Home » *Top Pick*, Community, Downtown San Francisco, In Person, Lectures & Workshops

Night of Ideas 2026: Free Evening Festival (SF Main Library)

Saturday, April 11, 2026 - 7:00 pm to 12:00 am | Cost: FREE*
*Free

San Francisco Main Library | 100 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Event Details

Join us for San Francisco’s Night of Ideas 2026, where the theme “Lighting the Way,” invites us to explore how ideas, creativity, and collective action can illuminate paths forward, helping reveal new ways of thinking and connecting about what’s next. From cultural expression to shared responsibility, Lighting the Way asks what guides us, what inspires positive change, and how we can actively shape a more connected future together.

Ahead of the evening program, Afternoon of Ideas returns with a family-friendly experience designed to welcome youth into the spirit of the event. Through hands-on workshops, playful performances, and creative activities led by artists, educators, and children’s book authors, the daytime program invites curiosity, play, and intergenerational exchange.

Join Villa Albertine San Francisco, Asian Art Museum, Circuit Network, KQED, and the San Francisco Public Library for a dynamic marathon of talks, live performances, workshops, food, art, and shared exploration. Together, Night of Ideas creates space for collective imagination where ideas are exchanged, perspectives are expanded, and the way forward is shaped in real time.

Presented by San Francisco Public Library

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.


Cost: FREE*
*Free
Categories: *Top Pick*, Community, Downtown San Francisco, In Person, Lectures & Workshops
Venue: San Francisco Main Library
Address: 100 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Saturday, April 11, 2026

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*Recommended Donation of $30/ Family
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9:30 am   Free “Legion of Honor” Museum Day for Bay Area Residents (Every Saturday)  FREE*
*Free general admission to Bay Area residents. Valid ID or proof of residency required. This offer applies only to the permanent collection galleries. Timed advanced tickets required
9:30 am   Russian Hill Neighbors Cleanup + Free Coffee for Volunteers (SF)  FREE*
*Sign up free on this Mobilize registration page: https://www.mobilize.us/civicjoyfund/event/757464/
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10:00 am   $15 Admission to SFMOMA (March 2-April 17, 2026)  $15
10:00 am   Free Lecture: Palestine Before Oct 7th (Albany Library)  FREE
10:00 am   Model Train Open House Featuring Steam Trains (Crockett)  $5*
*$5 Per Person Kids 16 and under are FREE
10:30 am   Social: Plant Swap  FREE
10:30 am   Golden Gate Park “Singing in the Park” Community Party (SF)  FREE*
*Completely Free
11:00 am   Makers Market Local Artist Fair at Mill Valley Lumber Yard  FREE
11:00 am   Free Habitot Hands-on Mobile Museum for Kids 0-8 (Oakland)  FREE*
*Free Admission per 1 hour 15 minute session. Eventbrite reservation highly recommended. Space is limited.
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11:00 am   SF Cherry Blossom Festival 2026: April 11-12 & 18-19  FREE
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11:00 am   MoAD: Museum of the African Diaspora Free Museum Day (SF)  FREE
11:00 am   “Off the Grid” Waterfront Fest + Free Ferry Rides (Treasure Island)  FREE
11:00 am   Canceled? SF’s César Chávez Day Parade 2026  FREE
12:00 pm   Art Matters: Free Spring Open Studios 2026 at 1890 Bryant (April 10-12)  FREE*
*No RSVP required
12:00 pm   SF’s “Spring Awakening” Free Art & Cumbia Dance Fest (Presidio Tunnel Tops)  FREE
12:00 pm   West Berkeley Community Print Festival  FREE
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12:00 pm   Performance: Ballet Afsaneh  FREE
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*RSVP required
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*Please RSVP to help us plan, free parking
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*Donation-based admission: $5-15
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3:00 pm   SF’s Battle of the Bands (Cal / Stanford) at PIER 39  FREE
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4:00 pm   “One Book, One Coast” w/ San Francisco Public Library: They Called Us Enemy  FREE
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*2 items minimum
7:00 pm   “HellaSecret” Speakeasy Comedy Show & Cocktail Night (Oakland)  FREE*
*Limited free tickets with code FUNCHEAP (donations appreciated). Otherwise use code FUNCHEAP5 for $5 off early bird and general admission tickets
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*Free tickets, but RSVP Required. Donations ($5-$10) greatly appreciated. Otherwise, $25 door tickets also available
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*Free with RSVP. 21+
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*Free with RSVP (21+ with Valid ID) - One item minimum purchase per person required, but pre-rolls start at just $7
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*$5 off with secret code FUNCHEAP (normally $17.12) No added ticketing fees. No Drink Minimum
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9:00 pm   SF Neo-Futurists “The Infinite Wrench” (30 Plays in 60 Minutes, every Fri & Sat)  $18.60*
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*$5 off with secret code FUNCHEAP (normally $21.49) No added ticketing fees. No Drink Minimum
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*Free with RSVP
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