Halloween is right around the corner, and San Francisco is hosting numerous events that will help you get in the haunted holiday spirit.
Here are 18 events to check out in The City this week.
Parivar Bay Area Diwali Utsav (Monday)
Parivar, a South Asian transgender- and queer-led organization, is hosting a dinner and lighting ceremony to mark the opening of its first dedicated office space in the United States.
Queer and Well presents Xtreme Step Hip Hop with Timothy Hampton (Monday)
The San Francisco LGBT Center’s fitness class blends step aerobics with hip-hop music and dance. The full-body workout is hosted by Timothy Hampton, the SF LGBT Center’s director of cultural programs.
Participants can register online for the all-levels fitness class that runs from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Drinks and snacks will be provided. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own step boards, as the center is limited to 12.
‘Much Ado About Nothing’ presented by Bay Area Bar Shakes (Tuesday)
A team of thespians takes over 14th Street’s Standard Deviant Brewing, where they will perform a live, unrehearsed production of William Shakespeare’s comedic play.
The admission-free event begins at 6 p.m., with the directorless play commencing shortly after that.
The Web We’ve Built block party (Wednesday)
The Richmond district-based Internet Archive, which runs the free online library, continues celebrating the archival of 1 trillion web pages through the Wayback Machine with a block party on Funston Avenue. There will be food trucks, live entertainment and dancing.
The Internet Archive’s block party includes an event in the building’s Great Room that will commemorate the archival of 1 trillion web pages through the Wayback Machine.
Courtesy Internet Archive
Sundown Cinema presented by The San Francisco Standard (Thursday)
The free outdoor-movie series is coming to the Civil War Parade Ground in the Presidio, where Tim Burton’s 1990 film “Edward Scissorhands” will be screened. Organized by a local newsroom and a group of corporate partners, it features food trucks and a Halloween costume contest.
The admission-free event starts at 4:30 p.m., with the movie beginning two hours after that. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets, warm clothing and low-profile chairs that don’t block other attendees’ views.
Poetry as Resistance: Ahmad Shamlou’s Enduring Voice (Thursday)
In this event — part of the annual Litquake festival — the San Francisco Public Library will host award-winning author and translator Niloufar Talebi, who will be in conversation with poet and publisher Matthew Zapruder. The duo will discuss “Elegies of the Earth: Selected Poems by Ahmad Shamlou,” a bilingual centennial edition of the Iranian poet’s work.
There is no cost to attend the event, which takes place at the Main Library’s Latino/Hispanic Meeting Rooms A and B at 100 Larkin St.
Vogue of the Undead Halloween fashion show presented by Music City San Francisco (Thursday)
Shawntay Jones of Bay Style Magazine will host the event, which features designs by Phantom Threads. The show includes a runway walk, a live DJ, a costume contest and food.
Bhangra and Beats Night Market (Friday)
This free all-ages night market, which is also the official Diwali celebration of the City and County of San Francisco, returns to four blocks of Front and Sacramento streets for a dazzling display of South Asian culture. There will be dance lessons, dhol drumming, DJ sets and live performances.
The City and County of San Francisco’s official Diwali celebration spans four blocks of Front and Sacramento streets.
Courtesy Odell Hussey
Guests, who can RSVP online, are encouraged to dress in bright clothing. The party lasts from 5 to 10 p.m.
Grateful Dead: Keep on Truckin’ (Friday)
Litquake co-founder, journalist and author Jack Boulware will moderate a discussion featuring a panel of deadheads: Amelia Davis, David Gans, Dennis McNally and Jim Newton. Gans will also be playing live music alongside Bob Brave, while “Dead in the Kitchen” author Gabi Moskowitz will provide some bites.
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SuperNatural presented by California Academy of Sciences (Friday)
The Golden Gate Park science museum is throwing a Halloween party that features a silent disco, trick-or-treat stations, live animal demonstrations, arts and crafts, face-painting and a photo booth.
Tickets can be purchased online, ranging from $45 to $60. VIP options are also available, with those purchases granting early access. The party runs from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
The 2025 Bay Area Science Festival (Saturday)
A free, fun-filled day of science is coming to the Koret Quad lawns at the UCSF Mission Bay Campus. Billed as Northern California’s largest education event, the festival includes games, lab tours, film screenings, panels, demonstrations and hands-on experiments for attendees of all ages. Guests are allowed to bring their own picnics, but there will also be food trucks onsite.
UCSF Mission Bay’s free, fun-filled day of science includes demonstrations and hands-on experiments for attendees of all ages.
Courtesy Lawrence Luk
No registration or ticketing is required for the event, which runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Polk-tober Market presented by Fern Alley Music Series (Saturday)
This community-driven event turns Fern Alley between Larkin and Polk streets into a cultural hub filled with arts and crafts, local merchants and live music. October’s edition will celebrate autumn with seasonal drinks and treats.
Guests are encouraged to dress up in costumes for the market, which runs from noon to 4 p.m.
Lit Crawl 2025 (Saturday)
Litquake, San Francisco’s annual literary festival, culminates in a one-night pub crawl through the Mission District, where more than 250 authors will be at neighborhood venues for performances, panel discussions and author talks.
Events take place between the hours of 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., with a 9 p.m. after-party being held in the Annex at the Drawing Room on Valencia Street.
Trinity Alley $5 book fair (Saturday)
The 34 Trinity Arts & News bookstore in downtown San Francisco is hosting its annual fall book fair, where thousands of works will be available for purchase at prices ranging from $5 to $10. The event is a collaboration with local bookstores and independent sellers.
The fair runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will be held at 34 Trinity Place.
Free pumpkin giveaway presented by Yerba Buena Gardens (Saturday)
Attendees will be able to pick up free small pumpkins and take photos at this giveaway being held at the intersection of 4th and Howard streets.
Yerba Buena Gardens’ pumpkin giveaway includes an hour of free carousel rides.
Courtesy Yerba Buena Gardens
Pumpkins, which will be limited to one per child ages 12 and under, will be handed out starting at 10 a.m. and lasting until supplies are exhausted. Guests will be able to take free carousel rides from 10 to 11 a.m.
The 43rd annual Leap Sandcastle Classic (Saturday)
An event billed as Northern California’s largest sandcastle competition returns to San Francisco’s Ocean Beach. The competition raises money for Leap Arts in Education, a nonprofit that provides financial assistant to Bay Area arts education programs.
This year’s theme, “Level Up,” honors video games past and present. There will also be live music and food trucks. The contest, which is free to the public, runs from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Craft & Learn workshop presented by the Museum of the Eye (Saturday-Sunday)
The free museum dedicated to the science of sight will honor Halloween and Dia de los Muertos with a workshop where guests will be able to make their own “Ojos de Dios,” otherwise known as “God’s Eyes.” Made by the Huichol Indigenous people of Mexico, the ritualistic objects are used as symbols in prayers for children.
Bark at Spark Howl-O-Ween presented by Spark Social (Sunday)
The Mission Bay food-truck park is turning into a doggie destination for a day. The party consists of a canine costume contest, pup-cup races and photo opportunities. There will also be plenty of pet business vendors providing toys, goodies and treats.
Guests can RSVP online for the event, which runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. All pets must be on leashes. Spark Social is located at 601 Mission Bay Blvd North.