AOF Activities & Events

California Freethought Day, the Eighteenth Annual Freethought Day Festival, is not an AOF event, but a day when the whole community of freethinkers, including AOF, join hands to bring you a menagerie of wonders, an arabesque of dreams, a fabulous flight of free minds, along with music, tablers, speakers, and much more. AOF founded this event in 2002 as a small local gathering. It grew, left the nest, and took silver wings. AOF continues to promote it, because we couldn't be more proud.

Today "CFD" is a public jubilee and gala, celebrating secularism, and a salute to independent and rational thought. It is open to all, and free. It combines "the fun and festivity of a fair with the education and activism of a conference," as the event chair fondly explains. It features exhibits, speakers, music, food, prizes, a "family fun zone," outreach tables, panels, performance art, and tons of fun.

Planners are packing the day with events to entertain you and uplift you. Projected speakers, panelists & entertainers include Hemant Mehta (of the Friendly Atheist blog), Monica Miller (Humanist Attorney); community organizer Debbie Goddard; local activist & gadfly Judy Saint; Sarah Gillooly (VP for State Outreach & Engagement at Americans United for Separation of Church and State); Secular Celebrant Victoria de la Torre; and more. The lineup grows as you read this. This year's event theme is: Think again.

So sign up now. But, sign up why? It's free, isn't it? Yes, the main event (Sunday) is free to attend, but your advance registration (just as free) makes you eligible for delightful & toothsome prizes. Also a fun Supporters Reception (less free but worth it) will occur the evening before, Saturday, with a leadership seminar for secular leaders. CFD is a complex event. To learn more, visit the event website, or see the Facebook Page, or read the Freethought Day Blog.

The seed of this festival, of course, is the celebration of Freethought Day, a secular holiday that technically falls on October 12 (click that little link to learn a bit about it), and one of many celebrations held world-over at about the time.

So ... if you'd like to staff a table at CFD, vend, volunteer, sponsor, help promote, help plan, set up, clean up - or if you just have ideas - then please do visit the event website now, and contact the chairman (see below). Sooner = better. The team will love to have you, because hands that help ... are beautiful hands.