Go big or gourd home this week: The 51st Annual Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Fest has arrived.
Plus, the Mill Valley Film Festival brings Sofia Coppola to town, trip out at Lake Merritt's Autumn Lights, let loose at the Breakaway Music Festival, and join Too $hort for a 50th anniversary celebration of hip hop.
Have a good one!
Behold the sedan-sized pumpkins of the world’s greatest gourd growers at the 50th Annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-off. See who will squash the records on Monday at 7am. // Ides Grounds, 735 Main St. (Half Moon Bay) and streaming online; details at weighoff.miramarevents.com
Cinephiles can binge as many as 148 films from around the world during the Mill Valley Film Festival. Can’t-miss events include the premiere of Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla with the celebrated director onstage in conversation (Wednesday); and a closing night screening of Bradley Cooper’s Maestro followed by a party on the streets of Downtown San Rafael (Sunday); through Sunday, October 15. // Details and tickets on mvff.com
Meet at Pier 15 where you can unplug and play with more than 650 interactive exhibits exploring science, art, and perception. Get inquisitive, grab a drink, and let the DJ set the vibe. With 75,000 square feet of conversation starters, you'll never run out of things to talk about. No kids allowed (18+)—but you can still act like one; 6-10pm Thursday nights. // Exploratorium (Embarcadero); get tickets at exploratorium.edu
Thank you to our partners at the Exploratorium.
Get a look at the lifestyles of the rich and the famous at the San Francisco Fall Show. the West Coast’s oldest and most prestigious international art, design, and antiques show. At this annual fundraiser for the Fine Arts Museums of SF, you can shop (or window shop) from top dealers. Things kick off with the swanky opening night gala; Wednesday through Sunday. // Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Blvd. (Marina); tickets at sffallshow.org
Let your mind wander in the twinkling paradise that is Autumn Lights Festival. Explore more than 60 locally created, illuminated art sculptures; Thursday through Saturday. // Gardens at Lake Merritt, 666 Bellevue Ave (Oakland); tickets oneventbrite.com
Polka on over to Walnut Creek Oktoberfest where the Bavarian spirit will be on full display with a biergarten, silent disco, gourmet food, artisan vendors, a kids zone, live music, and more; 6pm to 10pm Friday and noon to 8pm Saturday. // Civic Park E., 1375 Civic Dr. (Walnut Creek); tickets at eventbrite.com
No kids allowed at Legoland’s Brick-or-Treat adult night—truly a treat! For one night only, explore all that Legoland has to offer without sticky kids having past-their-bedtime meltdowns; Friday, 6pm to 9pm. // 870 Great Mall Dr. (Milpitas); tickets at legolanddiscoverycenter.com
Hear the man who's sure to be on most modern-day wedding playlists live when Ray LaMontagne heads to The Masonic; Friday at 7:30pm. // 1111 California St. (Nob Hill); tickets at livenation.com
Toast to local cocktail culture on the Old Potrero Rye Trail, featuring signature Old Potrero whiskey drinks at nearly 30 destinations from San Francisco and Oakland and Sacramento. // Find all participating locations at ryetrail.oldpotrero.com.
Thank you to our partners at Old Potrero.
"Wow. Let's do that again!" is what you'll be saying after attending your first Shrek Rave. The memeified cult classic turned epic costumed dance party returns Friday, 9pm 'til late. // The Regency Ballroom, 1300 Van Ness Ave. (TenderNob); tickets at axs.com
Dance all weekend at the genre-bending Breakaway Music Festival with DJs, musicians, and a silent disco. Headliners include Alan Walker, DJ Snake, Madeon, and Nightmare over this two-day send up to sound; Friday and Saturday. // Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 99 Grove St. (Civic Center), breakawayfestival.com
Drink like a sailor during Brews on the Bay. Step aboard a historic ship for a scenic cruise while sampling local beers, plus bites from Monk's Kettle on deck; Saturday, 1:30pm to 5:30pm. // Pier 35 (Embarcadero); tickets at eventbrite.com
Brave the traffic to get to the 51st Annual Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival. It'll be worth it to experience a giant pumpkin competition, parade, live music, food, pie-eating contests and, of course, a gorgeous pumpkin patch perfect for taking wonderfully basic Instagram pics; Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 5pm. // Main St. (Half Moon Bay); details at pumpkinfest.miramarevents.com
Find yourself in awe of P!nk as she flips through the air while hitting high notes on her Trustfall Tour with opening act Grouplove; Saturday at 7:30pm. // Chase Center, 1 Warriors Way (Mission Bay); tickets at ticketmaster.com
Let your freak flag fly at the 24th Annual How Weird Street Faire. Expect multiple stages of EDM, an Art Alley of creative works, and plentiful oddities and food. Out-of-this-world costumes encouraged; Saturday, noon to 8pm. // Howard and 2nd St. (SoMa); tickets at eventbrite.com
Ready your cameras for Japanese art icon Yayoi Kusama’s highly anticipated solo presentation Infinite Love,The artist brings her colorful, kaleidoscopic world view to SFMOMA with two Infinity Mirror Rooms, including Love is Calling, which is among her largest, most immersive works to date; Saturday through September 7, 2024.// SFMOMA, 151 3rd St. (SoMa); tickets at sfmoma.org
Join Bay Area hip hop legend Too $hort for a celebration of 50 years of hip hop alongside some of the best Bay Area DJs, MCs, breakdancers, beatboxers, and graffiti artists; Sunday, noon to 6pm. // SVN West, 10 Van Ness Ave. (SoMa); tickets at seetickets.us
Indulge in an elegant four-course feast at a fundraising gala in support of local farms and Foodwise’s food access and education programs. On this rare occasion, 30 excellent restaurants will be cooking an epic meal together—think Dalida, Mourad, Nightbird, Abacá, State Bird Provisions, and many more—featuring the best peak-season produce from small California farms; Sunday, 5pm to 10pm. // Ferry Plaza Farmers Market (Embarcadero); tickets at eventbrite.com
Celebrate Oakland style at the launch of a new, annual five-day event highlighting local fashion, art, music, cuisine, and culture. Enjoy culinary experiences, cultural conversations, art walks, fashion shows, maker and designer marketplaces, musical performances, vintage shopping, and more; October 18-22. // Oakland Style events will take place at various venues in The Town. For a full schedule, go to visitoakland.com.
Thank you to our partners at Visit Oakland.
