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Bay Area Watch Parties for the VP Debate October 1st

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at San Francisco chapter.

This year’s presidential campaign has been a series of surprises and twists. First republican candidate Donald Trump gets not one, but two assassination attempts. Democratic candidate Joe Biden dropped out and immediately endorsed his VP, Kamala Harris.  Harris accepts the position of being the democratic candidate at the DNC and announces her running mate, governor of Minnesota Tim Waltz. Voting is incredibly important. If you have the privilege to vote, get involved in this year’s election and make your vote count by getting your ballot submitted by November 5th. To be a responsible voter and gather more information about this year’s candidates I recommend tuning into the upcoming Vice Presidential debate on October 1st. San Francisco will be hosting tons of watch parties throughout the city, here are a few you can attend to get ready to vote this November! 

Watch Party at Mannys 

Mannys is a social gathering space with food, books, wine and more. They are hosting a watch party from 6-8pm open to the public. Mannys encourages everyone to get involved politically and they are offering complimentary tickets for guests who email the word “grapefruit” and the title of this event (Vice Presidential Debate Watch Party @ Manny’s) to luis@welcometomannys.com. There will be food and drink and Mannys has a library filled with books revolving around politics, check out their books for more information on the election.

The Academy Sf

Located on Market Street, the Academy SF is a LGBTQ+ social club open to all. From 5-8pm on debate night the event space will be hosting a watch party with a cocktail hour starting at five. The event is open to all ages so make sure you bring your ID if you’re planning on enjoying the cocktail hour. Tickets are about 15 dollars not including taxes. You can purchase tickets at their website The Academy and get more information about the event. 

CommonWealth Club 

At 6pm Melissa Caen, a political & legal analyst will be hosting a watch party at the CommonWealth Club in the Embarcadero Taube Family Auditorium. The club has great views and will be offering food and drink at the event along with group discussions regarding the debate. Tickets are 15 dollars for non members of the CommonWealth Club and 10 dollars for current members. You can become a member by paying 10 dollars a month, the club offers multiple social events open to the public per year. To purchase tickets or get more information on how to become a member you can use this link. 

Oak Stop Ballroom Oakland California 

If you’re not located in San Francisco, Bangou Productions is hosting a watch party in Oakland California at the Oak Stop Ballroom. The event starts at 5:30 and there will be snacks and comedy stand ups by upcoming comedians like Wonder Dave, K. Cheng, and more. This event is in downtown Oakland and is either in person or on zoom. Tickets are around 11 dollars and can be purchased through EventBrite. 

I hope this list has given you inspo on where to tune in for this year’s VP debate on October 1st. Grab a few friends and maybe some drinks and enjoy these events and get educated for this upcoming election. The last day to register to vote is October 21st and election day is November 5th. If you’re curious on how to vote check out SF.Gov for a step by step process on how to register. Living in the Bay makes voting fun! It’s important to stay educated and it’s important to stay involved. 

Livia Williams

San Francisco '26

Hello! My name is Livia Williams I am currently a second year at SFSU majoring in journalism. I am a huge advocate for social justice issues and find pride in addressing the inequality that sadly still exists within our societies. I like to tell stories from women all over the world and captivate readers into understanding the obstacles they face on a day to day basis. I hope to provide women with a sense of peace when they read my work and gift them with the realization that they are not alone, and we are all in this together.