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📅 October 11, 2026

🕛 Sunday, 11 AM - 5:30 PM
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📍 California State Capitol

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This Year's Lineup

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Tim Russ
Actor, Director
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Alex Lee
California Assemblymember
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Bertha Vazquez
Education Director,Center for Inquiry
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Forrest Valkai 
Biologist and Science Communicator
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Jonathan Lopez "Hellen Heels"
Our Emcee
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Chris Nichols
CapRadio Journalist
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Jovan Bradley
Content Creator
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Karen Tsugawa
Artist
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Brian Dunning
Science Writer, Host of Skeptoid Podcast
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Candi Carpenter
Musician
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Jared Huffman

U.S. Representative
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Sean O'Brien
Performing as Robert Ingersoll
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Thomas Smith
Host of Serious Inquiries Only
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Lydia Smith
Podcaster
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Andy Swan
as Uncle Sam
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Austin Archer
Actor and Comedian
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NorCal Resist
Community Organization
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Pamella Rivera and Roger Zabkie
Community Organizers
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Jake Via
Organizing Director,American Humanist Association
and more to be announced!

This Year's Theme

In Facts We Trust
Misinformation and Media Literacy
In our twenty-fifth year, we highlight the vital role that reliable information, critical thinking, and media literacy play in a healthy, democratic society. As technology makes it easier than ever to create, spread, and consume information, it has also become easier for misinformation and disinformation to shape public opinion, influence elections, and deepen social divisions.
Secular values encourage us to evaluate claims based on evidence rather than authority, tradition, or ideology alone. By strengthening our ability to distinguish fact from fiction, we reinforce the foundations of informed citizenship, freedom of thought, scientific inquiry, and constructive public dialogue, all of which are central to California Freethought Day's mission and core values.
At the same time, we face a growing challenge: many people have only a limited understanding of how science works and why the scientific process remains one of humanity's most powerful tools for discovering truth. Science does not offer certainty, but it provides a reliable framework for testing ideas, correcting errors, and improving our understanding of the world and the people around us.
When evidence is ignored or misunderstood, the consequences can affect nearly every aspect of civic life, from decisions about vaccines and healthcare to public policy on government funding, and the treatment of immigrants and other marginalized communities. By promoting scientific literacy and evidence-based reasoning, we can make better decisions, strengthen our democracy, and foster a more informed and compassionate society.