Mike’s 10 for the Weekend

<p>October 22–25, 2026</p> <p>Artists are opening their studios, Día de los Muertos celebrations are beginning, and Halloween is close enough to make a haunted house sound like a reasonable Thursday-night plan.</p> <p>This weekend offers plenty of ways to get out: explore San Francisco Open Studios, catch a live horror-film score at Bottom of the Hill, take the kids to Goblin Jamboree or spend Sunday making art at SFMOMA.</p> <p>One planning note before we get to the fun: the California Academy of Sciences closes at 3 p.m. Saturday, with last entry at 2. Nearby, the de Young’s free Saturday admission for Bay Area residents follows its regular schedule.</p> <p>Here are my ten picks.</p> <p>1. Step inside SF Open Studios</p> <p>Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25 · San Francisco</p> <p>San Francisco Open Studios reaches its fifth and final weekend, giving you a chance to meet artists, explore their workspaces and find something you might never encounter in a gallery window.</p> <p>Participating neighborhoods include North Beach, the Marina, Richmond, Sunset, Haight-Ashbury, Hayes Valley, Chinatown and more. Pick a few nearby studios and leave yourself time to talk with the people making the work.</p> <p>Individual locations and hours need checking through ArtSpan. Historically, the weekend has been free and generally runs around 11 a.m.–5 p.m., but current listings should guide your plans.</p> <p>For a stop with published details, Sports Basement at 610 Old Mason Street hosts an ArtSpan showcase Saturday, 9 a.m.–7 p.m., free, with local artwork available to buy.</p> <p>Explore ArtSpan · Sports Basement showcase</p> <p>2. Find a Día de los Muertos celebration</p> <p>Music, altars, art and community gatherings fill the weekend, with several ways to participate.</p> <p>- Thursday: Exploratorium After Dark — Death and Life / La muerte y la vida. An evening exploring the circle of life, including an altar created by the Marigold Project. 6–10 p.m., ages 18+. Free for members and donors; check general-admission pricing. Details - Friday: Mariachi Herencia de México at Zellerbach Hall. The La Nueva Generación tour brings a Día de los Muertos concert to Berkeley. 7:30 p.m., from $28. Tickets - Friday onward: In Their Name at SOMArts. The annual exhibition opens with a Friday reception, 6–9 p.m., RSVP required. Weekend gallery hours are noon–5 p.m. Gallery visits are listed as free; check reception pricing separately. Details - Saturday: San Jose Museum of Art Community Day. 11 a.m.–4 p.m., free admission all day. Registration is recommended, with walk-ins welcome. Sugar skull decorating requires a separate free timed ticket collected at the museum that day. Plan your visit - Sunday: OMCA’s 32nd Annual Celebration. A procession, performances, community ofrendas and a mercado in Oakland. 11 a.m.–4 p.m., $10 all-inclusive; members and children under 12 free with advance reservation. Reserve</p> <p>Sunday also brings Día de los Muertos programming at Filoli and a 1–3 p.m. bilingual community-ofrenda workshop with Tierra Rituals at The Lawrence.</p> <p>Looking ahead: Fruitvale’s free outdoor festival is Sunday, November 1—save that one for next weekend.</p> <p>3. Choose your Halloween adventure</p> <p>There’s a wide range this weekend, from illuminated pumpkins to attractions designed to make you jump.</p> <p>- Fear Overload Scream Park, Newark: Thursday and Friday from 7 p.m., Saturday 5:30 p.m., Sunday 6 p.m. Tickets from $28.99. Dates and tickets - Pirates of Emerson, Pleasanton: Thursday–Sunday, 7:05–10 p.m., at Alameda County Fairgrounds. General admission listed at $48, with higher pricing on premium nights. Entry gates close an hour before the attraction closes. Fairgrounds calendar - Pumpkins After Dark, Pleasanton: A gentler walk-through light display at the same fairgrounds, Thursday–Sunday, 6:30–10 p.m. Adults $28.80, ages 4–17 $22.80, ages 3 and under free. Parking $15. Details - Festival Fright Nights, Winchester Mystery House: Timed entry purchased online. Listed prices start at $59.99 Thursday, $82.99 Friday and Sunday, and $92.99 Saturday. Choose your date - Terror Vault: SLASHED, San Francisco: At the old Mint, 88 Fifth Street, with timed entry. Dates and tickets</p> <p>Confirm your selected date and entry time before purchasing.</p> <p>Two changes to keep in mind: Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is offering daytime Tricks and Treats rather than Fright Fest this year. California’s Great America’s published calendar does not list operating days during October 22–25.</p> <p>4. Make Friday a game night</p> <p>Friday, October 23 · San Francisco and Stanford</p> <p>The Warriors host Memphis at Chase Center at 7 p.m. for their home opener. Down the Peninsula, Stanford hosts NC State at 7:30 p.m.</p> <p>Both games land during Friday-evening travel, so give yourself room in the schedule. For Chase, consider Muni or BART with a connecting trip. For Stanford, check Caltrain and stadium connections before leaving.</p> <p>Warriors schedule and tickets · Stanford football</p> <p>Several other local teams are away this weekend, including the 49ers, Sharks, Earthquakes, Bay FC and Cal.</p> <p>5. Spend a Sunday at Bottom of the Hill</p> <p>1233 17th Street, San Francisco</p> <p>Bottom of the Hill’s farewell year continues, and Sunday offers two very different reasons to visit.</p> <p>The Blue Bear School of Music All Star Band plays a free, all-ages afternoon show. Doors open at 12:30 p.m., with music at 1 p.m.</p> <p>Return in the evening for Castle, Nite and Three Towers: doors 8 p.m., music 8:30 p.m., 21+, tickets $15 advance.</p> <p>Earlier in the weekend, K.Flay’s Friday and Saturday shows are listed as sold out. Thursday brings Fabio Frizzi’s live horror scores—more on that in the Hidden Gem below.</p> <p>A free afternoon of music feels like a good way to spend time in a club entering its final months.</p> <p>Bottom of the Hill calendar</p> <p>6. Celebrate Coltrane at SFJAZZ</p> <p>Thursday–Sunday · SFJAZZ Center, 201 Franklin Street, San Francisco</p> <p>John Coltrane’s centennial year frames a weekend of music at SFJAZZ.</p> <p>Thursday’s RJAM Side-by-Side: Celebrating John Coltrane pairs student musicians with professionals in the Joe Henderson Lab at 7:30 p.m. Availability is limited.</p> <p>Sunday, Charles Tolliver presents Africa/Brass: Trane Forever in Miner Auditorium at 7 p.m., bringing Coltrane’s 1961 album to the stage.</p> <p>In between, Edward Simon’s Femeninas, featuring Magos Herrera, plays Friday at 7:30 p.m., with a streaming option. Troy Roberts Nu-Jive has Friday sets at 7 and 8:30 p.m., while CONNECTED, featuring Richie Goods and Chien Chien Lu, plays across Saturday and Sunday.</p> <p>There’s a family matinee Saturday, too—see the Family Pick section.</p> <p>SFJAZZ calendar and tickets</p> <p>7. Go dark at Great American Music Hall</p> <p>Thursday–Sunday · 859 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco</p> <p>Substance Festival 2026 brings four nights of music to Great American Music Hall, with goth, industrial and darkwave sounds setting the mood.</p> <p>Thursday’s lineup includes A Split Second, Crash Course in Science, Automelodi and Vioflesh. Friday features a TR/ST DJ set, plus Buzz Kull, Kontravoid and Zanias. Illuminati Hotties headlines Saturday.</p> <p>Single-night tickets start at $22, with four-day passes listed from $90–$250. Check the nightly lineup and ticket tier before booking.</p> <p>Great American Music Hall calendar</p> <p>8. Catch an opening—or a final curtain</p> <p>Two productions begin this weekend:</p> <p>- Betrayal, Marin Theatre, Mill Valley: Pinter’s story unfolds in reverse. Thursday–Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 4 p.m. Runs through November 15. Tickets - The Lion in Winter, Altarena Playhouse, Alameda: Opens Friday at 7:30 p.m. Note the earlier Friday and Saturday curtain time if you remember the company’s former 8 p.m. schedule. Details</p> <p>And four finish Sunday, October 25:</p> <p>- Misalliance, 6th Street Playhouse, Santa Rosa. Confirm performance times with the box office: 707-523-4185. Details - Death of a Salesman, Ross Valley Players, Ross. Thursday–Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. Tickets - Our Loving Companions, The Marsh Berkeley. Thursday–Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 3 p.m. Details - The Prom, Contra Costa Civic Theatre’s teen company, El Cerrito. October 23–25; call 510-524-9132 for times. Details</p> <p>For something seasonal, Dracula at TheatreWorks in Mountain View also has performances throughout the weekend. Choose a performance</p> <p>9. Browse the Harvest Festival in Pleasanton</p> <p>Friday–Sunday · Alameda County Fairgrounds, 2005 Valley Avenue</p> <p>The Harvest Festival Original Art & Craft Show brings American makers together for three days of shopping directly from the people who create the work.</p> <p>It’s a chance to find a gift, talk with an artist or simply spend an afternoon browsing.</p> <p>Hours: Friday 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.–4 p.m.</p> <p>Admission: Adults $9; seniors 62+ and military $7; ages 13–17 $4; children 12 and under free. Parking is an additional $15 per vehicle.</p> <p>Enter through Gate 8 or Gate 12 off Valley Avenue.</p> <p>Fairgrounds calendar</p> <p>10. Give your weekend an art break</p> <p>Saturday: de Young and Legion of Honor</p> <p>Bay Area residents receive free general admission at both museums. Reserve online, bring proof of residency and expect separate charges for special exhibitions. Permanent-collection admission is always free for visitors 17 and under.</p> <p>Free Saturdays at the de Young · Legion of Honor</p> <p>Sunday: SFMOMA Free Family Day—K-Pop, Art, and Beyond</p> <p>Art-making, storytime, a scavenger hunt and a K-pop dance party make this a lively family museum outing.</p> <p>Up to two adults receive free general admission when accompanying a child or teen 18 or under. Special exhibitions carrying a surcharge are excluded. Regular Sunday museum hours are 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; check activity times separately.</p> <p>SFMOMA Free Family Day</p> <p>Nearby planning note: The California Academy of Sciences closes early Saturday at 3 p.m., with last entry at 2 p.m., for a private event.</p> <p>Hidden Gem A horror-film composer brings his scores to Bottom of the Hill</p> <p>Thursday, October 22 · Doors 7 p.m., music 8 p.m. · $30 at the door · 21+</p> <p>Fabio Frizzi composed the music for Lucio Fulci’s Zombie, City of the Living Dead and The Beyond. His organ-and-synth scores became part of the sound of Italian horror.</p> <p>FRIZZI2FULCI brings that music to the stage, performed live by the composer and his band.</p> <p>A live horror score, its composer and Bottom of the Hill’s farewell year: that’s a memorable Thursday.</p> <p>Show details</p> <p>Family Pick Costumes and trick-or-treating at Goblin Jamboree</p> <p>Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25 · Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito</p> <p>Goblin Jamboree brings Halloween activities to the museum’s seven-acre site near the Golden Gate Bridge.</p> <p>The museum is open 9 a.m.–4 p.m. both days. Confirm individual activity times before visiting.</p> <p>Admission: General admission $30; members $5. EBT, SNAP and WIC cardholders can purchase tickets in person for $10, up to four tickets.</p> <p>Goblin Jamboree details</p> <p>Three more family outings:</p> <p>Marcus Shelby & Friends at SFJAZZ: Saturday 11 a.m., Miner Auditorium. Tickets Animal Day at UC Botanical Garden: Sunday 10 a.m.–2 p.m., with animals, crafts and music. Included with garden admission: $18 adult, $8 ages 5–17, under 5 free; Museums for All admission $3. Details -Halloween Magic at Gamble Garden, Palo Alto: Saturday 10:30–11:30 a.m. Nonmember tickets are $45 adult and $55 child. Everyone attending needs a paid ticket, regardless of age. Tickets</p> <p>A Few Tips Before You Go</p> <p>Friday game traffic: The Warriors and Stanford both play at home Friday evening. Check rail connections and allow extra time around Mission Bay and Stanford.</p> <p>Golden Gate Park, Saturday: The de Young’s free-admission day makes advance reservations and an early arrival useful.</p> <p>Pleasanton fairgrounds: The craft show, Pirates of Emerson and Pumpkins After Dark share the fairgrounds this weekend. Check the entrance and parking instructions for your particular event.</p> <p>Berkeley hills, Sunday: The Lawrence and UC Botanical Garden both have programming along Centennial Drive.</p> <p>Oakland Zoo: Boo at the Zoo continues Saturday and Sunday. A recent zoo notice says online ticket and membership sales are temporarily unavailable, with purchases onsite. Check the zoo’s current notice before leaving. Parking is listed at $15 in advance or $20 at the gate; online availability may affect how you pay. Confirm last-entry and ticket-window times rather than planning around the grounds’ closing time.</p> <p>Thursday closures: The Lawrence and Computer History Museum list October 22 closures. USS Hornet is also closed Thursday under its regular schedule.</p> <p>Short weekdays: Children’s Discovery Museum San Jose closes at 1 p.m. Thursday and Friday; The Tech Interactive closes at 3 p.m. both days.</p> <p>Hillbarn: There is no Thursday performance of Gutenberg! The Musical! this week. Check Friday–Sunday performances instead.</p> <p>Another free option: The Japanese Tea Garden offers free entry Friday, 9–10 a.m. Cantor Arts Center and the Anderson Collection at Stanford also offer free admission; check their visiting hours when planning your stop.</p> <p>It’s out there. Let’s go find it.</p> <p>Find the Magic.</p> <p>Mike MacPherson publishes SF Bay Weekend, exploring the places, people and experiences that make a Bay Area weekend worth getting out for.</p> <p><a href="sfbayweekend.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Learn more →</a></p>