Great news for fans of the California Academy of Sciences: The beloved NightLife events are back for in-person fun, and the winning efforts from the eighth annual BigPicture Natural World Photography contest are about to be unveiled.
“NightLife: Culture Clash,” a series celebrating the Bay Area’s cultural diversity, kicks things off at 6 p.m. Sept. 30 with live music performances from three Asian American artists, plus DJ sets. Also included: two panel discussions — one focusing on Chinatown Pretty, a storytelling project that documents the street style of senior citizens in various Chinatowns, and the other about TRAKTIVIST, an online hub dedicated to Asian musicians in North America.
The photo exhibit opens Oct. 14 and features some of the best nature and conservation photography from around the globe, including “Hope in a Burned Plantation,” the grand prize-winning shot by Canadian photographer Jo-Anne McArthur. She captured a poignant photo of a kangaroo and her joey in a burned eucalyptus plantation during the cataclysmic bushfires in Australia.
Details: NightLife, the 21-and-over series, runs from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Golden Gate Park museum on Thursdays. Timed-entry tickets ($19.50-$22) must be reserved ahead; www.calacademy.org.