library, Livermore 〰️ FREE, registration required, call 925-373-5505, I know you can do it 〰️more info
Black Feminism & The Issue of Practice 〰️ Some scholars are happy to have their work remain in the realm of the esoteric and philosophical. Others are very much not, and you can count Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor and Sarah Haley as among them. At this talk, they'll push back on "the move to reduce Black feminism to an analytic," and talk about how the tools and histories of radical Black left feminists can inform modern resistance to authoritarianism. 〰️ 12:30-2pm 〰️ UC Berkeley 〰️ FREE but please RSVP 〰️more info
Punking Punk 〰️ Two films on view here, both following punk movements that held fast to the original, DIY, and radically inclusive ethos. The first one, Einfach machen! She-Punks von 1977 bis heute follows the women who founded the first all-female bands in Düsseldorf, West Berlin, and Zurich. The second one, Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution documents the queer punks who found themselves pushed out of the movement in the 1980s by a rise in homophobia and machismo and decided to found their own thing. Both can provide lessons to today's punks, in my opinion! 〰️ 6-10pm 〰️ Goethe-Institut San Francisco 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Los Thuthanaka 〰️ Last year, the Bolivian American Indigenous experimental duo Los Thuthanaka released a self-titled album that played on repeat in my house for a few months.Pitchfork describes the record as "ceremonial but swaggy, cataclysmic but healing, unrefined but magnificent." It's also the kind of music that you can tell would absolutely slap live. And now you can see them live! No clue when they'll be in town again, so don't miss your chance. 〰️ 8pm 〰️ Great American Music Hall, SF 〰️ $36.27 〰️more info
Building with Mushrooms at the Extremes: Design of Mycelium Biocomposite Construction Materials for Arctic Environments 〰️ It's hard to get building supplies to Arctic communities, and it's hard to get garbage back out when those supplies reach the ends of their lives. But what if you could just grow your materials there, and return them to the ground without worrying about microplastics or sky high removal costs? That's the premise behind the work of this particular talk, specifically using "foamed mycelium biocomposite thermal insulation" and talking through a case study of its use in Alaskan homes. This is for the mushroom architecture nerds. I know you're out there. 〰️ 4:30-5:30pm 〰️ Stanford University 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
THEATRE OF HORRORS: The Sordid Story of Paris' Grand Guignol 〰️ No one told me to stop putting Santa Cruz events on the calendar, so I'm going to keep doing it! This documentary film takes you to a back alley in Paris where theGrand Guignal, aka the "Theater of Death" put on spectacles that inspired, revolted, infuriated, and fascinated people for 65 years, starting in 1897. (If you can't go see this film, I definitely recommend readingthe Wikipedia page, what a history!) 〰️ 7:30pm 〰️ Small Theater, Santa Cruz 〰️ $12.51 〰️more info
Coffee with A Journalist: With The Ingleside Light + CCSF Student Reporters 〰️ At COYOTE you know we love hyperlocal journalism, and it doesn't get more locally local than the folks atThe Ingleside Light andThe Guardsman. Come see reporters from both papers talk about covering their neighborhoods, learn about how journalism works, and drop some hot tips for what you'd like to see more reporting on. 〰️ 4-6pm 〰️ Charm Coffee, SF 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Women & Non-Binary Bike SF Coffee Club 〰️ Meet new people, talk bikes, ask questions, share times, and have a coffee with this group aimed at inspiring more women, trans, and non-binary folks to get out and ride. Whether you're clocking 100+ miles a week or curiously terrified to strap on a helmet, you're welcome either way. 〰️ 8-9pm 〰️ Atlas Cafe, SF 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Bats Alive 〰️ Not to be confused with "bats dead," which is whatthe woman who touched that bat in Minneapolis might have googled (don't worry,she's okay!). At this event you can learn all about the coolest little flying buddies with sharp teeth, and then go try to find some in the dark! Bonus points if you learn all the words toBatty Rap before you go. I bet the expert will love that. 〰️ 6-9pm 〰️ Youth Science Institute, Los Gatos 〰️ $10 〰️more info
Sustaining Language, Culture, and Indigeneity: A Transnational Collage 〰️ Check out this popup of the Oaxacan Languages of the Transnational Central Coast project, which features stories and interviews across both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Mexican immigrants who sustain their communities in both the U.S. and Mexico. The project "aims to give visibility to these laborers, while countering the flattened view of Mexican immigrants as a monolingual and monolithic group." 〰️ 5:30-8pm 〰️ Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Effable Press Magazine Release Party! 〰️ We love local indie media and are so excited to welcome Effable Press Magazine to the Bay Area party. Celebrate their first issue, enjoy arts and crafts, food, produce and friendship. Get a physical magazine! Smell the paper! 〰️ 10am-1pm 〰️ Tenfold Farm Stand, Petaluma 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Yagi Sisters Field Trip 〰️ Join folks involved in the Sonoma State University Agroecology Garden for a trip to a local small-scale farm using holistic ecological approaches to grow Asian specialty crops for local restaurants. 〰️ 10am-12pm 〰️ Yagi Sisters Farm, Sebastopol 〰️ FREE, but please register 〰️more info
Oakland Black Cowboy Association 52nd Parade and Festival 〰️ Herd yourself on down to the park for the event that always spurs at least one thinkpiece about how someone had no idea there were Black? Cowboys? In Oakland??? Indeed there are and have been for decades! And the Oakland Black Cowboy Association's goal is to "build a future where every untold story of Black pioneers is recognized, honored, and celebrated for generations to come." 〰️ 8am-5pm 〰️ Defremery Park, Oakland 〰️ FREE 〰️ more info
Bay Area Anarchist Book Fair 〰️ The theme of this year's offering is Analog: "In an age of mass collapse and rising technofascism, how can we create alternative technologies to further our goals? What strategies and tactics are at our disposal to fight big tech? And how can we meaningfully divest from mainstream technology?" Join the people who have been asking a lot of those questions for decades (anarchists) for a celebration of a technology that has being doing the same for even longer (books). 〰️ 😷 COVID SAFE: masks required indoors and encouraged everywhere 〰️ 10am-5pm 〰️ Humanist Hall, Oakland 〰️ FREE 〰️ more info
BAWS Resource Fair 〰️ Every year Bay Area Worker Support puts on this free resource fair for sex workers, and it's incredible. They offer nail and hair services, massage and acupuncture, a clothing swap, legal support, food, groceries, healthcare, HIV & STI testing, sex worker art, and more. Allies are welcome to support and come through, but the resources are for workers. Be cool. 〰️ 😷 COVID SAFE: masks required and provided 〰️ 1-5pm 〰️ 7th West, Oakland 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
One Year Anniversary Party (!) at Fig Leaf Gardens 〰️ There is a reason why so many of you guessed that Local Economy was the most featured venue on this calendar: They're always doing amazing events. Now you can celebrate one year of community, gathering, creativity, and more at another calendar favorite location, Fig Leaf Gardens. 〰️ 2-5pm 〰️ Fig Leaf Gardens, Oakland 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Sandra Lo: Seeing in Color 〰️ Underpainting Collective, a very cool artist-run center, is putting on a retrospective show featuring the work of Bay Area artist Sandra Lo, full of deeply Bay Area scenes and places. "Together, the paintings amount to something like a private archive of the Bay Area itself: the people and light she has spent two decades paying attention to, rendered with the same impressionistic naturalism she admires in touchstones like Sargent and Sorolla." This is the opening event, but you can see the show through December 18th. 〰️ 5-7pm 〰️ Underpainting Collective, Berkeley 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Fashion vs. Fashion 〰️ I guess this is like the opposite of the Met Gala which is Fashion4Fascism? At this one, activists and designers will talk about the role that culture, music, and, yes, fashion, can play in political education and resistance. "It promises to be a visually stunning evening with sharp political analysis and satire." 〰️ 7pm 〰️ Rotunda, Oakland 〰️ $33 〰️more info
Taste of Africa 〰️ A wide-ranging celebration of African and African Diaspora music, dance, cuisine, and storytelling, featuring performers representing Congo, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Guinea, West Africa, and more (with a little bit of Brazil thrown in for fun). Wear sunscreen and bring water. This one is outside and it's going to be hot this weekend. 〰️ 10am-6pm 〰️ Bankhead Theater Plaza, Livermore 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Two Mary's Makers Market 〰️ Alameda's beloved Two Marys’ Mercantile is putting on a special outdoor market with tons of cool vendors, featuring pottery, glass, stickers, clothes, prints, art, a photo booth and more, including a shop called Goddamn Emily Anne's Definitely NOT Haunted Dolls. The haunted tiny lady doth protest too much, methinks? 〰️ 11am-4pm 〰️ 1815 Clement Ave, Alameda 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Book Event with Mahmoud Khalil 〰️ I suspect that organizer and writer Mahmoud Khalil did not want his first book to be a memoir about his time spent in unlawful US detention in Louisiana, but here we are. Hear Khalil speak about No Land to Stand On: Notes from Detention and on his continued work fighting for civil liberties, Palestinian rights, and the end of authoritarianism in the United States and elsewhere. If you can't make this one, there's another book event with Khalil on Sunday (see below). Tickets are almost sold out on this one so get yours ASAP if you want to go. 〰️ 12:30pm 〰️ First Congregational Church of Oakland 〰️ $15-45 〰️more info
Studio One Open House Community Event & Art Show 〰️ Did you know that Oakland Parks and Recreation runs a community studio open to students of all ages? I confess that I did not! But it seems extraordinarily cool, and now you can go check it out at this open house and art show where you can see what's going on, eat food, get your hands going at workshops, and hear speakers talk about their work. "Whether you're an art lover or just curious, there's something cool waiting for you." I'm definitely swinging by this one. 〰️ 12-6pm 〰️ Studio One Arts Center, Oakland 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Chella Man live mural performance 〰️ Next year it's very possible that the most frequently guessed venue for the year will be There/There, who are always putting on stuff that sounds cool, sexy, mysterious, and fun. And now you can see the space being updated in real time, as artist Chella Man invites guests in to watch them paint a mural in person. If you can't make the live painting, there will be a party to celebrate the mural's completion on the 4th. 〰️ 12-5pm 〰️ There/There, Oakland 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Baddie Bingo 〰️ You might not have been able to get a spot at one of their crabbing events, but you can join the Crabby Baddies at this fundraiser bingo night! This one is for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so bring a friend, meet some baddies, and throw some cash their way. This one is "for the shes & theys 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️" so keep that in mind. 〰️ 2-4pm 〰️ Mothership, SF 〰️ FREE but it's a fundraiser so donate 〰️more info
Roll Fog preview screening 〰️ Did you know that San Francisco is home to the oldest community-owned fútbol club in the US? It's true! San Francisco City FC is a beautiful, zany, and very fun to watch team that has been bringing people together for over 25 years. (In a terrible lapse of judgement, I did not include Foggy, their mascot, whenI asked furries for their rankings of Bay Area mascots.) But now, they're facingpotential displacement by a copycat club co-founded by finance executives and supported by SF's very own billionaire mayor Daniel Lurie. Come see this documentary about SFCFC, its last season, what it means to people, and what's it's up against. Wear your favorite soccer jersey! 〰️ 3pm 〰️ The 4 Star Theater, SF 〰️ $32.79 〰️more info
A Slow Walk Through Wavecrest 〰️ Speed hikers, sit this one out — this is for the folks who like to take their time. Or, maybe, try it for once? You can see so much more if you wander and stop to look. Take in the birds, the flowers, the wind, the sky, and learn a bit more about Wavecrest Open Space and the work that goes into preserving it. 〰️ 5-6:30pm 〰️ Wavecrest Open Space, Half Moon Bay 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Aya Khalaf and the Palestinian Youth Ensemble 〰️ Musician Aya Khalaf will be joined by the Palestinian Youth Ensemble at this concert to raise money in support of Palestinian arts and culture, which continues to be under sustained attack both in Palestine and abroad. This music is a sustaining force for liberation, anda balm amidst the most brutal conditions imaginable. 〰️ 6-9pm 〰️ Fort Mason Center Festival Pavilion, SF 〰️ $30+ 〰️more info
Fall Baylands Bioblitz 〰️ It may no longer be the hot trend in research, but citizen science is still a thing and a great way to learn while contributing to local and even national research projects. Bring a digital camera or a smartphone, have your apps at the ready, and help document the biodiversity at the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve and Byxbee Park by documenting as many plants and animals as you can find. 〰️ 9-11am 〰️ EcoCenter, Palo Alto 〰️ FREE, please register 〰️more info
African Arts Festival 〰️ A full day of arts, dancing, music, food, and more celebrating the many, many cultures of Africa and the ways in which Black Americans maintain and create connections to those cultures. This one has a particular emphasis on dance, and if you go you'll be lucky enough to see music and movement from Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Senegal, and more. 〰️ 11am-4pm 〰️ Yerba Buena Gardens, SF 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Day of the Dead Sugar Skulls Activity & Social 〰️ The air is getting cooler, the days shorter, and that can only mean one thing: Día de los Muertos is quickly approaching. Halloween too, I suppose. Prepare yourself for the former at this sugar skulls decoration event — part creative practice and part memorial for those we've lost since 2025, with particular focus on the victims of ICE brutality. 〰️ 12pm 〰️ San Jose Peace & Justice Center 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Bolinas Museum 34th Annual Benefit Art Auction 〰️ Bolinas has my favorite tide pools and is the home town of rival/inspiration ORB Calendar editor Marthine Satris. It is also full of strange (complimentary) artists and creatives. At this auction you can bid on pieces from local artists (or pretend to be fancy enough to do so, a la the Belchers), enjoy tasty food and drinks, dance your little heart out, and know that you're supporting a lovely local museum. 〰️ 3-6pm 〰️ Bolinas Museum 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Mahmoud Khalil with Cat Brooks, No Land to Stand On 〰️ If you couldn't make the other Khalil event you're in luck because he's making the Bay Area rounds. At this one he's in conversation with Cat Brooks, host of Law & Disorder on KPFA and co-founder of the Anti Police-Terror Project. This will probably sell out, so get your ticket fast if you want to attend. 〰️ 4pm 〰️ Book Passage Corte Madera 〰️ $31 includes entry for 2 people and 1 book 〰️more info
Sweets & Swap - Fundraiser for OIHS 〰️ I love the email I got about this one, from a local queer dodgeball league raising money to help fund Oakland International High School's case workers, who provide crucial services to immigrant and refugee students. Come swap clothes, eat tasty treats, enter the raffle, and raise money for a really important cause. (Also, if you want to join a she/they queer dodgeball league, this one is obviously the coolest I know of!) If you can't make this event but still want to donate,the link for that is here. 〰️ 1:30pm 〰️ Strawberry Creek Park, Berkeley 〰️ FREE but bring money, it's a fundraiser 〰️more info
The Oakland Join-Up: Fall Activity Fair 〰️ Looking to get involved in something locally but don't know where to start? Come through to this good, old-fashioned activity fair where you can meet over 25 clubs, community groups, mutual aid projects, art collectives, and more to figure out how you can get plugged in and start helping out. 〰️ 10am-2pm 〰️ Lot 2270, Oakland 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Many Struggles, One Fight: A Print Exhibition With SF Poster Syndicate and Ancestral Dreams Collective 〰️ Come see a curated selection of posters and prints created in solidarity with activists, neighbors, and artists trying to defend their homes, rights, and privacy printed by the SF Poster Syndicate (SFPS) and Ancestral Dreams Collective (ADC). These are made with human hands and minds (not AI) using linocut, block printing, and other techniques, and "assert a shared personhood through the struggles that protect us all." You'll also get to see live printmaking with artists and get to eat snacks. 〰️ 12-2pm 〰️ Oakland Asian Cultural Center 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
MaxFun Meetup Day 〰️ If you’re a listener to the Maximum Fun Extended Podcast Universe, and you want to meet up with fellow listeners and some hosts (including Jesse Thorn), this one is for you. Did you know that Maximum Fun is a worker-owned co-op? We simply love to see it! Cheers. 〰️ 4-6pm 〰️ Faction Brewing, Alameda 〰️ FREE 〰️ more info
Weird Web October Kickoff 〰️ The internet used to be way weirder, in a non-soul crushing AI slop kind of way. What happened? And how can we reclaim the web for weirdos? We can all start by making fun and silly websites, and that's exactly what Jay Zuerndorfer has been doing for the last few years every October. Join her in building something funky to help "remind us that we can decide what we want the internet to be and we can build it." 〰️ 1-5pm 〰️ 78 Gough Street, SF 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Forest Ink: Natural Ink & Pen Making 〰️ Have the gall to harvest galls (little scars on trees, mostly from insect infestations) and force them to do your bidding by turning them into ink. If it's good enough for Thoreau, it's good enough for you! (Does not come with a mom to do your laundry for you while you write.) 〰️ 2-5pm 〰️ Now Place, SF 〰️ $95 〰️ more info
Sew a Folklórico Skirt 〰️ This is the first meeting of a four-week course where you'll learn how to sew a folklórico skirt, from taking your own measurements, to creating a pattern, to picking fabric, to assembling the skirt. "Our goal is for you to walk away understanding not only how to sew the skirt, but how it is constructed so you can continue using these skills for future projects." 〰️ 6-8:30pm 〰️ The Creative Place, San Leandro 〰️ $327 〰️more info
Colombian Food Pop Up 〰️ Bring your appetite and your love of plants to this popup to celebrate chef October 5th come celebrate chef Daniel Sanchez's birthday with Colombian food. This often sells out early so get there right on time if you want to make sure to get some. 〰️ 5pm 〰️ Propagation, SF 〰️more info
San Francisco Board of Supervisors, District 10 Candidate Forum 〰️ Know who your local candidates are before you see them on the ballot and frantically Google for a voter guide that you hope matches your own morals. Bring your questions, hear what they have to say, and be ready to vote with confidence in November. 〰️ 6-8:30pm 〰️ Providence Baptist Church, SF 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Bans off My Books 〰️ Begin your Banned Books Week with fellow book lovers at a "King Library Underground Banned Book Experience" which will include a photo booth, button-making, and more. 〰️ 2-6pm 〰️ San Jose State University 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Preparing for El Niño 〰️ By now you've probably heard that we're "in an El Niño year," but what the hell does that actually mean and how should you be getting ready for it? At this talk, local experts will explain what to expect from this weather pattern, and the ways in which you can do to be more prepared. 〰️ 6-7pm 〰️ Mill Valley Public Library 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Plants that Eat Animals: The Science of Carnivorous Plants 〰️ [Good Charlotte voice] "Plants don't like sun; plants like bugs and honey." Come learn about about the gnarliest kind of botany and the plants that eat flesh at this talk covering the origin, evolution, and natural history of carnivorous plants. If you don't already think these plants are cool as hell, you will once you leave this talk. 〰️ 6:30-8:30pm 〰️ North Beach, SF 〰️ $39.19 〰️more info
Speak Yourself: Building Community Through K-Pop 〰️The Bangtan Boys are back from mandatory military service and the BTS ARMY (who they did not meet in the military) is ready to ride once again. This talk "brings together a diverse group of professionals who have successfully integrated their passion for K-Pop into their personal and professional lives." If the phrase "Hobi bias" means something to you, these are your people. 〰️ 6pm-7:30pm 〰️ SFPL, Koret Auditorium 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
Wood Street screening 〰️ If you haven't managed to get to a Wood Street screening yet, you're in luck, because here's another one. I really do think that this film should be required viewing for everybody in the Bay Area. After the film, director Caron Creighton will be in conversation with a few members of the Wood Street community. 〰️ 7pm 〰️ Vine Cinema & Ale House, Livermore 〰️ $14.50 〰️more info
Moth Belly Autumn Art Market 〰️ That ripple in your water glass is the sound of an approaching herd of holiday markets. This one features a killer lineup of almost 20 artists offering up sculptures, zines, illustrations, collages, paintings, and more. 100% of proceeds will go toCollective Action For Laborers, Migrants, & Asylum Seekers, which does exactly what the name describes. 〰️ 6-9pm 〰️ Moth Belly Gallery, SF 〰️ FREE 〰️more info
You can see all of COYOTE's past calendar pickshere. If you have an event you'd like to see on a future COYOTE Calendar, email us at calendar@coyotemedia.org. If you attended and enjoyed any of these events, we'd love to hear about it in the comments!
Reo Eveleth is an award-winning reporter and writer who has covered everything from fake tumbleweed farms to million-dollar baccarat heists. Their work has been nominated for a Peabody, an Emmy, and an Eisner Award.
