Celebrations

Afternoon and Night of Ideas

Saturday, 4/11/2026
3:00 - 11:45
Atrium
Fulton Plaza
Main Library

100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
United States

415-557-4400
Register

Our remarkable springtime event, the Afternoon and Night of Ideas, returns to the San Francisco Main Library, Fulton Plaza and the Asian Art Museum on April 11.

Kicking off with family programs that start at 3 p.m. on the Library’s second floor, the Afternoon of Ideas will include playful, interactive workshops with San Francisco Ballet, Prescott Circus and the Exploratorium, plus talks and panels with authors Kristina Wong and Elizabeth Partridge, plus much more.

Art making and performances in the afternoon continue outside on Fulton Plaza until 10 p.m., accompanied by food trucks, bike riding workshops and the Parks Conservancy’s Roving Ranger mobile. Stay for the late night light show.

Doors to the Main Library reopen at 7 p.m. for the full Night of Ideas. From cultural expression to shared responsibility, this year’s theme, Lighting the Way asks what guides us, what inspires positive change, and how we can actively shape a more connected future together. Panel discussions on ethical AI, reimagining our monuments and memorials, and Afrofuturism will be interspersed with a night filled with interactive creative workshops, digital explorations, a small business marketplace and musical performances. The night culminates in a dance party in the atrium, under the Nautilus skylight.

This annual event is presented by Villa Albertine San Francisco, Asian Art Museum, Circuit Network, KQED, and San Francisco Public Library

Register for free tickets at https://nightofideas.org/san-francisco/

Celebrations

Connect with your community through Library gatherings.

Spotlight

This program is sponsored by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.

Attending Programs

All programs are drop-in (no registration necessary) unless otherwise noted. All SFPL locations are wheelchair accessible. For accommodations (such as ASL), call (415) 557-4557 or contact accessibility@sfpl.org. Requesting at least 3 business days in advance will help ensure availability.

This program will be conducted in English unless otherwise noted.

Notice: This event may be filmed or photographed. By participating in this event, you consent to have your likeness used for the Library’s archival purposes and promotional materials. If you do not want to be photographed, please inform a staff person or the photographer. A sticker will be provided to help identify you so that we can avoid capturing your image.

Public Notice and Disclaimer

This program uses a third-party website link. By clicking on the third-party website link, you will leave SFPL's website and enter a website not operated by SFPL. This service may collect personally identifying information about you, such as name, username, email address, and password. This service will treat the information it collects about you pursuant to its own privacy policy. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each third-party website or service that you visit or use, including those third parties with whom you interact through our Library services. For more information about these third-party links, please see the section of SFPL’s Privacy Policy describing Links to Other Sites.

The views and opinions expressed in programs presented by groups unaffiliated with SFPL do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SFPL or the City.