San Francisco Events in October 2026 - Project SF

October is San Francisco’s busiest month for free events. The big ones in 2026:

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Friday 2 to Sunday 4 October, free, in Golden Gate Park.
The Castro Street Fair and the free Litquake Book Fair, both Sunday 4 October.
Fleet Week, 4 to 12 October, with the Blue Angels over the bay 9 to 11 October.
Sunday Streets in the Excelsior, 18 October.
Lit Crawl across the Mission, Saturday 24 October.
Halloween, with family events from 24 October: see Halloween in San Francisco.

Below is everything on our calendar for the month, day by day. It updates as we add and check events.

October 2026 · 57 events on our calendar · 44 free. The list updates as we add and check events.

Thursday, October 1

Museum of Craft and Design Free First Thursday

Thu · 11:00 am · Museum of Craft and Design

San FranciscoFree

Free Movie Night: Kung Fu Panda

Thu · 7:00 pm · Great Star Theater

POETS! reading and open mic at Bird & Beckett

Thu · 7:00 pm · Bird & Beckett Books & Records

San FranciscoSuggested donation

Friday, October 2

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

Oct 2–4 · Golden Gate Park (Hellman Hollow, Lindley & Marx Meadows)

Golden Gate ParkFree

Saturday, October 3

African Arts Festival

Sat · 11:00 am · Yerba Buena Gardens

Sunday, October 4

Asian Art Museum Free First Sunday

Sun · 10:00 am · Asian Art Museum

Hayes ValleyFree

Litquake Out Loud + Book Fair

Sun · 11:00 am · Great Lawn, Yerba Buena Gardens

52nd Annual Castro Street Fair

Sun · 11:00 am · Castro Street

San FranciscoFree (donation suggested)

Tuesday, October 6

Legion of Honor Free First Tuesday

Tue · 9:30 am · Legion of Honor

Richmond DistrictFree

de Young Free First Tuesday

Tue · 9:30 am · de Young Museum

Golden Gate ParkFree

Conservatory of Flowers Free First Tuesday

Tue · 10:00 am · Conservatory of Flowers

Golden Gate ParkFree

The Radiance: Ayad Akhtar with Karen Russell

Tue · 7:30 pm · Sydney Goldstein Theater

Hayes ValleyTicketed — see event page

Wednesday, October 7

Fleet Week Ship Tours

Oct 7–12 · Piers 27 & 35

Fisherman's WharfFree

SF Zoo Resident Free Day

Wed · 10:00 am · San Francisco Zoo & Gardens

Sunset DistrictFree for SF residents

Friday, October 9

Fleet Week Parade of Ships

Fri · 11:00 am · San Francisco waterfront (Marina Green)

Fleet Week Air Show featuring the Blue Angels

Oct 9–11 · Northern Waterfront (Marina Green)

MarinaFree to watch (reserved seats extra)

Chinatown Night Market

Fri · 5:00 pm · Grant Avenue, Chinatown

Saturday, October 10

Fleet Week K9 Heroes

Sat · Duboce Park

San FranciscoFree

Fleet Fest

Oct 10–11 · Fisherman's Wharf & Pier 27

Fisherman's WharfFree

Singing in the Park

Sat · 10:30 am · Mothers Meadow, Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate ParkFree

Bollywood Garba at Union Square

Sat · 11:00 am · Union Square

San FranciscoFree

MoAD Free Second Saturday

Sat · 11:00 am · Museum of the African Diaspora

Sunday, October 11

YBG Dance Day

Sun · 10:00 am · Yerba Buena Gardens

Markets & Pop-ups

Inner Sunset Flea Market

Sun · 10:00 am · Irving Street

Sunset DistrictFree

Italian Heritage Parade

Sun · 12:30 pm · Fisherman's Wharf to Washington Square

North BeachFree

Monday, October 12

Alcatraz Sunrise Gathering for Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Mon · 4:45 am · Alcatraz Island

San FranciscoFree (ferry ticket required)

Fleet Week High School Band Challenge

Mon · 9:00 am · Golden Gate Park Bandshell

Golden Gate ParkFree

Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration

Mon · 12:00 pm · Yerba Buena Gardens

Friday, October 16

Fort Mason Night Market

Fri · 5:00 pm · Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture

Saturday, October 17

Filipino American International Book Festival

Oct 17–18 · San Francisco Main Library

Hayes ValleyFree

Potrero Hill Festival

Sat · 10:00 am · 20th Street, Potrero Hill

Potrero HillFree

Bay Area Science Festival Discovery Day

Sat · 11:00 am · UCSF Mission Bay (Koret Quad)

San FranciscoFree

ZYZZYVA Movie Matinee: Ingrid Rojas Contreras and Andrew Sean Greer

Sat · 12:30 pm · Roxie Theater

Mission DistrictTicketed — see event page

Joe Bataan at Yerba Buena Gardens

Sat · 2:00 pm · Yerba Buena Gardens

Sunday, October 18

Sunday Streets Excelsior

Sun · 11:00 am · Excelsior District

San FranciscoFree

Truong Tran: How to Exi(s)t launch party

Sun · 2:00 pm · City Lights Bookstore

North BeachFree

Foodwise Sunday Supper: A Farm to City Feast

Sun · 4:30 pm · Ferry Building Grand Hall

Financial DistrictTicketed — see event page · 21+ only

Thursday, October 22

Hisaishi Conducts Hisaishi

Oct 22–24 · Davies Symphony Hall

Hayes ValleyVaries

Saturday, October 24

Randall Museum Family Halloween Day

Sat · 10:00 am · Randall Museum

San FranciscoFree

Sandcastle Classic

Sat · 11:00 am · Ocean Beach at Balboa Street

Richmond DistrictFree

Thrill-O-Ween at Thrive City

Sat · 12:00 pm · Thrive City (Chase Center)

San FranciscoFree

SF Symphony: Music for Families

Sat · 2:00 pm · Davies Symphony Hall

Hayes ValleyVaries

Lit Crawl SF 2026

Sat · 5:00 pm · Across the Mission District

Mission DistrictFree · mixed venues, some 21+

SuperNatural Halloween at Cal Academy

Sat · 6:30 pm · California Academy of Sciences

Golden Gate Park$45–$60

Sunday, October 25

SFMOMA Free Family Day

World of Dumplings

Sun · 11:00 am · Ferry Building

Financial DistrictFree entry

K&L Champagne Tent Event

Sun · 2:00 pm · K&L Wine Merchants

SoMa$175 · adults only · sold out for 2026

Thursday, October 29

Trick-or-Treat at the Ferry Building

Thu · 5:00 pm · Ferry Building Marketplace

Financial DistrictFree

Saturday, October 31

Chinatown Halloween Festival

Sat · 11:00 am · Waverly Place

Halloween Hoopla

Sat · 12:00 pm · Yerba Buena Gardens (Children's Garden)

SoMaFree (RSVP)

Fillmore After Dark Halloween Night Market + Kids Scream Zone

Sat · 4:00 pm · Fillmore Street

San FranciscoFree

Running for weeks

Exhibitions, runs and seasons that are on for more than a week this month.

Treasures of the Pharaohs

Now through Jan 31 · de Young Museum

Golden Gate Park$40 adults (kids discounted)

Sunset Fridays at the SF Zoo

Now through Oct 9 · San Francisco Zoo & Gardens

Sunset District$14 (kids 11 & under free)

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

Now through Dec 31 · Ferry Building Plaza

Financial DistrictFree

Heart of the City Farmers Market

Now through Dec 31 · UN Plaza, Civic Center

Hayes ValleyFree

Markets & Pop-ups

Clancy’s Pumpkin Patch

Oct 2–31 · Clancy's Pumpkins & Christmas Trees

Sunset DistrictVaries

Awaking Beauty: The Art of Eyvind Earle

Oct 23–Apr 18 · The Walt Disney Family Museum

Presidio$30 adults, $15 ages 6–17