Culture Calendar
Bay Area Asian culture festivals, night markets, and community events.
San Ramon, California
Agomoni’s 10th-year open-air Durga Puja is Friday through Sunday, October 16–18, 2026, in the parking lot at 2600 Camino Ramon, San Ramon. The flyer names Anindya Bose and Rishi Panda. Hours and a public door price are not posted.
Image: Agomoni
San Jose, California
Bay Area Prabasi’s Golden Jubilee Durga Puja is Friday through Sunday, October 16–18, 2026, at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, 344 Tully Road, San Jose. Anjan Dutta, Monali Thakur, and a Jashn-e-Bollywood night are named. Daily hours are not posted.
Image: Bay Area Prabasi
Cupertino, California
The City of Cupertino lists its Diwali Festival Saturday, October 17, 2026, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Memorial Park, 21121 Stevens Creek Boulevard. The city calls it a sponsored event run by an outside organizer. No door price is on the city card.
Pleasanton, California
AIA’s Dussehra Diwali Dhamaka returns October 17, 2026 at Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton with Ravan Dehan, fireworks, Bollywood stages, and 50-plus vendors.
Silicon Valley, California
SVAPFF's 12th festival runs October 22–25, 2026. Opening night is at De Anza College VPAC; weekend screenings list AMC Sunnyvale. A virtual week follows October 26–November 1.
Image: Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest / CATS
Fremont, California
Festival of Globe hosts FOG Diwali Mela on Saturday, October 24, 2026, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., at Washington High School, 38442 Fremont Boulevard. Entry is $5 on Eventmozo. Parking is free on the flyer.
Image: Festival of Globe / FOG SV
San Jose, California
AIA’s free San Jose Diwali Carnival returns October 24, 2026 from 2 to 11 p.m. at Cesar Chavez Park with Ravan Dehan, Bollywood music, food vendors, and carnival games.
Newark, California
Silicon Valley Sarbojonin’s 10th Durgotsav is Saturday and Sunday, October 24–25, 2026, at Newark Junior High School, 6201 Lafayette Avenue. The homepage locks the dates. Hours and a door price are not on that page.
San Francisco, California
UNDISCOVERED SF lists Golden Hour Night Market Saturday, October 24, 2026, 4:00 to 10:00 p.m. on Ritch Street Alley in SoMa Pilipinas. The tenth-season card asks for a free ticket.
Image: UNDISCOVERED SF / Kultivate Labs
Walnut Creek, California
Walnut Creek Downtown lists a Diwali Celebration Street Fair Saturday, October 24, 2026, noon to 5 p.m. at the Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive. Free. Artisan market, food, and live sets.
Image: Lesher Center for the Arts / Walnut Creek Downtown
San Francisco, California
Bhangra and Beats Diwali Night Market returns Friday, November 13, 2026 from 4 to 9 p.m. at Yerba Buena Gardens with Non Stop Bhangra, food vendors, and South Asian marketplace energy.
Image: Bhangra & Beats / Yerba Buena Gardens Festival
Past San Francisco Bay Area listings stay live for recaps and next-year bookmarks.
San Francisco, California
3rd i lists its 24th San Francisco International South Asian Film Festival October 9–11, 2026. The program is branded Beyond Bollywood. Specific venues and tickets are not posted.
Image: 3rd i South Asian Independent Film
Pleasanton, California
626 Night Market’s only 2026 Northern California weekend is Friday through Sunday, October 9–11, 3:00 to 11:00 p.m., at the Alameda County Fairgrounds, 2005 Valley Avenue, Pleasanton. Parking is $15. Kids 5 and under are free. Buy admission on 626nightmarket.com.
Image: 626 Night Market / Foodieland LLC
Newark, California
Sanskriti Bay Area lists Durga Puja Thursday, October 9, 5:30 p.m., through Sunday, October 11, 10:00 p.m., at Newark Pavilion, 6430 Thornton Avenue. Online bhog sales are closed. Buy at the venue while it lasts.
Image: Sanskriti Bay Area
Milpitas, California
Abahan Bay Area’s first Durga Puja is Saturday and Sunday, October 10–11, 2026, at the India Community Center, 525 Los Coches Street, Milpitas. The org site locks the dates. Hours and a public door price are not posted.
Image: Abahan Bay Area
San Jose, California
The Double Ten Celebration Committee S.F. Bay Area holds the 2026 ROC National Day flag ceremony on Saturday, October 10, at 10:10 a.m. at Santa Clara County Government Square, 70 West Hedding Street, San Jose. The committee page lists performances, snacks, and a souvenir lanyard.
Image: Double Ten Celebration Committee S.F. Bay Area
Richmond, California
NANC lists The Grand Dashain Mela Saturday, October 10, 2026, at the Nepali Community Center, 369 Chesley Avenue, Richmond. Entry is free. The page's own clock disagrees with itself, so hours are not locked here.
Image: Nepali Association of Northern California
Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale Mid-Autumn Festival is listed October 3–4, 2026 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Cityline Sunnyvale with Peninsula harvest-festival programming.
Image: Events OMG / Sunnyvale Mid-Autumn
San Jose, California
365 Night Market's Mid-Autumn weekend is free September 25–26, 2026, 4 to 10 p.m., at Grand Century Mall on Story Road.
Image: 365 Night Market
Film, TV, music, and culture coverage from Goldscene. Not just what's on the calendar.
What to Watch
JoySauce TV, the free American Asian FAST channel from Jonathan Ng Sposato’s JoySauce, has launched on The Roku Channel after Prime Video and Plex, calling itself the first AAPI channel on Roku.
Brand Watch
The Olive Young K-Beauty Edit arrives August 20 with roughly 150 products from 19 Korean brands in more than 500 Sephora stores and online. The bigger export is Olive Young’s power to decide what gets discovered next.
Today's Radar
Velveting is the Chinese prep step that keeps stir-fry chicken and shrimp tender instead of rubbery: a cornstarch-and-oil coat, a rest, then a quick par-cook before the wok. Here is how it works and why diaspora cooks are finally seeing the name match the method.
Get Friday's concise edit of Asian entertainment, a finished watch queue, and culture dates worth saving.
