Group shot of several dozen students standing in front of the Oracle Park entrance sign, an example of the kinds of trips planned for the Explore the Bay series.

Explore the Bay will visit local landmarks, including sports venues. (Image credit: Adams House)

The Bay Area offers cultural events, professional sports, and natural beauty – and the Explore the Bay program helps Stanford students make the most of it all.

Explore the Bay, a spinoff from the popular Cardinal Nights program that is run by the Office of Student Engagement, started last spring with events including trips to Santa Cruz and Oakland’s Lake Merritt. It offers reasonably priced off-campus weekend activities, complete with transportation.

“There is a very rich cultural life here in the Bay Area,” said Trista Shideler, assistant director of the Office of Student Engagement. “Our hope is to encourage students to explore these activities.”

Events

Explore the Bay has a number of events planned for fall:

Tricks and Treats, California’s Great America, October 15: Tricks and Treats is a special Halloween event at Great America, an amusement park in Santa Clara. Stanford will run shuttles from campus at noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6 p.m., with return shuttles at 6:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m., and 10:30 p.m. (just after the park closes). The cost is $15 and includes park entry and transportation.
strong>Stanford Night at the San Jose Sharks, November 5: For $15, students can watch the San Jose Sharks take on the Anaheim Ducks. OSE is buying a block of tickets for students – who will also get a water bottle as a souvenir.

Private screening of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, November 11: Students will go to a movie theater in Redwood City for a private screening of the Black Panther sequel.

Explore the Bay is also planning an ice skating event in December, though the date is not yet set.

Tickets

To get tickets for any of these events, students can get the Eventbrite code from the calendar on either at CardinalEngage or the Stanford Events Calendar.