Skip to content
Stinson Beach, California on June 27, 2009, seen from the south.
☀️ Hot Day

What to Do in the Bay Area When It’s Hot

Beat the heat: beaches, water, shade, foggy-coast escapes and blissfully air-conditioned indoor picks.

Updated Saturday, October 24 · 842 listings

Photo: jenly from Oakland, CA / Wikimedia Commons

Quick answer

This weekend (Oct 23–25) there are 71 events in the Bay Area, plus 54 always-open favorites. Top picks:

  1. JANE! An intimate exploration of Gilded Age excess and the enigmatic life and death of Jane Stanford — Sun, Oct 25, Cantor Arts Center · Palo Alto
  2. Korean Indigenous Futures: The Art of Kim Bong-Jun 김봉준 판화전: 토착적 미래- K아트, 디아스포라, 세계 — Sun, Oct 25, Lathrop Library · Palo Alto
  3. Public Tour | A Closer Look — Sun, Oct 25, Cantor Arts Center · Palo Alto (free)
  4. Gallery Conversations | JANE! — Sun, Oct 25, Cantor Arts Center · Palo Alto (free)
  5. SF’s Iconic Punchline Comedy Club: Secret Guest List (Your Next Comic: A New Faces Showcase) — Sun, Oct 25, Punch Line Comedy Club · Financial District, SF (free)
🌉 San Francisco 🌞 East Bay 🌊 Peninsula 🌴 South Bay 🍇 North Bay
🎉 This weekend

Oct 23–25

See on the map →

Saturday, October 24 9 picks

Monster's Bash 2026
Sat24Oct

Monster's Bash 2026

Sat, Oct 24 · All day USS Hornet Museum · Alameda
☔ Rainy-day☀️ Hot-day$12.52–$54.52
Gondola on Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA, USA
Sat24Oct

The Soiled Dove

Sat, Oct 24 · All day 2151 Ferry Point , Alameda, CA, United States, California 94612 · Alameda
☀️ Hot-day

Sunday, October 25 62 picks

Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA, USA
Sun25Oct

World Of Dumplings 2026

Sun, Oct 25 · All day Ferry Building · Embarcadero, SF
🚇 BART☀️ Hot-day
Gondola on Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA, USA
Sun25Oct

Dream Workshop Series

Sun, Oct 25 · All day 1512 Palos Verdes Mall, Walnut Creek, CA, United States, California 94597 · Walnut Creek
☔ Rainy-day☀️ Hot-day
Gondola on Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA, USA
Sun25Oct

Learn the Skills That Matter Most

Sun, Oct 25 · All day 2363 Boulevard Circle Suite 18, Walnut Creek, CA, United States, California 94595 · Walnut Creek
☀️ Hot-day
Crissy Field Marsh in San Francisco
Sun25Oct

Half Moon Bay Witch Paddle

Sun, Oct 25 · All day 2 Johnson pier, Half Moon Bay, CA · Half Moon Bay
☀️ Hot-day
Golden Gate Bridge seen from Crissy Field, San Francisco, California. People canoeing in the foreground.
Sun25Oct

Half Moon Hike

Sun, Oct 25 · All day Half Moon Bay, California · Half Moon Bay
☀️ Hot-day
⏩ Before the weekend

Coming up this week

fear the fiasco concert at the DNA Lounge
Sat24Oct

Halloween Drag Brunch

Sat, Oct 24 · All day Alhambra Irish House · Redwood City
🍸 Nightlife☀️ Hot-day
Gondola on Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA, USA
Sat24Oct

The Soiled Dove at Radium Runway

Sat, Oct 24 · All day 2151 Ferry Point , Alameda, CA, United States, California 94612 · Alameda
☀️ Hot-day
Sunset Kayaking Tour
Sat24Oct

Sunset Kayaking Tour

Sat, Oct 24 · All day Grand St. Marina · Alameda
☀️ Hot-day$79.57–$146.97
🗓️ Plan ahead

Next week · Oct 26–Nov 1

All next week →
Golden Gate Bridge seen from Crissy Field, San Francisco, California. People canoeing in the foreground.
Mon26Oct

BellyDancing with Carem

Mon, Oct 26 · All day 4140 Redwood Hwy #8, San Rafael, CA, United States, California 94903 · San Rafael
☀️ Hot-day
Imah's first hour show to a full house last 27th Nov. 2020
Mon26Oct

Open Mic Night Mondays

Mon, Oct 26 · All day 2045 Mount Diablo St, Concord, CA · Concord
🚇 BART☔ Rainy-day☀️ Hot-day
2012 MLK Day of Service 8813 (6796969085)
Mon26Oct

Family Pumpkin Party

Mon, Oct 26 · All day 1520 Hillside Blvd, Colma, CA, United States, California 94014 · Daly City
👶 Kid-friendly☀️ Hot-day
Opera House Tricolour
Mon26Oct

Sonoma Men's Circle

Mon, Oct 26 · All day 20680 Broadway · Sonoma
☔ Rainy-day☀️ Hot-day$25
Women's Building - Front
Mon26Oct

Art of Remembrance Ofrenda Exhibit

Mon, Oct 26 · All day · +6 more dates King Library · Downtown San Jose, San Jose
Free☔ Rainy-day☀️ Hot-day
Women's Building - Corner
Mon26Oct

Book spells

Mon, Oct 26 · All day · +6 more dates Education (Cubberley Bldg) · Palo Alto
☔ Rainy-day☀️ Hot-day
De Young Museum with Keith Haring's Three Dancing Figures
Mon26Oct

Carolyn Lazard: Long Take

Mon, Oct 26 · All day · +4 more dates Cantor Arts Center · Palo Alto
☔ Rainy-day☀️ Hot-day
🔭 Further out

Coming soon

De Young Museum with Keith Haring's Three Dancing Figures
Mon2Nov

Art of Remembrance Ofrenda Exhibit

Mon, Nov 2 · All day · +3 more dates King Library · Downtown San Jose, San Jose
Free☔ Rainy-day☀️ Hot-day
De Young Museum with Keith Haring's Three Dancing Figures
Mon2Nov

Carolyn Lazard: Long Take

Mon, Nov 2 · All day · +1 more date Cantor Arts Center · Palo Alto
☔ Rainy-day☀️ Hot-day
⭐ Always-on picks

Classic things to do in the Bay Area

Open most days — perfect when you want a sure thing.

San Francisco, California, USA

Exploratorium

Open most days; check site for hours Exploratorium, Pier 15 · Embarcadero, SF
👶 Kid-friendly☔ Rainy-day☀️ Hot-day
Luristan Newt (Neurergus kaiseri) at the California Academy of Sciences. Please attribute to Evan Baldonado // AquariumKids.org

California Academy of Sciences

Open daily; NightLife on Thursdays (21+) California Academy of Sciences · Golden Gate Park, SF
👶 Kid-friendly21+☔ Rainy-day
Anna Hyatt Huntington--El Cid Campeador--1927--Legion of Honor--San Francisco--photo by Steven Saylor

Legion of Honor

Tuesday–Sunday Legion of Honor · Outer Richmond, SF
☔ Rainy-day☀️ Hot-dayPaid admission
2017 SFMOMA from Yerba Buena Gardens

SFMOMA

Open most days; check site San Francisco Museum of Modern Art · SoMa, SF
🚇 BART☔ Rainy-day☀️ Hot-day
Lands End, San Francisco, United States

Lands End Trail & Sutro Baths

Daily, sunrise to sunset Lands End Lookout · Outer Richmond, SF
Free👶 Kid-friendly☀️ Hot-day
Golden Gate Bridge seen from Crissy Field, San Francisco, California. People canoeing in the foreground.

Ocean Beach

Daily Ocean Beach · Outer Sunset, SF
Free👶 Kid-friendly☀️ Hot-day
Gate at Japanese Tea Garden (San Francisco) (TK1)

Japanese Tea Garden

Daily Japanese Tea Garden, Golden Gate Park · Golden Gate Park, SF
👶 Kid-friendly☀️ Hot-dayPaid admission (…
San Francisco Golden Gate Park's Conservatory of Flowers in March 2018.

Conservatory of Flowers

Tuesday–Sunday Conservatory of Flowers · Golden Gate Park, SF
👶 Kid-friendly☔ Rainy-day☀️ Hot-day
Presidio Tunnel Tops park view, with Alcatraz Island in the background, on July 18, 2022, the day after it opened to the public

Presidio Tunnel Tops

Daily Presidio Tunnel Tops · Presidio, SF
Free👶 Kid-friendly☀️ Hot-day
A row of machines at Musee Mecanique in San Francisco.

Musée Mécanique

Daily Musée Mécanique, Pier 45 · Fisherman's Wharf, SF
Free👶 Kid-friendly☔ Rainy-day
Alcatraz Island (39495489730)

Alcatraz Island

Daily; book ahead Alcatraz Landing, Pier 33 · Embarcadero, SF
👶 Kid-friendly☀️ Hot-dayFerry ticket req…
Castro Theatre Marquee December 2013 (2)

Castro Theatre

Check calendar Castro Theatre · The Castro, SF
☔ Rainy-day☀️ Hot-dayTicketed
Love Wins celebration in the Castro, San Francisco, June 26 2015.

Roxie Theater

Daily screenings Roxie Theater · Mission District, SF
🚇 BART☔ Rainy-day☀️ Hot-day

Frequently asked questions

Where is it cooler in the Bay Area on a hot day?

The coast stays coolest: Ocean Beach, Lands End and the Presidio in SF, Pacifica and Half Moon Bay on the Peninsula, and Stinson Beach or Muir Woods in Marin. Redwood groves and air-conditioned museums are great heat escapes too.

What is there to do in the Bay Area this weekend?

Popular picks for Oct 23–25 include JANE! An intimate exploration of Gilded Age excess and the enigmatic life and death of Jane Stanford (Sun, Oct 25), Korean Indigenous Futures: The Art of Kim Bong-Jun 김봉준 판화전: 토착적 미래- K아트, 디아스포라, 세계 (Sun, Oct 25), Public Tour | A Closer Look (Sun, Oct 25), Gallery Conversations | JANE! (Sun, Oct 25). See the full, daily-updated list on this page.

Are there free things to do in the Bay Area?

Yes — 182 free events and activities are listed in the Bay Area right now. Use the “Free” filter or visit our Free page.

How often is this list updated?

Every day. Bay Area Weekend checks dozens of Bay Area event calendars, venues and local news sources daily and removes events once they’ve ended. Last update: Saturday, October 24.

Keep exploring

👶 Kid-Friendly Things to Do in the Bay Area🍸 Bay Area Nightlife: Clubs, Bars, DJs & Late-Night Shows🆓 Free Things to Do in the Bay Area🌧️ Rainy Day Activities in the Bay Area🌫️ Fog Escape: Sunny Bay Area Plans When Karl the Fog Rolls In💘 Date Night Ideas in the Bay Area🚇 Car-Free Plans: Bay Area Events Near BART
✉️ Early access · Daily email

Your Bay Area weekend, picked for you — every morning.

Choose your regions and vibes, and we’ll send a short, personalized list of things to do. Free. Unsubscribe anytime.

Customize your picks →