10 Reasons to Visit the Bay Area in October

If you’re coming to the Bay Area in early October, you are a wise person. By this point in the year, the fog and clouds have pretty much cleared and it actually feels like summer in the city and the East Bay is fall bliss. Music, street fairs, First Fridays, conferences, exhibits are in full swing and the city is buzzing with energy.

Hopefully you are in town because you’re attending Amplitude’s product conference, Amplify on Tuesday, October 8th 2019. But if not, we still love you and hope you enjoy this list of 10 great things to see and do in the Bay Area in early October 2019.

1. Fleet Week—Oct. 6-14

San Francisco Fleet Week is the Bay’s annual celebration of our Nation’s armed forces. Almost all of Fleet Week’s activities are along the northern waterfront of Fisherman’s Wharf where you can catch the airshow, ship tours, live music, and so many more events all week long – for free! Be sure to catch the air show on Saturday and Sunday at 3pm sharp, when the Blue Angels can be seen soaring directly over the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s visible all along the waterfront, but to watch the Blue Angels fly directly overhead, Crissy Field is the place to go.

Here’s where you can learn more about Fleet Week.

2. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Oct. 4-6

2019 will be the year marks the 19th anniversary of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, a free music festival in Golden Gate Park featuring over 90 artists across seven stages. More than 50 food vendors offering up some of the Bay’s best bites will be set up, but no alcohol is sold at the festival. Don’t fret though, you can bring in beer and wine as well as your own food. So grab some friends, a few blankets, and your own provisions and head into the park for some bluegrass tunes. You might even catch the Blue Angels tearing through the blue skies above.

Here’s where to check out the info.

3. Amplify, a premium product conference by Amplitude—Tuesday, Oct. 8th

Amplitude, the analytics company based here in SF (yes, you’re reading our blog) is hosting a premium conference for product and growth folks—and it’s going to be a day to remember. This year, we’re lucky to host Amplify at the historic concert venue, The Masonic. The speakers tailored to inspire and educate product and growth leaders with practical wisdom on building better products.

Here’s a bit more of why we think folks in the product manager/growth community should attend Amplify.

4. Oakland First Fridays, Oakland Critical Mass Bike Ride + SF Bike Party— Friday, Oct. 4

The first Friday of every month, the KONO district of Oakland hosts a festival of artists, performaers, musicians, DJs, culinary artisans and more. Telegraph Avenue from West Grand to 27th street turns into a giant, open air experience. Attendees stroll the street, dance, eat, check out all the stimulating art. You can find more info here. Find out the secret location of the SF Bike Party here.

Getting there:
Take BART to 19th street Oakland station

5. First Caturdays at Dolores Park—Oct.6

The first Saturday of every month is Caturday, the unofficial social gathering for cats. So if you like mingling with feline friends, grab a blanket, a cat treat and head over to the Mission to cat watch and maybe squeeze in a cat nap.

Learn more

6. Motown Monday at Madrone—Monday, Oct. 7

A Monday-night institution for SF locals, Motown Monday at Madrone Art Bar is a guaranteed dance party. It’s the one party that makes starting the work week actually something to look forward to. If you go, don’t stay out too late so you can be fresh for Amplify the next morning 😉

Getting there: Take the bus, bike or rideshare to the corner of Fell and Divisadero. Arrive before 9pm for a shorter line and no cover.

7. Castro Street Fair—Sunday, Oct. 6

The Castro Street Fair started in 1974 when Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in the history of California, founded it as a celebration of community. Today, the fair includes hundreds of local vendors, artists and community organizations. Come explore the most colorful neighborhood in San Francisco and plug into the community that makes it thrive.

Getting there:
Take MUNI to Castro Street stop

8. Free Museum Weekend for Bank of America Cardholders—Oct. 5 & 6

Bank of America credit card holders, it’s your lucky weekend! Folks with a Bank of America credit or debit card can enjoy free admission to seven Bay Area museums on October 5th and 6th. Take this chance to stroll through the trees of Golden Gate Park and explore the tucked away de Young Museum. Wander into the Contemporary Jewish Museum located right in downtown SF. Or make a trip into the Presidio to discover the classics at the Legion of Honor. Learn more.

Participating Museums in San Francisco and Oakland

• Contemporary Jewish Museum
• Legion of Honor
• de Young Museum
• Oakland Museum of California

9. Did we mention our conference, Amplify?

It’s going to be great.

10. Go hiking—literally anytime, anywhere

Go north, across the Golden Gate Bridge and zip up to Mt. Tamalpais for gorgeous trails. Here are some great loop hikes. Saunter around the Marin headlands for breathtaking views of the bridge and valley. If you don’t want to leave the city, never fear, plenty of booty-busting hikes right in San Francisco. Walk up Mt. Sutro, Bernal Hill or Mt. Davidson. You can even hike staircases in San Francisco.

Getting there:
We recommend using the excellent app, AllTrails.

See you in the Bay and at Amplify on October 8, 2019!