FRIDAY
2
OCTOBER
The Ember List · Berkeley, CA
Things to do in Berkeley, CA
We reviewed 550+ Bay Area event sources to pick the 31 best things to do in Berkeley, CA between October 2 and October 8. Updated daily.
Highlights for October 1 – October 7
Fist Up Film Festival: Opening Night – Culture Keepers (La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA)
A free, volunteer‑led screening of the opening night film “Culture Keepers” as part of the 17th Annual Fist Up Film Festival. Thursday, October 1, 7–9 pm.
Legally Blonde The Musical (Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Avenue, Berkeley, CA)
Performance of the award‑winning musical “Legally Blonde,” featuring songs and story about Elle Woods. Friday, October 2, 7–9:30 pm.
Sewing Circle @Central (Central Library)
A Halloween costume‑making sewing circle with fabrics and machines, hosted at the Central Library. Saturday, October 3, 10 am–1 pm. All ages welcome; bring supplies or use provided materials.
A Tour of AI (Departs Worth Ryder Art Gallery, UC Berkeley → Institute of Contemporary Art, San José)
A guided tour of AI’s physical architecture, traveling from UC Berkeley’s Worth Ryder Gallery to the Institute of Contemporary Art in San José, ending with a reception. Saturday, October 3, 2–3 pm. Limited to 50 participants; registration required.
Fist Up Film Festival: Mujer Mariposa (Feature Film) (La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA)
Screening of the feature film “Mujer Mariposa,” following three daughters of migrant women, as part of the Fist Up Film Festival. Saturday, October 3, 7–9 pm.
Jane Street Guts++ Competition (TBA w/ RSVP)
A fast‑paced team competition mixing math puzzles, trivia and game theory, organized by Jane Street for high‑school students. Tuesday, October 6, 6:30–7:30 pm. Registration required via provided link.
Teen Hangout @North (North Branch)
A drop‑in hangout with video games, board games, snacks and crafts for middle and high schoolers. Wednesday, October 7, 2–4 pm. Ages 12–18; no registration needed.
Teen Hangout @Claremont (Claremont Branch)
A drop‑in after‑school hangout offering games, movies, music, arts and crafts and snacks for middle and high schoolers. Wednesday, October 7, 2–4 pm. Ages pre‑teens to teens; call 510‑981‑6280 for info.
Our best picks: things to do in Berkeley, CA — October 2–8
Friday, September 25 The Bridges of Madison County 1995/ 135 min. / PG-13 On assignment to take pictures of the covered bridges of Madison County, Iowa, a National Geographic photographer (Clint Eastwood) meets a married woman temporarily on her own (Meryl Streep). They fall in love. Eastwood directs. October 2026 Frid…
A good film can change your life. Let the City Speak follows Quetzal’s rise from East LA’s music scene to grassroots activism in Chiapas. The 17th Annual Fist Up Film Festival returns to […]
This fabulously fun award-winning musical explores Elle’s transformation as she tackles stereotypes and discovers new friendships, all with her signature pink Birkin bag and beloved dog Bruiser in hand. With showstopping numbers, heartfelt moments, and plenty of laughs to be had, this musical is so much fun…it should b…
SATURDAY
3
OCTOBER
The Department of German and the Department of Art Practice are excited to announce the opening of Hidden Layers: AI Infrastructures and Hallucinations, curated by Antonio Somaini with Hannes Bajohr, Sonja Thiel and Elena Yu, in dialogue with the France–Berkeley research initiative The Latent Spaces of Culture, and on…
Get creative this year! Join us for a special Halloween Costume Making Sewing Circle We are partnering with the organization Fashion's Facade , a youth run nonprofit advocating for sustainable fashion. Together we will be hosting a Halloween Costume upcycling workshop. We will have some fun fabrics to choose from and s…
Peer behind the screen for the closing event of the exhibition Hidden Layers. This curated, guided expedition offers a rare look at the physical architecture of AI, charting a path through Santa Clara's industrial tech hubs before concluding with an evening reception at the ICA San José at 6:00 PM. Spaces are strictly…
This fabulously fun award-winning musical explores Elle’s transformation as she tackles stereotypes and discovers new friendships, all with her signature pink Birkin bag and beloved dog Bruiser in hand. With showstopping numbers, heartfelt moments, and plenty of laughs to be had, this musical is so much fun…it should b…
A good film can change your life. Mujer Mariposa follows three daughters of migrant women navigating identity, diaspora, and home. The 17th Annual Fist Up Film Festival returns to La Peña Cultural Center […]
SUNDAY
4
OCTOBER
Exhibit | Centering Philippine and Filipinx American Histories: Selections from The Bancroft Library
The Bancroft Library's collections of materials relating to the Philippines span nearly 500 years. Highlights in this exhibit include a transcript of an Inquisitorial trial from 1646, a prayer book written in the Cebuano language, and UC Berkeley Filipino student publications from 1905 to the present. The exhibit also…
At Giannini Hall, 36 photographs selected from the recently published Remembering the Future: Nuclear Testing, Rising Seas, and The Marshall Islands (Radius Books, © 2026) by Mark Klett and William L. Fox extend the two men's decades-long collaboration tracing the nuclear history of the American West and the broader Pa…
MAREN HASSINGER: Living Moving Growing, now on view at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, is the most significant retrospective of the artist to date. Hear from exhibition co-curator Anthony Graham about Hassinger's work across sculpture, performance, video, and installation from the early 1970s to today…
On display from Sep 9 - Dec 13, 2026 | 11 am - 7 p.m. Bookended by the end of World War II in 1945 and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the Cold War was a transformative period in global history, marking both the end of the twentieth century and the waning of modernism. Though earlier historians defined the Cold Wa…
The Translator is a heartfelt dramedy that explores the complexities of communication (or the lack thereof) in relationships.
MONDAY
5
OCTOBER
Exhibit | Centering Philippine and Filipinx American Histories: Selections from The Bancroft Library
The Bancroft Library's collections of materials relating to the Philippines span nearly 500 years. Highlights in this exhibit include a transcript of an Inquisitorial trial from 1646, a prayer book written in the Cebuano language, and UC Berkeley Filipino student publications from 1905 to the present. The exhibit also…
At Giannini Hall, 36 photographs selected from the recently published Remembering the Future: Nuclear Testing, Rising Seas, and The Marshall Islands (Radius Books, © 2026) by Mark Klett and William L. Fox extend the two men's decades-long collaboration tracing the nuclear history of the American West and the broader Pa…
Against political resistance and industry skepticism, Luis Valdez pushes Chicano storytelling from the fields to the film screen with Zoot Suit and La Bamba, crafting iconic works that challenge, celebrate, and expand America’s story. Acclaimed playwright and director Luis Valdez recognized early on the profound impact…
TUESDAY
6
OCTOBER
New to Line Dance? Get started with step-by-step instruction of easy-to-do dances choreographed to a variety of music from Old Standards to Country, Latin, Rock-n-Roll, Hip Hop, and the latest hit tunes. Learn and recognize Line Dance’s unique vocabulary and typical steps, patterns while improving your balance, footwor…
Join us for 5 curated listening sessions to witness the sonic exhibit and come experience the JOHN HENRY SOUND SYSTEM in The People's Sonic Park at Central on the 2nd floor. The Berkeley Public Library's In the Stax is collaborating with artist Derwin Deon Brown II, founder of the Black American Sound System ( B.A.S.S.…
Join us for a hands-on workshop to help you get the hang of mending, altering, and upcycling your clothes! Literally How and Creative Pop-Up Labs are collaborating on this event to make sure everyone has access to plenty of materials and tools. We welcome and encourage you sharing all your tips and tricks! This session…
"Guts" was originally created as and remains a contest round of HMMT, a math competition for high schoolers organized entirely by Harvard and MIT students. We've put a JS spin on it to create Guts++ - a fast-paced team game including a mix of math, puzzles, random trivia, clever game theory, and meta-level consideratio…
WEDNESDAY
7
OCTOBER
Middle and high schoolers, looking for a place to chill after school? Join us every Wednesday between 2-4pm for Teen Hangout. Teen Hangout is your space to relax and have fun. Whether you're into games, movies, music, arts and crafts, or just hanging out with friends, there's always something going on. Drop in, be your…
All middle and high schoolers are invited to come to the North Branch every Wednesday for video games, board games, snacks, and crafts. Bring your friends and meet new friends! Drop in any time between 2:00-4:00. No Teen Hangout during BUSD school breaks.
RSVP HERE: https://oncampus2026berkeleyleveldesig.splashthat.com/ (https://oncampus2026berkeleyleveldesig.splashthat.com/) Get hands-on with the actual tools Roblox developers use every day! The Level Design Event is a Roblox Studio Obby-building challenge where you'll use a studio template, create something playable,…
THURSDAY
8
OCTOBER
In 1985, UC Berkeley students, with support from faculty, staff, and labor unions, transformed the campus into the heart of a powerful anti-apartheid divestment campaign. They organized rallies, teach-ins, and shantytown encampments to protest the university's financial ties to companies profiting from South Africa's s…
Exhibit | Centering Philippine and Filipinx American Histories: Selections from The Bancroft Library
The Bancroft Library's collections of materials relating to the Philippines span nearly 500 years. Highlights in this exhibit include a transcript of an Inquisitorial trial from 1646, a prayer book written in the Cebuano language, and UC Berkeley Filipino student publications from 1905 to the present. The exhibit also…
At Giannini Hall, 36 photographs selected from the recently published Remembering the Future: Nuclear Testing, Rising Seas, and The Marshall Islands (Radius Books, © 2026) by Mark Klett and William L. Fox extend the two men's decades-long collaboration tracing the nuclear history of the American West and the broader Pa…
An Archive of Archives: Roman Vishniac's Exhibition History | New York, 1971-72 shares some of Vishniac's iconic images documenting Jewish life in Central and Eastern Europe between 1930 and 1940. The Magnes acquired the Roman Vishniac Archive (https://magnes.berkeley.edu/collections/museum/jewish-art/vishniac/) in 201…
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