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Free Events

San Francisco… land of the free. Here’s just the free stuff in SF and the Bay Area. Keep your wallet in your pocket and enjoy!

Saturday, October 3

“MAPP” SF’s Free Art, Poetry & Concert Crawl in The Mission (October 2026)
Saturday, October 3 – 6:00 pm - Ends at 11:59 pm | Cost: FREE | The Mission District
"MAPP" SF's Free Art, Poetry & Concert Crawl in The Mission (October 2026)

The Mission Arts Performance Project (MAPP) sprawls across more than a dozen venues as well as public spaces, secret gardens, street corners, BART stations, cafes, bars, taquerias, and homes all over La Mission typically starting in the afternoon and going until late. The event features ...

Sunday, October 4

Litquake Out Loud + Book Fair (Yerba Buena Gardens Festival 2026)
Sunday, October 4 – 11:00 am - Ends at 4:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free
| Yerba Buena Gardens (Esplanade)
Litquake Out Loud + Book Fair (Yerba Buena Gardens Festival 2026)
Litquake Out Loud + Book Fair Sun, Oct 4 Time: 11:00am – 4:00pm Venue: Great Lawn, Yerba Buena Gardens Mission St. between 3rd & 4th Sts. San Francisco, CA In a city built on tall tales, hard-boiled prose, revelatory memoirs, and penetrating reportage, Litquake is the soul of San Francisco’s cultural ...

Bank of America’s “Museums On Us” Free Museum Weekend (2026)
Bank of America's "Museums On Us" Free Museum Weekend (2026)

Holders of Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, or U. S. Trust cardholders (credit cards and debit cards) get free admission to six Bay Area museums, two Sacramento museums and to more than 225 cultural institutions nationwide, for the first full weekend each month including the de ...Monthly

San Francisco’s 52nd Annual Castro Street Fair (2026)
Sunday, October 4 – 11:00 am - Ends at 6:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Donations requested - Suggested donation of $10-$20 to support out Beneficiaries
| Castro & Market
San Francisco's 52nd Annual Castro Street Fair (2026)
The 51st Castro Street Fair will take place on Sunday, October 4, 2026 from 11am to 6pm at Castro and Market Streets. 52nd Annual Castro Street Fair Sunday, October 4, 2026 | 11am-6pm Castro & Market Street, San Francisco Free but suggested donation: $10 to $20 The Castro Street Fair ...
SF’s “Head West” Marketplace at the Ferry Building (Every 1st Sunday)
Sunday, October 4 – 11:00 am - Ends at 5:00 pm | Cost: FREE | San Francisco Ferry Building
SF's "Head West" Marketplace at the Ferry Building (Every 1st Sunday)

Come for the Marketplace, stay for the experience! HEAD WEST is a marketplace for emerging + established local brands and small businesses. From hand-made ceramics to locally sourced vintage, there are always new categories of goods available to explore. Marketplaces becomes a destination to not ...Monthly

“Castro Art Mart” 2026: Drag, Music + Art (1st Sundays)
Sunday, October 4 – 2:00 pm - Ends at 8:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Noe Street between Market and Beaver
"Castro Art Mart" 2026: Drag, Music + Art (1st Sundays)

Join us for Castro Art Mart, a vibrant community event celebrating local creativity! Experience a lively day in the heart of The Castro as Castro Art Mart brings together talented local artists, makers, musicians, and performers for an unforgettable celebration of art, culture, and connection. ...Monthly

Thursday, October 8

Lunchtime Concert w/ Quinteto Latino (Yerba Buena Gardens Festival 2026)
Thursday, October 8 – 12:30 pm - Ends at 1:30 pm | Cost: FREE | Great Lawn, Yerba Buena Gardens
Lunchtime Concert w/ Quinteto Latino (Yerba Buena Gardens Festival 2026)
Thu, Oct 8 | 12:30pm – 1:30pm Great Lawn, Yerba Buena Gardens Mission St. between 3rd & 4th Sts. San Francisco, CA A wind quintet with an imperative mission, Quinteto Latino is a singular Bay Area-based chamber ensemble devoted to breaking down the racial and social barriers that have long plagued ...
SF’s “Valencia Live” Night Market in The Mission (Every 2nd Thu)
Thursday, October 8 – 5:00 pm - Ends at 10:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Valencia Street
SF's "Valencia Live" Night Market in The Mission (Every 2nd Thu)

A free, monthly neighborhood celebration on Valencia Street with live music, dancing, art-making and more. Valencia LIVE! is back for a 2026 season! See you in the streets for a FREE, all-ages monthly neighborhood celebration with live music, cocktails to go, restaurants, art, shopping, and tons of fun in the ...

SF’s Final FREE “Valencia Live” Street Party of 2026 (October)
Thursday, October 8 – 5:00 pm - Ends at 10:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*FREE | RSVP
| Valencia St. between 18th and 21st
SF’s Final FREE "Valencia Live" Street Party of 2026 (October)

Valencia LIVE! is back for a 2026 season! See you in the streets for a FREE, all-ages monthly neighborhood celebration with live music, cocktails to go, restaurants, art, shopping, and tons of fun in the streets. Live music curated by Carnaval SF. Find the party ...

Friday, October 9

“HellaSecret” Speakeasy Comedy Show & Cocktail Night (Oakland)
"HellaSecret" Speakeasy Comedy Show & Cocktail Night (Oakland)

Get ready for our “HellaSecret” speakeasy comedy show in Oakland. A series of pop-up live comedy shows at unique spots all across the bay. We’ll take over a venue and you’ll get an email with the secret location. This HellaSecret comedy show takes place in a ...

SF’s “Chinatown Night Market” 2026 (Every Second Friday)
Friday, October 9 – 5:00 pm - Ends at 9:00 pm | Cost: FREE | San Francisco Chinatown (Grant Ave.)
SF's "Chinatown Night Market" 2026 (Every Second Friday)

Chinatown Night Market returns for 2026, bringing monthly street festivals, food vendors, shopping, and live entertainment back to the heart of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Recently voted the #1 night market in the country for the second year in a row, the free event takes over ...Monthly

Saturday, October 10

Weekend Sessions w/ Follow the Music (Yerba Buena Gardens Festival 2026)
Saturday, October 10 – 2:00 pm - Ends at 4:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Great Lawn, Yerba Buena Gardens
Weekend Sessions w/ Follow the Music (Yerba Buena Gardens Festival 2026)
Sat, Oct 10 | 2:00pm – 4:00pm Great Lawn, Yerba Buena Gardens Mission St. between 3rd & 4th Sts. San Francisco, CA FREE | RSVP Since launching in 2023 Follow the Music has been at the forefront of a rising movement promoting arts education around the Bay Area. The nonprofit organization introduces ...

Sunday, October 11

YBG Dance Day (Yerba Buena Gardens Festival 2026)
Sunday, October 11 – 10:00 am - Ends at 3:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Great Lawn, Yerba Buena Gardens
YBG Dance Day (Yerba Buena Gardens Festival 2026)

The 2026 Yerba Buena Gardens Festival hosts a full lineup of free outdoor music, theater, circus, dance, poetry, and children’s programs. The Festival opens on Saturday, May 9, 2026 with Hermán Olivera y Orquesta Taíno to kick off its 26th season. The Festival features over 100 free ...

SF’s “Inner Sunset Flea Market” 2026 w/ Sunset Mercantile (Every 2nd Sunday)
Sunday, October 11 – 10:00 am - Ends at 4:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free Admission: All Welcome
| Inner Sunset
SF's "Inner Sunset Flea Market" 2026 w/ Sunset Mercantile (Every 2nd Sunday)

The Inner Sunset Flea Market is back for its 11th season on April 12th! Launched in collaboration with the Inner Sunset Park Neighbors and happening every second Sunday from April to November, this vibrant, well-loved community event transforms Irving Street (9th-11th Ave.) into a lively ...Monthly

Monday, October 12

SF’s Indigenous Peoples Day at Yerba Buena Gardens Festival 2026
Monday, October 12 – 12:00 pm - Ends at 4:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Great Lawn, Yerba Buena Gardens
SF’s Indigenous Peoples Day at Yerba Buena Gardens Festival 2026

The 2026 Yerba Buena Gardens Festival hosts a full lineup of free outdoor music, theater, circus, dance, poetry, and children’s programs. The Festival opens on Saturday, May 9, 2026 with Hermán Olivera y Orquesta Taíno to kick off its 26th season. The Festival features over 100 free ...

SF’s Indigenous Peoples Day at Yerba Buena Gardens
Monday, October 12 – 12:00 pm - Ends at 4:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Yerba Buena Gardens (Esplanade)
SF's Indigenous Peoples Day at Yerba Buena Gardens
Indigenous Peoples Day Mon, Oct 12 | 12:00pm – 4:00pm Great Lawn, Yerba Buena Gardens Mission St. between 3rd & 4th Sts. San Francisco, CA Join us in celebration of San Francisco Indigenous Peoples Day with a magnificent profusion of Native American art, music and vendors. The event highlights the ...

Thursday, October 15

Lunchtime Concert w/ Richard Howell (Yerba Buena Gardens Festival 2026)
Thursday, October 15 – 12:30 pm - Ends at 1:30 pm | Cost: FREE | Great Lawn, Yerba Buena Gardens
Lunchtime Concert w/ Richard Howell (Yerba Buena Gardens Festival 2026)

The 2026 Yerba Buena Gardens Festival hosts a full lineup of free outdoor music, theater, circus, dance, poetry, and children’s programs. The Festival opens on Saturday, May 9, 2026 with Hermán Olivera y Orquesta Taíno to kick off its 26th season. The Festival features over 100 free ...

Friday, October 16

“HellaSecret” Speakeasy Comedy Show & Cocktail Night (Oakland)
"HellaSecret" Speakeasy Comedy Show & Cocktail Night (Oakland)

Get ready for our “HellaSecret” speakeasy comedy show in Oakland. A series of pop-up live comedy shows at unique spots all across the bay. We’ll take over a venue and you’ll get an email with the secret location. This HellaSecret comedy show takes place in a ...

Pleasant Hill Night Market: Food, Music & Performances
Friday, October 16 – 5:00 pm - Ends at 9:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Chilpancingo Park
Pleasant Hill Night Market: Food, Music & Performances

Pleasant Hill Night Market Will Return in May 2026 After a successful first season, the Night Market will be back in May 2026 with food, music, merchandise, activities and more! Visit Pleasant Hill California for more info. After getting so much love and support from ...

“Sundown Cinema” SF’s Outdoor Movie Night in the Park 2026
Friday, October 16 – 6:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Crane Cove Park
"Sundown Cinema" SF's Outdoor Movie Night in the Park 2026

San Francisco’s free outdoor movie tradition is back with a full season for 2026. The Sundown Cinema series has just announced its lineup, bringing family-friendly films to parks across the city from June through October. After a scaled-back return in 2025, the full program is ...