KQED Arts

09/06/2026

Why are there so many golf courses in public parks around the Bay Area? Can and should you visit as a non-golfer? And what is their financial relationship to the parks? Your questions, answered.

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09/05/2026

It feels like a new matcha cafe or matcha-forward coffee shop opens almost every day in the Bay Area.

Here are 11 of the best spots we tried ⬇️

09/05/2026

On Saturday, Sept. 12, artists will be present for a meet-and-greet event at the Grant Avenue storefront of the Chinese Culture Center (CCC).

It’s one stop on what the San Francisco Arts Commission, CCC and Chinatown Media & Arts Collaborative (CMAC) are calling “A Day of Public Art in Chinatown,” a mini-tour of artists and artworks across three neighborhood venues.

California has a rich history. Thanks to this program, you don’t have to be wealthy to see it.

09/05/2026

A selection of California’s most storied buildings will be open to visitors throughout the month of September, as Doors Open California, an event series celebrating historic homes, film locations, train stations, museums and more, begins this weekend.

Organized by the California Preservation Foundation, the series gives attendees access to over 70 sites all across the Golden State for a one-time fee of $20.

California has a rich history. Thanks to this program, you don't have to be wealthy to see it.

09/04/2026

From Oakland’s Black Cowboy Parade to Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival, the Bay Area offers more than a handful of fall festivals to dance in the streets, eat in parking lots, sing your heart out and welcome the season.

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09/03/2026

Our current era is full of songs that become hits after going viral on TikTok. Meanwhile, since August of 2025, Oakland’s BossLife Big Spence and San Francisco’s Young Bari have worked their hit song “That’s a Playa” like it’s the old days.

They’ve done local radio hits and traveled for features on national video platforms. They’ve made made guest appearances at major events, like E-40’s recent set at the Oakland Arena and a Levi’s Super Bowl event in February. They even tapped rap legends Richie Rich, Too Short and E-40 for a remix, extending the song’s longevity.

Now, on Sept. 7, Spence and Bari are set to headline the second stage at the 14th annual Hiero Day, closing out a show with a lineup of talent that includes Mereba, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Killer Mike.

After a 12-month campaign of working the song into a hit, the duo headlines the second stage at Hiero Day.

09/03/2026

Trad-wife horror, witches in 1968 Oakland, a haunted house and more treats for your fall reading list.

KQED's fall book guide ⬇️

09/02/2026

The collection includes approximately 300 slides of Running Fence. “Her gift was full immersion,” Gray’s daughter Jennifer Tincknell told the San Francisco Chronicle. “She was an active participant in capturing the sequence of performance.”

The photographer volunteered to document Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s epic artwork — and launched her own career in the process.

09/02/2026

It’s a ripe year for jazz in the Bay Area. While this year marks the centennials of two jazz giants, Miles Davis and John Coltrane, the jazz on offer this fall extends beyond tribute performances of “So What” and “Giant Steps.”

It’s also an exciting year for the local classical music landscape, with a dynamic new conductor in San Francisco. Even the smaller regional orchestras are programming world premieres, catering to the historic hunger from Bay Area audiences for the fresh and new.

Here’s a select list of some of the season’s best bets in jazz and classical.

World premieres, centennial celebrations and other exciting shows are on tap in the Bay Area.

09/02/2026

Stretching across 24.5 miles of Marin and Sonoma Counties, the Running Fence lasted for just two weeks in September 1976. But decades later, a billowing canopy of Running Fence fabric hangs on long-term display inside the Monte Rio Theater. Faded framed photographs of the piece can sometimes still be spotted at a Marin flea market.

Running Fence was entirely paid for by the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who negotiated with 59 landowners to allow the installation to cross their properties. With this year marking the 50th anniversary of the project, several articles, public programs and a museum exhibition are offering multiple perspectives on this temporary artwork, along with opportunities to learn more about how it was realized.

The late Bay Area photographer Marion Gray (born Marion Ruth Schutte, 1934–2016) photographed Running Fence — most notably all the behind-the-scenes work that went into its installation and deinstallation.

“Her gift was full immersion,” Gray’s daughter Jennifer Tincknell told the San Francisco Chronicle. “She was an active participant in capturing the sequence of performance.”

With her sister Hilary Redi and her niece Sonya, Tincknell has stewarded Gray’s archive until it can be placed at a public institution or university library. The collection includes approximately 300 slides of Running Fence, new scans of which have generously been made available to KQED.

✍️ Tanya Zimbardo
📸 Marion Gray