Chinatown Neon Walking Tour
Tickets August 15 | 7:15 pm
Tickets August 29 | 7:00 pm
Walk with us to celebrate the restoration of the Golden Star Radio neon sign and find forgotten vintage neon signs in the streets of Chinatown, back alleys and backstories are included. It is a treasure hunt to discover these beautiful signs hidden in plain sight. We save the best for last: the glowing signs are at the end of the tour at twilight. Take a twilight tour with San Francisco Neon authors and photographers Al Barna and Randall Ann Homan that includes neighborhood history with architectural/design insights. Be prepared to walk for approximately 1.5 hours, with rest stops. (Photo by Steve Kushman who led the campaign to restore the Golden Star Radio sign.)
Photo by Al Barna
North Beach Neon Walking Tour
Tickets August 20 | 7:30 pm
North Beach has an impressive array of classic watering holes, bakeries, cafes, and restaurants in a neighborhood that is famous for vintage neon and bohemian history. It is a treasure hunt to discover these beautiful signs hidden in plain sight. Take a twilight tour with San Francisco Neon founders Al Barna and Randall Ann Homan. Tour features local history with architectural and graphic design insights to San Francisco’s unique legacy of surviving neon signs. Be prepared to walk uphill and flats for 1.5 hours with rest stops, 1 block uphill. Tour begins on Broadway and ends near Washington Square.
Photo by Al Barna
Alameda Neon Walking Tour
Tickets September 20 | 7:30 pm
The East Bay city of Alameda boasts a fine collection of vintage neon. This tour route winds through a quiet bungalow neighborhood and the commercial corridors, ending under the glowing grandeur of the Alameda Theater.. This 1.25-hour tour is hosted by Al Barna and Randall Ann Homan with local historian Devi L. Dahl. Historic photos and backstories included. Photography and a lively Q&A are encouraged, be prepared to walk 1.5 miles with rest stops.
Neon Speaks 2026
Festival & Symposium
Early Bird Registration Is Open!
Register free for the Online Symposium | Sept 2
Register for Reno Events | Sept 11, 12, & 13
Register for the San Francisco/Roxie Event | Sept 19
Register for the Oakland Shop Tour | Sept 20
Register for the Alameda Walking Tour | Sept 20
Schedule is in development, check in for more details at neonspeaks.org
FOLLOW THE SIGNS: DEAN BLAZEK’S 70-YEAR SIGN JOURNEY
Dean Blazek hold the world record for the longest continuous neon career. He says he dreams about signs every night. Now his long and entertaining career is captured in a book by his son Michael, his family, and many of the glassbenders who learned and lived the neon craft with Dean at his Wisconsin neon school
Author: Michael Blazek. Softcover book, 118 pages, with 120+ color photographs. Interviews with Dean Blazek, family, and many of the neon students that Dean inspired.
$39 plus shipping. Ready to ship!
Contact us for wholesale and international orders.
NEON PODCASTS
99 PERCENT INVISIBLE
Listen to “Tube Benders”, a deep dive into the topic of neon signs, featuring John Law, Shawna Peterson, and Al and Randall of SF Neon. Produced by Avery Trufleman of 99% Invisible, a KALW NPR radio show on architecture and design. Photo: Shawna Peterson/petersonneon.com
MUNI DIARIES
Listen to an illuminating story told by SF Neon authors Al Barna and Randall Ann Homan “SF Neon tells the story of the giant neon dancing leg of Mason Street.” Produced by the MuniDiaries.com, This is a San Francisco neon mystery that remains unsolved! Photo: Al Barna
ONLINE NEON BOOK STORE
Visit our online neon bookstore for a list of books published by Giant Orange Press, the publishing arm of SF Neon and Neon Speaks Festival and Symposium. Fast U.S. shipping. Contact us for international orders and bookstore orders.
SF Neon T-shirts: Limited Editions
Each year for Neon Speaks we design a new limited edition t-shirt.
High quality printing, 100% cotton.
We still have a few different designs, while they last.