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📍 BAY AREA · FUN THINGS TO DO

Fun Things to Do in San Francisco Bay Area

Looking for something fun to do in San Francisco Bay Area? These are the 903 verified listings we have right now, events soonest first, then places you can visit any day. Free picks are marked FREE; paid ones show the price from the official site.

Updated · every listing links to its official source.

Related Any
MuseumFREE

Carolyn Lazard: Long Take

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Cantor Arts Center

📅 Sat, Nov 7, 12:00 PM

Carolyn Lazard: Long Take is a multimedia exhibition that begins with a score for a performance and unfolds as a series of interventions that engage accessibility as an artistic material. Made in collaboration with dancer Jerron Herman and poet and artist Joselia Rebekah Hughes, the central work, Leans, Reverses (2022), emerges from the relationship between a dance performance, its recording, and

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MuseumFREE

JANE! An intimate exploration of Gilded Age excess 
and the enigmatic life and death of Jane Stanford

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Cantor Arts Center

📅 Sat, Nov 7, 12:00 PM

Curated by Associate Curator of European Art, Patrick R. Crowley, JANE! celebrates the aesthetic and affective excesses of Jane Stanford, the Gilded Age founder and matriarch of Stanford University. Bringing together precious keepsakes, souvenirs, archaeological detritus, and spooky messages from beyond the grave, the exhibition reveals the campy underside of a familiar biography and perhaps an ev

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LibraryFREE

Korean Indigenous Futures: The Art of Kim Bong-Jun 김봉준 판화전: 토착적 미래- K아트\, 디아스포라\, 세계

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Lathrop Library

📅 Sat, Nov 7, 12:00 PM

The East Asia Library at Stanford University will host a print exhibition by Kim Bong-Jun, a leading figure in Korean Minjung (People’s) Art, from September 29 to December 11, 2026. Active since the 1980s, Kim has developed a distinctive visual language that combines traditional Korean folk art and popular expression with contemporary art, reflecting the lives and realities of ordinary people and

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MuseumFREE

Solid Pictures: Photosculpture and the Making of Modern Likeness

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Cantor Arts Center

📅 Sat, Nov 7, 12:00 PM

Before 3D printing, there was photosculpture. Curated by Patrick R. Crowley, Associate Curator of European Art, Solid Pictures is the first major exhibition to explore these largely overlooked objects first conceived in 1859 by the twenty-nine-year-old French artist and inventor François Willème. Employing projection technologies and mechanical instruments, Willème and his team of operators transl

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MuseumFREE

Text Machines: Scarlet Thread of the Digital Order (1883-2026)

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Green Library

📅 Sat, Nov 7, 12:00 PM

Stanford Libraries now holds an 1883 edition of a rare book, Les laboureurs: poème tiré de Jocelyn, whose pages (text and ornaments) were entirely woven on a Jacquard loom by the firm of silk merchant Joseph-Alphonse Henry. This exhibition explores the cultural contexts and material conditions of Les laboureurs’ production, and considers parallels between technology-driven global change in the lat

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MuseumFREE

Electric Contrasts: the Art of the Detail

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · McMurtry Building

📅 Sun, Nov 8, 12:00 PM

Electric Contrasts: The Art of the Detail brings together photobooks and magazines to show how the revolution of photography in the late 19th and early 20th century changed the history of art. Electric Contrasts takes Kenneth Clark’s landmark 1938 book One Hundred Details from Pictures in the National Gallery as a starting point to illuminate the impact black and white photographic details of Old

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Arts & cultureFREE

Stanford Alumni Recital

📍 Stanford · San Jose & South Bay · Braun Music Center

📅 Sun, Nov 8, 7:00 PM

Join us for a special evening of music as we bring together talented alumni from Stanford’s community from across the years, showcasing a diverse selection of solo and chamber music. This event offers an opportunity to experience the artistry of Stanford Alumni, a chance to reconnect with musicians and friends, and celebrate the enduring bond we share through music. Stanford Music Alumni who woul

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LibraryFREE

Branner Library Book & Map Exhibit - Water in the West

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Mitchell Earth Sciences

📅 Mon, Nov 9, 12:00 PM

Branner Earth Sciences Library & Map Collection Exhibit: Water in the West Our Fall 2026 exhibition highlights the water resources in California & the Western United States to shed light on the issues that affect our waterways. The exhibit features maps and the Layperson’s guides series published by the Water Education Foundation, which aim to foster public understanding of water resources.

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MuseumFREE

Tangling the Digital: Weaving\, Printmaking\, Computing

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · McMurtry Building

📅 Mon, Nov 9, 1:00 PM

Digital objects are often seen as alien to craft, as though no hands had shaped them. They can be copied endlessly and exactly, bereft of the maker’s touch. Yet weaving and printmaking are among our oldest technologies of reproduction, fixing patterns so they can be repeated and circulated. The printing press and the Jacquard loom initiated processes of automation that displaced human hands—and th

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MuseumFREE

Touch Me Not: 12th Annual Undergraduate Juried Exhibition

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Art Gallery

📅 Mon, Nov 9, 1:00 PM

Presented by the Department of Art & Art History, the 12th Annual Undergraduate Juried Exhibition, Touch Me Not, showcases a campus-wide selection of artwork by twenty-two Stanford undergraduate students. Touch Me Not: 12th Annual Undergraduate Juried Exhibition On View: October 7 – December 4, 2026 Stanford Art Gallery, 419 Lasuen Mall Gallery Hours: Monday–Friday, 1–5pm Opening Reception: Thurs

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MuseumFREE

TNT Traysikel: Never Gonna Give You Up!

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · McMurtry Building

📅 Mon, Nov 9, 1:00 PM

TNT Traysikel: Never Gonna Give You Up! On View: October 15–December 4, 2026* McMurtry Building, 355 Roth Way, Stanford Miller Discussion Room and Vitrine Gallery Open Monday–Friday, 1:00pm–5:00pm Curated By: Gabriel Harrison Free & open to the public Opening Reception: Friday, October 16, 2–3:30pm during Art & Art History’s Reunion Open House Closing Reception: Friday, December 4, 3–5pm during F

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EventFREE

Stanford University\, American Legion\, City of Palo Alto Veterans Day Celebration

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · MacArthur Park Restaurant

📅 Mon, Nov 9, 3:00 PM

Join us for a special Veterans Day Celebration as Stanford University's Office of Military-Affiliated Communities (OMAC), collaborating on behalf of the university with the City of Palo Alto and the American Legion, hosts this annual community event. The evening will feature special performances from Stanford's very own Mendicants, guest speakers, and a presentation of the Quilt of Valor by the S

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EventFREE

BCAS Weekly Meditation

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Old Union

📅 Mon, Nov 9, 7:00 PM

Join the Buddhist Community at Stanford (BCAS) for weekly meditation. Everyone is welcome, regardless of religious affiliation or experience with Buddhism or meditation. We meet on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. in the CIRCLE Sanctuary on the third floor of Old Union. Sits last about 30 minutes, and participants often stay to chat afterward. Sessions are usually unguided, with guided practic

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EventFREE

L. Maria Bo\, "Writing on Water: Cold War Literary Translations and the Chinese Diaspora\," in conversation with Vaughn Rasberry

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Building 360

📅 Tue, Nov 10, 12:00 PM

During the Cold War, the ideological struggle to win the hearts and minds of the Chinese took place on the pages of literary texts. A battle of the books between Washington D.C. and Beijing mobilized entire networks of U.S. Foreign Service posts, book publishers, and higher education institutions to take sides in propagating representations of either democracy or communism to ethnic Chinese commun

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LearningFREE

Stem Cell Genome Engineering Series | Organoid Models

📍 San Francisco · Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building

📅 Tue, Nov 10, 12:10 PM

Join us for our Stem Cell Genome Engineering Series | Organoid Models, which highlights advances in genome engineering for stem cell biology and therapeutic development, aligning with our vision to Discover, Engineer, Heal. At our Nov 10 session, we will hear from speaker Michelle Gbenedio, who will present "Patient-Derived Organoid Resources: From 3D Model Development to Disease Modeling and Drug

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Arts & cultureFREE

Faculty Candidate Talk: “Candyman 5x: Playing Wretched in the Candyman Films of Bernard Rose and Nia DaCosta” | Zayla Crocker\, PhD Candidate\, UNC-Chapel Hill

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · McMurtry Building

📅 Tue, Nov 10, 5:00 PM

Situated in Black media studies and play studies, Zayla Crocker examines Bernard Rose’s 1992 film Candyman along with Nia DaCosta’s remake of the same name to demonstrate how both films encourage the spectator to “play” within the genre conventions of the slasher film through an act of ritualized play Crocker deems “playing wretched.” Both films overtly or covertly prompt the spectator to call on

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MarketFREE

Filmmaker Kahlil Joseph\, In Conversation

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · McMurtry Building

📅 Tue, Nov 10, 7:00 PM

BLKNWS: Pilgrim Marketing Plan Rebuttal film and dialogue with Kahlil Joseph Please join us for a dialogue and viewing of Kahlil Joseph’s latest work. He will be sharing some of his latest work on BLKNWS through a conversation with Srdan Keca (Program Director of Doc Film) and Chanell Stone (Photography), moderated by Christian González Ho (Art History + Architecture). 📅 Tuesday, November 10,

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Arts & cultureFREE

Lunchtime Recitals & Communi-Tea

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Memorial Church

📅 Wed, Nov 11, 12:15 PM

Enjoy lunchtime organ music in the glowing acoustic of Memorial Church. University Organist Robert Huw Morgan will perform brief recitals, followed by light refreshments in the Round Room! These free events are open to the public. 12:15 - 12:45 pm | Concert 12:45 - 1:15 pm | Tea & cookies

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Arts & cultureFREE

Mighty Like A Moose – Stephen Prutsman & The Dolphins Quartet

📍 Stanford · San Jose & South Bay · Braun Music Center

📅 Wed, Nov 11, 12:30 PM

Don't miss this rare screening of the delightfully offbeat silent-film classic, "Mighty Like a Moose," brought to life with a live score composed and performed by Stanford's own Stephen Prutsman (piano) and 2026 Emerging String Quartet Fellows The Dolphins. The Dolphins Quartet is a string quartet and composer collective united by a belief that chamber music can be vibrant, daring, and deeply h

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EventFREE

Student Grief & Loss Gathering

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · CIRCLE

📅 Wed, Nov 11, 4:00 PM

If you are currently or have ever experienced the death of a significant person in your life, or are experiencing feelings of grief in a time of uncertainty, this is an opportunity to share your experiences, suggestions, and concerns with others in a safe and supportive environment. Student Grief Gatherings are held 3x/quarter and are facilitated by staff from ORSL, Well-Being, CAPS and GLO. This

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LearningFREE

Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance Research Symposium 2026

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Simonyi Conference Center

📅 Thu, Nov 12, 9:00 AM

November 12-13, 2026 | 9am – 6pm Computing and Data Science Building (CoDA) | Stanford University Join us as we commemorate five years of achievements by the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance We are bringing together outstanding researchers, clinicians, athletes, coaches, and performance specialists for two days of learning and idea exchange around four key topics: Performance across the Lifes

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Arts & culture

Stanford Baroque Recital

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Braun Music Center

📅 Thu, Nov 12, 12:00 PM

Stanford harpsichordists, recorder players, and singers will perform baroque music by Handel, Byrd, Purcell, and more. Admission Information Free admission

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EventFREE

Toastmasters for Health

📍 San Francisco

📅 Thu, Nov 12, 12:05 PM

Improve listening and presentation skills while developing leadership. We are an open enrollment club, which means we have both UCSF and non-UCSF members. All are welcome to visit and see if we are a good fit for your needs.

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MuseumFREE

Gallery190 Opening Reception: Pablo Tapay Bautista

📍 San Francisco · Sandler Neurosciences Center

📅 Thu, Nov 12, 4:30 PM

Join us at Gallery190 for the opening of MY OLD MAN (M.O.M.), an exhibition of photographs by Pablo Tapay Bautista exploring memory, family, and the intimate realities of caregiving. Through documentary photographs, handwritten text, and abstract imagery, Bautista reflects on caring for his father and the shifting roles, memories, and relationships that accompany aging and dementia. Opening Rece

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Outdoors

What is a Public Intellectual Today: Alexis Madrigal

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Tresidder Union

📅 Thu, Nov 12, 6:30 PM

Please join us for the autumn event of the Stanford Public Humanities flagship speaker series, What Is a Public Intellectual Today, which will feature journalist Alexis Madrigal. He will be in conversation with Adrian Daub on craft, career, and culture in the Bay Area and beyond. Book signing and selling to follow for both authors. Please RSVP at this link to attend the event. Alexis Madrigal

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Arts & culture

MRC Public Lecture: Tadashi Tokieda

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · GSB Knight - Arbuckle / Cemex

📅 Thu, Nov 12, 7:30 PM

If planning to attend, please submit an RSVP here. The Stanford Mathematics Research Center presents Surprises from rubbing the wrong way, a lecture given by Tadashi Tokieda, Professor of Mathematics at Stanford University, as part of the MRC Public Lecture series. Friction, stickiness, jamming . . . Don’t we frown on these conditions as spoilers of life? This lecture, however, will perform baff

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LearningFREE

MAIN STAGE | Our Town

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Roble Gym

📅 Thu, Nov 12, 8:00 PM

FALL MAIN STAGE 2026 | NO LATE SEATING Written By Thornton Wilder | Directed by Guest Artist Jeffrey Lo A Stage Manager enters before us calling for time. But it’s not a rehearsal they are calling us in for, it’s real life. In Thornton Wilder’s masterwork Our Town we experience life in three acts: “Daily Life,” “Love and Marriage” and finally, “Death and Eternity.” In a world where the possibili

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Arts & cultureFREE

Emerging String Quartet Program – The Dolphins

📍 Stanford · San Jose & South Bay · Braun Music Center

📅 Fri, Nov 13, 12:30 PM

The Dolphins Quartet performs as part of the Emerging String Quartet Program (ESQP). The Dolphins Quartet is a string quartet and composer collective united by a belief that chamber music can be vibrant, daring, and deeply human. Trained at Juilliard and based in New York City, the quartet has gained recognition for adventurous programming, original compositions, and performances that reimagine t

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Arts & culture

Lecture: Visiting Composer – Wang Lu

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Braun Music Center

📅 Fri, Nov 13, 3:00 PM

Visiting composer Wang Lu will give a presentation on her music, including Surge, which will be performed by the Stanford Symphony Orchestra on November 13 and 15. Professor Lu's appearance, and the the West Coast premiere of her composition Surge by the Stanford Symphony Orchestra on November 13 and 15, are supported by the Stanford University Department of Music. Admission Information Free ad

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MuseumFREE

David Rumsey Map Center Guided Tour

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · David Rumsey Map Center (Green Library)

📅 Fri, Nov 13, 3:00 PM

Explore the World of Maps at the David Rumsey Map Center Join us for a guided tour of the David Rumsey Map Center at Stanford Libraries. Upon arrival, you'll be greeted by one of our knowledgeable staff members for an immersive experience. 30-Minute Overview: Dive deep into the history, collections, and special exhibitions of the David Rumsey Map Center, enriched with insights and stories from o

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Arts & cultureFREE

End of the Cycle - A Groundbreaking Endometriosis Documentary

📍 San Francisco · Byers Auditorium | Genentech Hall

📅 Fri, Nov 13, 4:30 PM

Please join the UCSF ENACT Center for a screening of the groundbreaking endometriosis documentary End of the Cycle, by The Endo Collective. The End of the Cycle is created by The Endometriosis Collective. The film not only highlights forefront scientific and clinical research, but challenges decades of misconceptions. Following the film, a panel of leading voices in endometriosis research, clini

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OutdoorsFREE

San Mateo on Ice Holiday Tree Lighting & Opening Event

📍 San Mateo · Peninsula · Central Park (Fitzgerald Field)

📅 Fri, Nov 13, 6:00 PM

City of San Mateo and San Mateo United Homeowners Association free tree lighting and San Mateo on Ice opening celebration on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, 6–8 p.m. at Fitzgerald Field in Central Park, with Peninsula Skating Club performances. Public skating opens Nov. 14 through Jan. 10.

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Arts & culture

Stanford Jazz Orchestra with Debora & Dani Gurgel

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Dinkelspiel Auditorium

📅 Fri, Nov 13, 7:30 PM

The Stanford Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of Michael Galisatus, performs their 2026 Fall Concert from the main stage of Dinkelspiel Auditorium with special guests Debora & Dani Gurgel. Admission Information General – $32 | Seniors (65+) and Non-Stanford Students – $27 Price shown reflects total cost including $4 online/phone per-ticket fee.FREE admission for Stanford University students.

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EventFREE

Sunshine - Bryant Lin in conversation with Latha Palaniappan

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Hoover Pavilion

📅 Sat, Nov 14, 12:00 PM

Leading cancer researcher Bryant Lin, MD, distills the lessons for living that he’s learned as a physician and as a patient, after being diagnosed with his own terminal illness. He will be joinined by Latha Palaniappan, MD, MS, co-director, Center for Asian Health and Education at Stanford University. Light lunch provided.

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Event

Stanford Cello Choir

📍 Stanford · San Jose & South Bay · Braun Music Center

📅 Sat, Nov 14, 2:30 PM

The Stanford Cello Choir, under the direction of Christopher Costanza, performs a range of works composed specifically for cello ensemble as well as creative arrangements of well-known pieces. Admission Information Free admission.

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Arts & cultureFREE

Stanford Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Dinkelspiel Auditorium

📅 Sat, Nov 14, 7:30 PM

The acclaimed Stanford Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble, directed by Murray Low, presents their first performance of the academic year! We are exciting to playing for you again. As usual, the group have a complete new set of music prepared covering all aspects of the idiom - classic and modern salsa, boleros, samba, rumba, Latin jazz, and much more! Works include those written or performed by icons such

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Arts & culture

The Variety 73 – Performance & Presence

📍 Stanford · San Jose & South Bay · Braun Music Center

📅 Sat, Nov 14, 7:30 PM

Students from MUSIC 73, taught by Benjamin Liupaogo, are featured in this cabaret-style show performing a variety of works from musical theater, jazz, and other genres. Admission Information Free admission

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Arts & culture

Stanford Chamber Chorale: Echoes

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Memorial Church

📅 Sat, Nov 14, 8:00 PM

Experience not only the enveloping aural phenomenon of echoes in Stanford’s stunning Memorial Church, but the memories evoked by the poetry and musical organization of sound in a broad panoply of choral repertoire from Chant through newly-composed works. Join us for an evening of Chant, Palestrina, Garrett, Ketting, Schmidt, Tuan, Walker, Marsh, and others. Admission Information General – $32 |

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Arts & culture

The Voice Studio of Kathryne Jennings – Sing On!

📍 Stanford · San Jose & South Bay · Braun Music Center

📅 Sun, Nov 15, 2:30 PM

Join us for an afternoon of vocal music featuring students from the studio of Kathryne Jennings as they present a diverse program spanning classical art songs, operatic arias, and show-stopping musical theater favorites. Admission Information Free admission

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Arts & culture

Faculty Recital: Clara Christian\, piano

📍 Stanford · San Jose & South Bay · Braun Music Center

📅 Sun, Nov 15, 7:30 PM

Clara Christian, one of our new faculty members in the Department of Music, performs a solo piano recital featuring works by Beethoven, Messiaen, Rachmaninoff, and more. Admission Information Free admission

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LibraryFREE

November Museum Minis: Storytime at the Anderson

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Anderson Collection

📅 Mon, Nov 16, 11:15 AM

Museum Minis is a welcoming monthly storytime at the Anderson Collection for children ages 0–5 and their caregivers. Each session features two engaging, age-appropriate books inspired by the essential elements of art—line, color, shape, and texture—introducing young children to these ideas and connecting them to artworks in the museum’s collection. Together, families are invited to look closely, n

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LibraryFREE

Branner Library Pop-up Map Exhibit - Fire in the West

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Mitchell Earth Sciences

📅 Mon, Nov 16, 12:00 PM

Branner Earth Sciences Library & Map Collection Pop-up Map Exhibit: Fire in the West Join us during Geography Awareness Week for a pop-up exhibition on the Branner mezzanine (map floor) highlighting maps about fire in California & the Western United States! The exhibit is available for viewing Monday November 16 through Friday November 20 during regular library open hours. Check out past exhibi

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LearningFREE

CEE PhD Defense - Bryam Xavier Astudillo Carpio\, "Assessing practical design methods for strongback braced frames using hazard-consistent collapse risk analysis"

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Y2E2 Building

📅 Mon, Nov 16, 12:00 PM

Abstract: Improving community resilience requires structural systems that limit structural damage and reduce downtime after an earthquake. Strongback braced frames (SBFs) with buckling-restrained braces (BRBs) offer an alternative to more traditional braced frames by reducing drift concentrations. Particularly, SBFs use a stiff, essentially elastic vertical truss (i.e., “strongback”) that redis

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Arts & cultureFREE

Christopher Ong | Research Acceleration: The View Inside OpenAI

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Gates Computer Science Building

📅 Mon, Nov 16, 12:00 PM

In the last year, AI models have rapidly improved on public benchmarks measuring their ability to carry out research tasks autonomously. Such performance suggests that models may be capable of automating parts of the AI R&D process itself, thereby accelerating the pace of AI progress. However, there is still little empirical data on how these new capabilities have changed the research process with

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Museum

Curator Led Talk | surfacing

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Anderson Collection

📅 Mon, Nov 16, 1:00 PM

Join Marci Kwon, Exhibition Co-Curator & Co-director of the AAAI, on this special tour of surfacing. RSVP HERE patty chang: surfacing engages the ocean as a physical, geopolitical, and symbolic space. The exhibition culminates a year-long residency through the Denning Visiting Artist program, during which Chang was embedded at Stanford’s Hopkins Marine Station. Incorporating fish specimens, ar

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Arts & cultureFREE

Book Talk: Prof. Cécile Alduy in Conversation with Prof. Josh Landy

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Building 260

📅 Mon, Nov 16, 5:00 PM

The French and Italian Department and French Speaking Worlds: Here and Now present: A Book talk on D’abord ils sont venus chercher les mots [First They Came for Words], les Arènes, 2026, by Prof. Cécile Alduy, in conversation with Prof. Joshua Landy. An Author Caught Up by Her Subject A professor of literature at Stanford and a discourse analysis scholar, Cécile Alduy has spent years analyzing h

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MuseumFREE

German Studies Lecture Series: Jutta Eming - How Do You Dance a Cabinet of Curiosities?

📍 Stanford · Peninsula · Building 260

📅 Tue, Nov 17, 12:00 PM

Please join German Studies Lecture Series for How Do You Dance a Cabinet of Curiosities? A conversation with Professor Jutta Eming (Freie Universität Berlin). As a collection and exhibition convention, a Cabinet of Curiosity or Wunderkammer is regarded as a historical intermediate stage between the medieval treasury and the modern museum. It was widespread throughout Europe from the 16th to 18th

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Fun things to do in San Francisco Bay Area: highlights

Coming up first: Carolyn Lazard: Long Take (Sat, Nov 7, 12:00 PM, Stanford), JANE! An intimate exploration of Gilded Age excess 
and the enigmatic life and death of Jane Stanford (Sat, Nov 7, 12:00 PM, Stanford), Korean Indigenous Futures: The Art of Kim Bong-Jun 김봉준 판화전: 토착적 미래- K아트\, 디아스포라\, 세계 (Sat, Nov 7, 12:00 PM, Stanford) and Solid Pictures: Photosculpture and the Making of Modern Likeness (Sat, Nov 7, 12:00 PM, Stanford). Places you can visit on your own schedule include Bhangra & Beats Night Market in San Francisco, Lift Every Voice: A Singers Showcase in San Francisco, Asian Art Museum Free First Sundays in Free (general admission on the first Sunday of each month; special exhibitions discounted to $10 that day) and BAMPFA Free First Thursdays in Free (gallery admission on the first Thursday of each month; film programs excluded).

Of the 903 verified listings for fun things to do in San Francisco Bay Area, 431 are free and 472 are paid; 86 are dated events and 817 are places you can visit any open day. The most common kinds are arts & culture (188), outdoors (164), museum (136), family (67) and learning (60). The most listings are in Stanford (66), San Francisco (31), Downtown (28), Golden Gate Park (21) and Civic Center (16).

Tips for fun things to do in San Francisco Bay Area

  • Start with what has a fixed time. Dated events fill up or end, while parks, museums and markets in San Francisco Bay Area will still be there tomorrow, so lock in an event first and build around it.
  • Check the official page the morning you go. Organizers change rooms, add RSVP links or cancel for weather, and the source link on every card goes straight to them.
  • Mix free and paid. A free garden or gallery before a paid show keeps the day affordable without making it feel cheap.
  • Group stops by neighborhood. Crossing San Francisco Bay Area between two stops can eat an hour each way; the neighborhood shown on each card helps you cluster them.

More in Bay Area

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FAQ

What are fun things to do in San Francisco Bay Area right now?

This page lists 903 verified events and places in San Francisco Bay Area, upcoming events first.

Are these things to do free?

Many are. Free listings carry a FREE badge; paid listings show the price from the official site.

How many of these are free?

431 of the 903 listings are free to attend or enter; the other 472 show the price from the official site.

Which neighborhoods in San Francisco Bay Area have the most fun things to do listings?

Right now: Stanford (66), San Francisco (31), Downtown (28), Golden Gate Park (21) and Civic Center (16).

How current is this list?

It is rebuilt from verified listings on every visit and was last updated Saturday, November 7, 2026 at 4:34 AM PST. Ended, cancelled and removed listings drop off automatically.

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