The Stone-Age Brain Meets The Disinformation Age
2024-11-10 15:30 - 17:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Campbell Community Center, 1 W Campbell Avenue, Campbell, CA, 95008
We all like to think we’re rational and logical, but the truth is that our brains are riddled with cognitive biases and shortcuts that can lead us astray. The Atheist Community of San Jose is hosting a talk by Bertha Vazquez about how our cognitive biases make us vulnerable to misinformation and disinformation, and how we can overcome these shortcomings.
This free event will take place at the Campbell Community Center in the Mary Campbell Room (Q84, next to the Heritage Theater) at 3:30pm on Sunday, November 10th. More information, including a signup link, is on the group’s Meetup page.

Monthly Zoom Open Discussion
2024-11-11 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-12-09 19:00 - 20:30 | CA
Please join us the second Monday of each month from 7-8:30 pm for our Monthly Open Discussion on Zoom. Non-member guests are welcome! To join the meeting, use this direct Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82288810604?pwd=[REDACTED]
The link has the passcode embedded, but if Zoom asks for a passcode use 666.
We have good, free-flowing discussions on whatever people feel like talking about. After a short report on Chapter news, we briefly introduce ourselves, then raise hands to get in line to talk.
· Chapter activities / activism – ideas for events that advance our mission to promote separation of state and church, educate the public on nontheism and support national FFRF.
· Specific current events or history.
· Personal interests – freethought related or not.
· Anything else – bring any topic or issue. Or just socialize.
We look forward to seeing you.

Outreach Table at Palo Alto Farmers' Market (California Avenue)
2024-12-08 09:00 - 13:00 | Palo Alto Farmers’ Market (California Avenue), 400 California Avenue, Palo Algo, 94306, United States
A few people from our local chapter will staff an FFRF information table at the Palo Alto farmers’ market from 9am to 1pm this Sunday. (Note that there is a different Palo Alto market downtown on Saturdays; this particular event is the Sunday market on California Avenue). If you’re at the market and see the table, make sure to stop by and say hi.
And if you have any interest in helping out, please let us know! It is a great chance to interact with people and to spread the word. Use our contact form or email us if you can help or if you’d like to know more.

Lunch in Milpitas
2024-12-15 12:00 - 14:00 | Outback Steakhouse, Great Mall Milpitas, 1246 Great Mall Dr,, Milpitas, CA, 95035
FFRF San Francisco Bay Chapter members and friends will meet at the Milpitas Great Mall for a lunch get-together Sunday, December 15. The time is noon, the location is Outback Steakhouse (1246 Great Mall Drive, across from the Cinemark Century theater) in Milpitas. There are stops at the Mall for both VTA light rail (“Great Mall”) and BART (“Milpitas”), plus plenty of parking.
If you plan to attend, please let us know no later than Thursday the 12th. You can email Dale, this month’s host, at rsvp@sfbayffrf.org​ (copy/paste the address into your email program), or use this site’s contact form and your message will be forwarded.
Hope to see you there!

Outreach Table at Christmas In The Park, San Jose
2024-12-22 12:00 - 22:00 | Cesar Chavez Park, 194 S Market St., San Jose, CA, 95113
Some members of the San Francisco Bay Chapter of FFRF have signed up to have a table at San Jose’s Christmas in the Park (https://christmasinthepark.com/) on Sunday, December 22nd. We’ll have literature, stickers, pins and bookmarks to give away, as well as copies of Freethought Today for visitors to our table.
Christmas in the Park is a multi-day event at Cesar Chavez Park in downtown San Jose, on South Market Street between San Carlos and San Fernando. There is no public parking at the park itself, but downtown San Jose has many parking garages and is very well-served by public transit.
This Sunday, the event runs from noon to 10pm. This is a great opportunity to spread awareness of FFRF and our local chapter. If you’d like to help, please email rsvp@sfbayffrf.org with your availability.
Thank you!

Monthly Zoom Open Discussion
2025-01-13 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-02-10 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-03-10 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-04-14 19:00 - 20:30 | CA
Please join us the second Monday of each month from 7-8:30 pm for our Monthly Open Discussion on Zoom. Non-member guests are welcome! To join the meeting, use this direct Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82288810604?pwd=[REDACTED]
The link has the passcode embedded, but if Zoom asks for a passcode use 666.
The meeting might be unhosted. We have good, free-flowing discussions on whatever people feel like talking about. After a short report on Chapter news, we briefly introduce ourselves, then raise hands to get in line to talk.
· Chapter activities / activism – ideas for events that advance our mission to promote separation of state and church, educate the public on nontheism and support national FFRF.
· Specific current events or history.
· Personal interests – freethought related or not.
· Anything else – bring any topic or issue. Or just socialize.
We look forward to seeing you.

Secular Strategic Planning for 2025 and Beyond
2025-01-19 11:00 - 13:00 | Mountain View Senior Center, 266 Escuela Avenue, Mountain View, CA, 94040
Join The Atheist Community of San Jose and the Humanist Community, either in person or online, for a combined meeting to discuss how to approach 2025. The event will take place at the Mountain View Senior Center (and on Zoom for those who cannot attend in person – see details below).
The change in our national leadership will likely bring with it a greatly increased influence of white Christian nationalism. Indeed, many in the new government may attempt to use the power and wealth of both the federal and state governments to enhance their religious views and embed them in our regulations and laws. Many secular values will continue to be under attack. As secular Americans, we can – and must – choose how we will respond to this situation, and what actions to take to encourage and expand the positive impact of non-religious Americans in these trying times.
How do you feel?

Are you discouraged and inclined to focus on your life and ignore the wider situation?
Are you angry and searching for effective ways to counter the current religious and political trends in the U.S.?
Are you looking for proactive strategies for continuing American progress in many realms even as Christian nationalists strive to turn back the clock?
How are you planning to strengthen yourself and our community to assure our effectiveness?

Judy Banister will lead us in a discussion of what our members are thinking and planning to defend ourselves, our views, and our practices. A special invitation goes to any other individuals or members of non-religious groups who are interested in this topic to join us.
RSVP on Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/305604963/
If you cannot attend in person, the meeting will also take place on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, go to https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81653890712?pwd=[REDACTED]
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room.
Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer if it’s not already installed, and then take you to the meeting.
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: [REDACTED]
You can also call any of the following phone numbers, and then enter the above Meeting ID and the Passcode, in order to join the meeting by phone.+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
Find an international phone number to call here:
https://zoom.us/u/afYkAuvE6

February: Lunch in San Jose Feb. 16 (revised date)
2025-02-16 12:00 - 14:00 | San Pedro Square Market, 87 N. San Pedro, San Jose, CA, 95110
FFRF San Francisco Bay Chapter members and friends will meet for a lunch get-together at noon on Sunday, February 16th (please note the revised date). We will meet in the San Pedro Square Market in San Jose: 87 N San Pedro St 95110. This area is easily accessible by public transportation. If driving, parking can be found at the San Pedro Square Parking Garage across the street (45 N San Pedro Street).
San Pedro Square Market is an upscale food court, allowing members the opportunity to order the type/style of food of their choice from the various vendors, and then we can all sit together and enjoy a quiet Sunday lunch with friends. Choices include fish & chips, Philly cheesesteaks, pizza, burgers, tacos, Korean barbecue, pasta, noodles, and more.
One advantage of this location is that each member can handle their own bill!
If you plan to attend, please let us know no later than Thursday, February 13th. You can email Dale, this month’s host, at rsvp@sfbayffrf.org (copy/paste the address into your email program), or use our website’s contact form and your message will be forwarded to Dale.
Hope to see you there!

"Raising A Superhero" by Wayne Maines at SF Public Library
2025-02-23 12:30 - 15:30 | San Francisco Public Library, Main Branch, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA, 94102
NOTE: The program is downstairs in the Latino Hispanic Meeting Room and will begin at 2pm, but please come early (12:30) to socialize. Bring lunch if you like. Water will be provided.
Defending his transgender daughter from religious bullying launched conservative military veteran Wayne Maines on a transformative journey.
Fifteen years ago in a small Maine town, religiously motivated harassment of Nicole Maines in her public middle school, with the tacit support of school authorities, led her mother and father to file and win a groundbreaking court case against the school. He helped block an early bathroom bill and has become an advocate and leader for safe environments for transgender children. And Nicole became TV’s first transgender superhero.
The saga of the Maines family is chronicled in the The New York Times bestselling book Becoming Nicole.
Our speaker, Dr. Wayne M. Maines, is first and foremost the proud father of identical twins, one boy (Jonas) and one girl (Nicole). Wayne and his wife Kelly battled to raise their children in a world that was not and is still not ready for a new generation of transgender children.
Please RSVP on the Meetup event page if you can; it’s optional, but greatly appreciated by the folks helping to set up.

Lunch in South San Francisco, Sunday May 4th at noon
2025-05-04 12:00 - 14:00 | Basque Cultural Center, 599 Railroad Avenue, South San Francisco, 94080
FFRF San Francisco Bay Chapter members and friends will meet for a lunch get-together on Sunday, May 4 at 12pm at the Basque Cultural Center in South San Francisco (599 Railroad Avenue). The Basque Center has traditional Basque cuisine delivered in family-style portions amid group-friendly surroundings. There is free on-site parking.
If you plan to attend, please let us know no later than Thursday, May 1st. You can email Dale, this month’s host, at rsvp@sfbayffrf.org (copy/paste the address into your email program), or use our website’s contact form and your message will be forwarded to Dale. Please bring cash to make it easier to settle the bill.
Hope to see you there!

Monthly Zoom Open Discussion
2025-05-12 19:00 - 20:30 | CA
Please join us the second Monday of each month from 7-8:30 pm for our Monthly Open Discussion on Zoom. Non-member guests are welcome! To join the meeting, click this direct Zoom link, or use Zoom with the meeting ID 822 8881 0604.
The link has the passcode embedded, but if Zoom asks for a passcode use 666.
The meeting might be unhosted. We have good, free-flowing discussions on whatever people feel like talking about. After a short report on Chapter news, we briefly introduce ourselves, then raise hands to get in line to talk.

Chapter activities / activism – ideas for events that advance our mission to promote separation of state and church, educate the public on nontheism and support national FFRF.
Specific current events or history.
Personal interests – freethought related or not.
Anything else – bring any topic or issue. Or just socialize.

We look forward to seeing you.

Lunch in East Bay
2025-06-08 12:00 - 13:30 | Special Noodle Restaurant, 3288 Pierce St C136, Richmond, CA, 94804, United States
FFRF San Francisco Bay Chapter members and friends will meet for a lunch get-together Sunday, June 8 at noon, at the Special Noodle restaurant in the Pacific East Mall. The mall is adjacent to El Cerrito and Albany, convenient to the East and North Bay via I-80, I-580 or BART. Guests are welcome, and parking is free.
In addition to traditional Chinese stir-fried dishes, Special Noodle offers hand-made noodles, baos (buns) and dumplings made to order, clay pot, iron platter and more. Their menu is enormous and the prices are very reasonable for the quality and quantity of food.
One advantage of Special Noodle is that orders are taken through a tablet or online menu, so no hassles dividing up a single bill. But you may want to share so you can try more dishes.
The address is 3288 Pierce Street, just east of I-80 and I-580 (Central Avenue exits) and a 15 minute walk from the El Cerrito Plaza BART station. Special Noodle is at mall location C136, opposite the 99 Ranch Market.
If you plan to attend, please let us know by Thursday, June 5th. You can email Dale, this month’s host, at rsvp@sfbayffrf.org (copy/paste the address into your email program), or use our website’s contact form and your message will be forwarded.
Hope to see you there!

Elizabeth Drescher in Los Altos and on Zoom: "Is the None-ing of America Over?"
2025-06-29 11:00 - 12:30 | Neutra House, 181 Hillview Avenue, Los Altos, CA, 94022, United States
Recent demographic data has suggested a leveling off or perhaps even a turn-back of the 30-year trend of increasing religious unaffiliated in the United States. Are we in the midst of a new “religious revival” in America? A deeper dive into the data raises challenging questions for the religious and nonreligious alike about the changing role of religion and nonreligion in American life.
Professor Elizabeth Drescher teaches religious studies at Santa Clara University, where she also directs the Living Religion Collaborative, a place-based center for student and faculty engagement with local religious and nonreligious communities. A scholar of non/religion as it is experienced by ordinary people in everyday life, she is the author of Choosing Our Religion: The Spiritual Lives of American Nones (Oxford 2016) and numerous other books and articles on lived religious and nonreligious experience.
Join professor Drescher either in person in Mountain View or online via Zoom for this talk on Sunday, June 29th, at 11am. Details below.
Attend in Person:
Attend in person with fellow humanists at the Neutra House Conference Center, 181 Hillview Ave, Los Altos, CA 94022. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation.
If you can join in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom.
Attend on Zoom:
To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, use the following link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81653890712?pwd=[REDACTED]
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room.
Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer if it’s not already installed, and then take you to the meeting.
You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smart phone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join the meeting by phone. +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
Find an international phone number to call here:
https://zoom.us/u/afYkAuvE6
———
The Atheist Community of San Jose joins with the Humanist Community to co-host this event.

July lunch cancelled
2025-07-20 12:00 - 14:00 | CA
The lunch gathering has been postponed until sometime in August.

Outreach Table at Palo Alto Farmers' Market (California Avenue)
2025-08-24 09:00 - 12:00 | Palo Alto Farmers’ Market (California Avenue), 400 California Avenue, Palo Algo, 94306, United States
A few people from our local chapter plan to set up an FFRF information table at the Palo Alto farmers’ market on Sunday, August 24th from 9am to noon. (Note that there is a different Palo Alto market downtown on Saturdays; this particular event is the Sunday market on California Avenue). If you’re at the market and see the table, make sure to stop by and say hi.
And if you have any interest in helping out, please let us know! We can always use help, and it is a great chance to interact with people and to spread the word. If you would like to volunteer, or just want to know more, send a message to our tabling coordinator (email address is in the information section below). Thanks!

Celebration of Life for Dick Hewetson
2025-09-06 13:30 - 14:30 | DeFrank Center, 938 The Alameda, San Jose, 95126, United States
Our friend Dick Hewetson died on July 19 at the age of 95 after a long and purposeful life. We will be celebrating his life Saturday afternoon September 6 at the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Community Center in San Jose, California. If you would like to join us, you can do so either in person or on Zoom. More details are on the Atheist Community of San Jose’s Meetup page: https://www.meetup.com/acofsj/events/310540045/?eventOrigin=group_events_list
To attend on Zoom:
[https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81653890712?pwd=[REDACTED]
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room.
You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smart phone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join the meeting by phone: +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)

Mickey Dollens to speak on FFRF's Secular Student Bill of Rights in Palo Alto
2025-09-07 14:00 - 15:00 | Mitchell Park Community Center, El Palo Alto room west, 3700 Middlefield, Palo Alto, CA, 94303
Please join us to hear Mickey Dollens speak at the Mitchell Park Community Center in Palo Alto from 2-3pm on Sept. 7th.
Christian_Nationalism-California_Schools-25

September Lunch in San Leandro
2025-09-14 12:00 - 14:00 | Horatio’s, 60 Monarch Bay Drive, San Leandro, CA, 94577, United States
FFRF San Francisco Bay Chapter members and friends will meet for a lunch get-together at noon on Sunday, September 14, at Horatio’s Restaurant in San Leandro. The address is 60 Monarch Bay Drive, and there is parking at the restaurant.
Docked at the San Leandro Marina, Horatio’s has been serving classic and artfully prepared seafood, quality steaks, fresh salads, and other delicious offerings since 1979.
If you plan to attend, please let us know no later than Friday, September 12th. You can email Dale, this month’s host, at rsvp@sfbayffrf.org (copy/paste the address into your email program), or use our website’s contact form and your message will be forwarded.
Please have cash for ease in settling the bill.
Hope to see you there!

Democracy Fair in Palo Alto
2025-10-18 11:30 - 16:00 | Rinconada Park, 777 Embarcadero Rd, Palo Alto, CA, 94303
The “No Kings” organization will hold another event with a patriotic purpose: to educate, inspire, and train people to defend democracy, dignity, and truth against authoritarianism, cruelty, and fear. This is highly relevant to those who recognize the central importance of separation of church and state to our democracy, which continues to be eroded by people in power (e.g., Project 2025).
This event in Palo Alto consists of a parade along Embarcadero Road, followed by a Democracy Fair in Rinconada Park. Parade participants will gather at 11:30am at El Camino and Embarcadero (near the entrance to Stanford University) and march to the park.
It helps to sign up in advance to help the organizers plan. Sign up for the parade here, and for the fair here.

November lunch in Berkeley
2025-11-23 12:00 - 13:30 | Jupiter Pizza, 2181 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA, 94704, United States
FFRF San Francisco Bay Chapter members and friends will meet for a lunch get-together at noon on Sunday, November 23, at Jupiter’s Pizza (2181 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley). Parking can be found nearby at Allston Way Garage, the Berkeley Way Garage, and there are are various metered street parking options. For those taking BART, the Berkeley Downtown BART station is immediately across the street from Jupiter’s.
Locally owned and operated, Jupiter has been serving handcrafted ales and delicious pizza since 1992. There is both indoor and outdoor seating.
If you plan to attend, please let us know no later than Friday, November 21st. You can email Dale, this month’s host, at RSVP@sfbayffrf.org (copy/paste the address into your email program), or use our website’s contact form and your message will be forwarded to Dale.
Please have cash on-hand for settling the bill.
Hope to see you there!

Dan Barker to speak at San Francisco Public Library
2026-01-17 14:30 - 16:30 | San Francisco Public Library, Main Branch, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA, 94102
FFRF Co-President Dan Barker will speak about his book God: The Most Unpleasant Character In All Fiction on Saturday, January 17 2026, from 2:30 to 4:30pm. The event will take place in the Latino/Hispanic Community Room on the lower level of the San Francisco Public Library Main Branch: 100 Larkin Street (across from Civic Center Plaza).
The event is free and open to the public. Please come join us!

Music and Conversation With Dan Barker in Palo Alto
2026-01-18 14:30 - 16:30 | Unitarian Unversalist Church of Palo Alto, 505 E. Charleston, Palo Alto, CA, 94306, United States
FFRF Co-President Dan Barker will be in the Palo Alto on Sunday, January 18, from 2:30 to 4:30pm. The event takes place at the Unitarian Universalist Church (505 E. Charleston Road, Palo Alto) and is hosted by SF Bay FFRF, the Atheist Community of San Jose, and the Humanist Community In Silicon Valley.
Rumor has it there will be a piano at the venue, which means there’s a pretty good chance of hearing some of Dan’s very amusing and topical music!
The event is free and open to the public, but please let us know if you plan to be there so we can set up properly (see email address below). Hope to see you there!

Outreach Table at Campbell Farmers' Market: Sunday March 1
2026-03-01 09:00 - 12:00 | Campbell Farmers’ Market, 231 E Campbell Avenue, Campbell, CA, 95008
Weather permitting, a few people from our local chapter plan to set up an FFRF information table at the Campbell farmers’ market on Sunday, March 1st from 9am to noon. If you’re at the market and see the table, make sure to stop by and say hi.
And if you have any interest in helping out, please let us know! We can always use help, and it is a great chance to interact with people and to spread the word. If you would like to volunteer, or just want to know more, send a message to our tabling coordinator (email address is in the information section below). Thanks!

Rachel Laser (Americans United) in Lafayette
2026-05-12 19:00 - 20:30 | Temple Isaiah, 945 Risa Road, Lafayette, CA, 94549
Rachel Laser, President and CEO of Americans United for the Separation of Church & State, will be in the Bay Area this Tuesday, May 12, at 7pm. The location is Temple Isaiah, 945 Risa Road in Lafayette 94549. If you can’t make it to Lafayette, you can also join via Zoom.

Lunch in Berkeley at Jupiter's Pizza
2026-05-31 12:00 - 13:30 | Jupiter Pizza, 2181 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA, 94704, United States
FFRF San Francisco Bay Chapter members and friends will meet for another lunch get-together at noon on Sunday, May 31 at Jupiter’s Pizza in Berkeley (2181 Shattuck Avenue). Locally owned and operated, Jupiter has been serving handcrafted ales and delicious pizza since 1992. There is both indoor and outdoor seating.
In recognition of current high gas prices, we strongly recommend using BART if possible. It’s very convenient – the Downtown Berkeley BART station is just across the street. If you do drive there, parking can be found nearby at Allston Way Garage, the Berkeley Way Garage, and various (metered) street parking spots.
If you plan to attend, please let us know no later than the Friday before (May 29). You can email Dale, this month’s host, at rsvp@sfbayffrf.org (copy/paste the address into your email program), or use our website’s contact form and your message will be forwarded. Please have cash on-hand for settling the bill.
Hope to see you there!

SkeptiCal in Oakland
2026-06-27 | Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 Ninth Street, Suite 290, Oakland, CA, 94607
Our local FFRF chapter will have an outreach table at this year’s SkeptiCal conference in Oakland. The even takes place at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center in Pacific Renaissance Plaza (388 Ninth Street, Suite 290, Oakland 94607).
From their website: “The SkeptiCal Conference brings stimulating and entertaining speakers to Northern California science fans, critical thinkers, and anyone who questions ‘extraordinary claims.’ Please join us for an engaging day of speakers and discussions.”
If you have any interest in helping at our outreach table or even just assisting with setup/takedown, please contact Dana by email (dana@sfbayffrf.org) or use our site’s contact form. Thank you!
