It’s OK to wear sunglasses at night this week. Two light festivals are kicking off in the Bay Area with impressive public art, including a series that will shine brightly at eight stories tall.
In Palo Alto, Code:ART 2025 runs from 6-10 p.m. on Oct. 16-25, with the chance to meet local and international artists on Oct. 16-18. What is Code:ART? Well, it’s a free festival that features “dynamic projections, immersive environments, responsive sound, light and game-based experiences,” according to the Palo Alto Public Art Program.
A centerpiece are eight-story artworks by 3D projection-mapping artists. These will be displayed 7-10 p.m. nightly on the facade of City Hall at 250 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto. There are also artworks that transform an alley into a movement-activated hall of lights and something called a “Screamaton” that morphs a photo booth with a rage cage. Plus, there will be nightly performances on King Plaza as well as live music and pop-up concerts across downtown. For details, visit instagram.com/publicartpa.
Then in Oakland, there’s the Autumn Lights Festival popping off 6-11 p.m. on Oct. 16-18 with roughly 75 glowing and locally produced artworks. Now in its 14th year, the annual event is a fundraiser for the Friends of the Gardens at Lake Merritt and takes place at the gardens at 666 Bellevue Ave., Oakland.
The Code:ART 2025 festival runs Oct. 16-25 in Palo Alto, with multiple public artworks centered on light and interactivity. (Palo Alto Public Art Program/Alessio Cassaro)
The Gardens at Lake Merritt were built in the 1950s and feature 7 acres of idyllic water-and-forested space including bonsai and rhododendron groves. During the early morning it’s a good place to spot robins and hummingbirds, and at night during the festival — when the albino raccoons come out, seriously — it’ll be transformed into a strange, illuminated wonderland.
Last year’s Autumn Lights Festival went heavy on nature-themed creations. There were pink squids, a towering Mario Bros.-style mushroom, light-festooned trees reflecting in the lake’s ripples and a “Neon Zoo” of questionable animals. Tickets for the fundraiser are $32 for adults and $15 for ages 6-17 (fees included) and are available at gardensatlakemerritt.org.
