THURSDAY
3
SEPTEMBER
The Ember List · the Bay Area
Free things to do in the Bay Area
We reviewed 550+ Bay Area event sources to pick the 25 best free things to do in the Bay Area between September 3 and September 9. Updated daily.
Highlights for September 2 – September 6
Tween Club (Martin Luther King Jr. Branch, Oakland)
Activities include 3D pen art, painting, movies, and crafts for kids 8‑14. Wednesday, September 2, 1:15–2:15pm. Free. Ages 8‑14; open to families; no registration required.
Bay Area Comics and Comix Exhibition (King Library, San Jose)
Explore the history of American comic books, from 1842 origins to the 1960s Bay Area scene. Thursday, September 3, 12am–11:59pm. Free. All ages welcome; static exhibit.
Dungeons & Dragons® (San Pablo, Conference Room, San Pablo)
Join a tabletop adventure where teens roll dice and explore fantasy quests together. Saturday, September 5, 9–11am. Free. Ages 13‑18; no experience required.
Biodiversity Days | Oakland Zoo (Oakland Zoo)
Use the iNaturalist app to spot and record 30 native species around Oakland during the zoo’s citywide celebration. Saturday, September 5, 10am. Free. All ages; bring a smartphone.
Bank of America Museums on Us Weekend (SAN JOSE MUSEUM OF ART ASSOCIATION)
Free general admission to the San Jose Museum of Art with a qualifying Bank of America debit or credit card. Saturday, September 5, 10am. Free. All ages; bring a Bank of America card.
STEAM Sunday Extravaganza! (Biblioteca Latinoamericana, San Jose)
Hands‑on STEAM projects like slime, cactus rocks, and bubble art with supplies provided. Sunday, September 6, 1–3pm. Free. Ages 5‑12; bring curiosity; free.
Gatorbotics: Gear Up! Designing for a Purpose (Mitchell Park Library, Palo Alto)
Build and program simple robots while learning design thinking from high‑school robotics team members. Sunday, September 6, 2–5pm. Free. Ages 6‑11; no prior experience needed.
Our best picks: free things to do in the Bay Area — September 3–9
Master the basics of fire safety with our hands-on Fire Extinguisher Suppression Class! Learn to operate fire extinguishers safely and practice real suppression techniques in a controlled environment. What You'll Learn The Fire Triangle: Understanding the science of fire and how to break it. Extinguisher Types: Choosin…
FRIDAY
4
SEPTEMBER
Get crafty and relax at a jewelry-making night just for adults.. Supplies will be available to create whatever you like. Make something for yourself or a gift for a friend. Better yet, bring a friend! Not sure where to start? We’ll have project ideas and examples to help you get inspired. Come be creative, unwind, and…
Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with a hands-on Chinese calligraphy workshop. Participants will learn about holiday traditions, write characters such as “中秋” (Mid-Autumn) and “喜樂” (Joy) with a brush, draw cute moon rabbits, and craft their own glowing paper lantern to take home. Additional Details Space and supplies…
Paint a tiny canvas for display in our Tiny Art Show! Tiny Art will be admired by our community throughout Evergreen Library's 20th Anniversary during the month of September. All materials for painting Tiny Art will be provided, while supplies last. Note: Paint is not washable, so dress for mess. Recommended for kids a…
This Friday Night at OMCA, Oakland-born vocalist and songwriter PHER brings his soulful sound to the Garden Stage with a powerful live performance. Blending contemporary R&B, jazz, and soul with heartfelt storytelling, the three-time Grammy-winning collaborator delivers an uplifting set of original music, reimagined cl…
SATURDAY
5
SEPTEMBER
Volunteer with Hidden Villa's farm team and help us care for food for the local community.
Join Oakland Zoo for a citywide celebration of Biodiversity Days, September 5-13! Using the free iNaturalist app, help us discover 30 native species that share Oakland with us–from ladybugs on sidewalk leaves to salamanders under logs, oak tress in parks, and pelicans along the Bay. Every observation helps tell the sto…
Discover the exciting world of robotics through hands-on learning and creative problem-solving. Can a robot find its way out of a maze? How does a robot “see” obstacles and make decisions? In this interactive workshop, students will program robot cars to complete engaging challenges while exploring coding, sensors, eng…
Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival through art and culture! Participants will learn basic Chinese calligraphy brush techniques and discover the festival’s traditions. We will explore the customs and symbolism of the Mid-Autumn Festival, then practice writing auspicious phrases related to the moon and reunion. Each parti…
SUNDAY
6
SEPTEMBER
“Because of Our History” – Creativity Explored on African American history and artist’s place in the narrative. What is the role of the artist in the preservation and telling of history? “Because of Our History,” a quote from the late Creativity Explored artist Antonio Benjamin, speaks to the importance of Black cultur…
Walk through OMCA’s landmark building and gardens with members of the Council on Architecture. \n
The worlds of science and art collide at STEAM Sundays! Help us clean out our closets in this project filled STEAM Sunday afternoon. We'll have mini lessons and projects at the ready for you to pick what you'd like to work on. Will you make slime or maybe create a cactus rock sculpture after learning about succulents?…
Join us for a hands-on exploration of robotics and the design thinking process! We will be learning how to interview, brainstorm, and make as we build solutions to real problems we find in the world around us. Participants will practice hands-on engineering and learn what it's like to compete in the FIRST Robotics Comp…
MONDAY
7
SEPTEMBER
The California Room’s exhibit “Bay Area Comics and Comix” presents the history of American comic books, highlighting the participation of the San Francisco Bay Area. The exhibit displays comic books and materials illustrating our journey from 1842’s The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck to the arrival of the modern comic b…
Join a Dungeons & Dragons® adventure with other teens. Our teen volunteers will create the one-shots. D&D at the San Ramon Library plays at level 5. Get a jump start on the game by bringing a level 5 character sheet! Middle schoolers and high schoolers only, please. Programming is made possible thanks to support from t…
Welcome to Gaming Mondays! Join us for video games, board games, and puzzles. Plus, there will be snacks and drinks. This program is for students in middle school and high school. Library staff may take photos, videos, or audio recordings at our events. Please tell us if you do not wish to be photographed, video-record…
TUESDAY
8
SEPTEMBER
Presidio Tunnel Tops Stewards help care for the landscaped areas at the Presidio Tunnel Tops, while learning about the unique mixture of native and non-native plants growing on the site. Activities will include pruning, weeding, spreading mulch, and other general landscaping and gardening activities.
Come pick up free sprouts for your garden! We offer a variety of flower, herb, fruit, and vegetable sprouts. Take your pick! Sprouts are seeds that have just started to take root in the soil. The sprouts come from seeds from the Golden Gate branch's seed library and from library patrons who have grown their plants to s…
Join our wonderful volunteer instructor Audrey Chen for line dancing classes. Have fun and enjoy music while performing calorie-burning dance movements! Some line dancing experience is preferred but not required. Please note this will be an indoor program. Tuesdays, 星期 二 , 下午 1:30pm - 3:00pm August: 11, 18, 25 Septembe…
Explore the principles of engineering through open-ended, hands-on activities using both everyday materials and makerspace tools. Put your design skills to the test as you build structures, learn new skills, and bring your ideas to life using our laser cutter, 3D printer, and vinyl cutter. Our repair tools, including a…
WEDNESDAY
9
SEPTEMBER
Step into Samantha Grant’s art installation, where a vintage phone booth prompts honest conversation with the Divine, yourself, and others.
Join us for a beautiful nature hike at San Bruno Mountain! San Mateo County Parks staff will guide you through a 2.5 mile social hike along the Saddle Trail. See the great outdoors together and get moving. Enjoy some of the Peninsula’s most stunning parks, views and wildlife, courtesy of our monthly hike series with Sa…
Join our September 9, 2026 PARC Forum as we bring together leaders from government, industry, and the technical community to examine the state of the art in space cyber resilience and identify the gaps between today’s capabilities and tomorrow’s operational requirements.
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