While the rest of the northern hemisphere gets ready for Autumn, San Francisco will keep summering until late October, but even when the SF winter finally comes, and the sun begins to set at 5pm…that just means that the lights come on earlier at our incredible theatres, and burn brighter, for longer in the night!

Your favorite marketplace host and voice on the economy, Kai Ryssdal, is performing live at the gorgeous Sydney Goldstein Theater, followed by several sultry, literary wits (like dominatrix & novelist Brittany Newell) for a Litquake salon at the beloved community-centered KQED Commons. And as the days grow short and Halloween approaches…the curious (and potentially diabolical) Glynn Washington is bringing Spooked! to that Art Deco, marvel of a theatre in Oakland.

Then in November, as the rains meander in, we get to settle into The California Report’s 30 years of award-winning statewide coverage, as brilliant journalists host California storytelling, food, and music at KQED HQ.

In December, there’s a dope lookin’ denim market and community clothing swap, where you can customize jeans and hang with fashionable experts. And if you're nuts for Crossword puzzles (like my mother) the best live crossword puzzle host in the world (Zach Sherwin) will be here with a great panel, for a night of comedy, music, wordplay, and trivia.

These are excellent events for like-minded souls who love the written word and appreciate excellent storytelling. Mark your calendar, and pause your doom-scrolling on TikTok for just a few moments😂, to mingle in person (or via livestream) this October through December 2025.

Join KQED for a special live show with Marketplace, public radio’s essential guide to business and the economy, “for the rest of us,” at the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco. 

Go beyond the headlines as host Kai Ryssdal brings his signature wit and insight to the stage to explore the forces shaping our economy—and what they mean for our everyday lives. With candor and curiosity, he will break down some of today’s biggest Bay Area business stories and how they reflect and influence the wider country with local expert guests. And he’ll reflect on how two decades behind the mic at Marketplace shapes the way he thinks about the American economy. 

Don’t miss this chance to experience up close the way that Marketplace raises the economic intelligence of the country through the unorthodox storytelling, lively conversations and unexpected angles on today’s financial news.

Tuesday, October 14, 2025 7:00 PM
Sydney Goldstein Theater 275 Hayes St, San Francisco
In-Person: $35.10 - $55.80
Tickets

Brittany Newell, author of Soft Core, curates a stellar lineup of writers and performers, including Brontez Purnell (Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt), Eric Sneathen (Don’t Leave Me This Way), alongside Newell herself. They’ll share from new unpublished works that reimagine identity, desire, and the cities we live in through the lens of speculative fiction, fantasy, and urban magic.

Hosted by the magnetic Baruch Porras-Hernandez, and featuring a performance by Gabriele Christian, this literary salon promises stories that seduce, startle, and transport. For those who are drawn to queer futures and shimmer with desire for parallel worlds, there’s something here to ignite your imagination.

Thursday, October 16, 2025 7:00 PM
The Commons at KQED 2601 Mariposa Street, San Francisco
In-Person: $24.38 ($20 + fees) / Livestream: Free

Tickets & Free Livestream

Be afraid.

Question. EVERYTHING.

The hit podcast Spooked comes to life onstage as host Glynn Washington and guests celebrate the Halloween season with a night of Snap Judgment live storytelling magic.

Join us for amazing, true-life supernatural stories from people who can scarcely believe it happened themselves. Featuring stories by Tiyi Schippers, Esther Squires, Lopaka Kapanui . Music by Clay Xavier and Simon Keyser-Petty. Animations by Joe Presser.

Come decked out in full Halloween costume for a chance to win the Spooked Live Best-Dressed Prize in our costume contest! Dress in your finest and weirdest. The winner gets a spotlight moment onstage and a spooky bag of goodies. Trick or treat!

This is storytelling, with a beat – and it’s all going down at historic theaters on the West Coast.

Tour Dates

Celebrate the resilience of public radio and The California Report’s 30 years of award-winning statewide coverage of news, culture, and change-makers shaping the Golden State.

Join hosts Sasha Khokha and Madi Bolaños for a lively showcase of our distinctively California storytelling, food, and music, with compelling guests including musician Kishi Bashi, KQED politics editor Scott Shafer, Stanford Neuroscience researcher and author of Hope for Cynics Jamil Zaki, and more. Featuring delicious sandwiches from Besan’s Market.

Tuesday, November 4, 2025 7:00 PM (PT)
The Commons at KQED 2601 Mariposa Street, San Francisco
In-Person: $24.38 ($20 + fees) / Livestream: Free
Tickets & Free Livestream

Your favorite local boutiques, thrift stores and streetwear brands converge at KQED for a denim market and community clothing swap! Upgrade your closet or customize a pair of jeans as a holiday gift at the Levi’s customization booth. Bring your old wardrobe pieces to sell at the Buffalo Exchange pop-up activation or trade with other fashionistas!

Style experts from Buffalo Exchange and Remake will be in the house to introduce upcoming trends and sustainability practices, and we’ll unfold the story denim’s fascinating Gold-Rush roots in the Bay Area.

Enjoy fashion, food, and a fascinating program to contextualize and stylize your wardrobe!

(Note: Livestream registrants can log into the KQED Live YouTube channel or return to this page at 4pm for the streamed onstage program.)

Saturday, December 6, 2025 3:00 PM
The Commons at KQED 2601 Mariposa Street, San Francisco
In-Person: $24.38 ($20 + fees) / Livestream: Free

Tickets

The Crossword Show returns to the KQED for the debut of “Puzzle #3: Cross Country”!

Host Zach Sherwin (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” “Epic Rap Battles of History”) presides as two guest panelists solve a crossword puzzle live onstage, with everything displayed on a screen so the audience can follow along. As the guest solvers decipher the clues, Zach takes the show down rabbit holes of comedy, music, wordplay and trivia, all inspired by the answer words, and everything ties together at the end for a grand finale that’s as satisfying as it is mind-blowing. You don’t need ANY crossword expertise to be dazzled by this joyful, nerdy, one-of-a-kind experience!

“Tons of fun.” – NYTimes. “Jaw-dropping.” – SFGate.

VIP ticket holders get to enjoy an exclusive pre-show hang with Zach, featuring bites and drinks, he chance to participate in a  wordplay quiz game, and special bonus material from The Crossword Show for their eyes only!

Friday, December 12, 2025 7:00 PM (PT)
The Commons at KQED 2601 Mariposa Street, San Francisco
In-Person: GA $41.52 ($35 + fees) | VIP $87.21 ($75 + fees)

Tickets

This post was sponsored by the fine folks at KQED