FRIDAY
30
OCTOBER
Things to do this weekend in Palo Alto, CA
We reviewed 550+ Bay Area event sources and found 47 things to do in Palo Alto, CA this weekend (Oct 30 – Nov 1). Last updated October 27, 2026.
All things to do in Palo Alto, CA this weekend (Oct 30 – Nov 1)
Stanford Symphony and Wind Symphony perform Strauss, Holst, Goldsmith and Williams for Halloween in Dinkelspiel Auditorium, featuring a costume contest; tickets $32, $27 seniors/non‑Stanford, free for Stanford students.
Halloween dodgeball at Arrillaga Recreation Center features costumed teams competing in a spooky, friendly match.
JANE! An intimate exploration of Gilded Age excess and the enigmatic life and death of Jane Stanford
JANE! at Cantor Arts Center displays Jane Stanford’s French gowns, jewel painting, Egyptian artifacts, Hawaiian skirt, and rare keepsakes, many shown for the first time, free.
Autumn Farm Festival at the O'Donohue Family Stanford Educational Farm offers music, farm art, games, light bites and costume fun for all ages.
Let the Poets Speak: A Celebration of Philip Glass and Allen Ginsberg at Bing Concert Hall, Stanford.
Casual in-gallery conversations and a spotlight tour of a single object in the JANE! exhibition at Cantor Arts Center, followed by open discussion, free.
Public tour of indoor and outdoor Rodin sculptures across three galleries and a garden, featuring nearly 100 works, at Cantor Arts Center, free, first‑come.
In Focus: Asian American Art (Cantor Arts Center) presents recent acquisitions, debuting works by Pacita Abad, Ching Ho Cheng, Tseng Kwong Chi, and others.
Guided tour at the David Rumsey Map Center offers a 30‑minute overview, touch‑screen map exploration, rotating exhibition viewing, and staff Q&A.
A Vision of Paris: the Roxane Debuisson Collection at Stanford (Green Library, Bing Wing) — almanacs, prints, postcards, stereographs, manuscripts, photographs showing 19th‑century Paris transformation; ID registration required.
TNT Traysikel displays a sculpture that invites singing and storytelling, shifting between sculptural, performative, cinematic forms in McMurtry Building’s Miller Discussion Room and Vitrine Gallery, free.
Electric Contrasts: the Art of the Detail (McMurtry Building, Stanford) — Photobooks and magazines display late‑19th/early‑20th century photography’s impact on art, curated by Altair Brandon‑Salmon.
Multimedia exhibition at Cantor Arts Center features a performance score, a dance‑performance‑derived work, a bench redesign for comfort, and a floor that records visitor marks.
Explore spooky critters with hands‑on spider, snake and owl activities, interactive touchscreens, Baylands Marshcam, and a Duck Pond display with bird experts at the EcoCenter.
Tangling the Digital (McMurtry Building, Stanford) showcases woven textiles, atomized prints, and digitally printed clay, linking historic craft with computational processes; free admission.
Kim Bong‑Jun’s print exhibition at Stanford’s Lathrop Library showcases Korean folk‑inspired works envisioning Indigenous Futures, with an opening reception featuring his talk and a Korean mask dance.
Night hike at Pearson-Arastradero Preserve offers after‑dark nature exploration in a spooky Halloween spirit.
Jack Guenther presents The Gatekeepers, a history of Hamburg’s role in liberalism and globalization, with a lunch RSVP and discussion at Stanford’s History Corner.
Solid Pictures exhibition at Cantor Arts Center showcases rare 19th‑century photosculpture artifacts that predate 3D printing, revealing early portrait‑making technology.
Emergent Properties exhibition showcases forty rare maps and artifacts that have driven scholarship, with a staff‑led tour during the reception.
SATURDAY
31
OCTOBER
Car‑free Cal Ave. becomes a lively gathering with popular local music talent, interactive activities, free giveaways, games and themed programming, all ages.
JANE! An intimate exploration of Gilded Age excess and the enigmatic life and death of Jane Stanford
JANE! at Cantor Arts Center displays Jane Stanford’s French gowns, jewel painting, Egyptian artifacts, Hawaiian skirt, and rare keepsakes, many shown for the first time, free.
Ghosts roam the Museum of American Heritage, offering eerie vibes and spine‑tingling fun for costumed visitors.
Guided tours at Cantor Arts Center explore three to four themed artworks with a Stanford student or volunteer guide, offering contemplation and conversation; free, first‑come.
Casual in-gallery conversations and a spotlight tour of a single object in the JANE! exhibition at Cantor Arts Center, followed by open discussion, free.
Public tour of indoor and outdoor Rodin sculptures across three galleries and a garden, featuring nearly 100 works, at Cantor Arts Center, free, first‑come.
In Focus: Asian American Art (Cantor Arts Center) presents recent acquisitions, debuting works by Pacita Abad, Ching Ho Cheng, Tseng Kwong Chi, and others.
A Vision of Paris: the Roxane Debuisson Collection at Stanford (Green Library, Bing Wing) — almanacs, prints, postcards, stereographs, manuscripts, photographs showing 19th‑century Paris transformation; ID registration required.
Mindfulness meditation sessions led by Buddhist nun Phuong Pham include 30‑minute sitting, 15‑minute releasing, and 15‑minute group sharing in Mitchell Park Library’s Midtown Room, ages 14+.
Explore spooky critters with hands‑on spider, snake and owl activities, interactive touchscreens and a Baylands Marshcam at the EcoCenter, free.
Multimedia exhibition at Cantor Arts Center features a performance score, a dance‑performance‑derived work, a bench redesign for comfort, and a floor that records visitor marks.
Guided seated meditation with Sara at Rinconada Library, lasting about 30 minutes, welcomes all experience levels, ages 14 and up.
Volunteers work on weeding, planting, irrigation, composting, mulching and flower deadheading at O'Donohue Educational Farm, ages 10+, with guardians required for 10‑14‑year‑olds.
Kim Bong‑Jun’s print exhibition at Stanford’s Lathrop Library showcases Korean folk‑inspired works envisioning Indigenous Futures, with an opening reception featuring his talk and a Korean mask dance.
Solid Pictures exhibition at Cantor Arts Center showcases rare 19th‑century photosculpture artifacts that predate 3D printing, revealing early portrait‑making technology.
12 more events through Sunday, November 1.
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