Festival Tickets Going Fast!

Register for Oakland Neon Shop Tour
Sunday September 20 | Jim Rizzo of Neon Works in Oakland has been rescuing and restoring Bay Area neon signs for decades and he only opens his shop for tours once a year. Jim is a master sign-maker and he’s letting us into his 17,000-square-foot workshop to explore the art and craft of neon signs. You’ll learn about the anatomy of neon signs, how they are made, and how they’ve changed over time. This is your chance to photograph Jim’s fabrication shop and vintage neon collection. Neon artist Adam Taylor will demonstrate tube-bending talents and artistry to show how neon, glass, skill, and fire combine to make a neon sign glow.

Neon Speaks
2026 Schedule
at-a-Glance

Neon Speaks goes to Reno in 2026! We are excited to support the opening of Will Durham’s Light Circus Nevada Neon Museum by bringing the Neon Speaks Festival & Symposium to this museum in Reno, NV. The festival will also be online, in Oakland for the Neon Works shop tour, and at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco.

Register Online Neon Symposium | Wednesday, September 2
Presentations, film, and quiz! Via Zoom, 5 pm to 9 pm, PDT.

Early Bird registration is free through July 4.

Waitlist Only: Register for Reno
September 11, 12, & 13 | The main event! This 3-day schedule includes a Friday evening welcome reception and museum overview, then day-long Saturday and Sunday symposium presentations, preservation panels, film events, quiz, museum tours, and the sparkling collection of vintage neon in the museum. (Don’t worry, this event will be back at the SF Verdi Club next year.)

Register for the Roxie Theater, San Francisco
Saturday, September 19 | 2 pm VIP Reception and 4 pm screening at the Roxie Theater

Register for the Letterform Archive Tour, San Francisco
Saturday, September 19 | 10:0 am and 11:30 am pm, take a sign-focused tour for Neon Speaks by Stephen Coles

Register for Oakland Neon Shop Tour
Sunday September 20 | Neon Shop Tour and Demo with Jim Rizzo and Adam Taylor at Neon Works. Don’t miss this once-a-year tour to see how neon signs are made and view Jim’s collection of vintage neon from the Bay Area.

Register for Alameda Tour
Sunday September 20 | Twilight walking tour of vintage signs in the historic town of Alameda with local historian Devi L. Dahl.

Full-festival sponsor passes available now, see below.

Get a Neon Speaks Sponsor Pass

Neon Speaks is made possible by tickets and sponsorships donations.
Thank you.

2026 Sponsor Passes

Get your sponsor pass early! There are multiple levels of sponsorship, no amount of donation is too large or too small. Email us at neonspeaks@gmail.com to find out how to become a sponsor to keep the lights glowing for Neon Speaks and join the neon preservationists below.

Noviol Gold Level
Noviol Gold is the highest level of sponsorship! Glowing thanks to the first sponsor of 2026: Martin Treu.

Majestic Gold Level
Special thanks to Pamela Dekema and Sandra Price for donating at this high level. In proud partnership with the Roxie Theater with Lex Sloane and Tenderloin Museum with Katie Conry and Alex Spoto for their in-kind donations.

Ruby Red Level
Sponsorship donations by Ed Ochi, NY Pals of Neon Speaks, the Blazek Family: Dean & Polly, DeAnne, Julie, and Michael. In-kind donation by Jim Rizzo of Neon Works, Oakland. In-kind sponsorship donation by Francisco Chavira, Sacramento.

Cobalt Blue
Sponsorship donations by: Janet Gracyk, Jenny Kuo, David Keenan, Heather David & San Jose Signs Project, and Jude & Monica Cook: Ignite Sign Art Museum.

Emerald Green Level
Sponsorship donations by Debra Jane Seltzer & RoadsideArchitecture.com, Dydia DeLyser & Paul Greenstein, Jeff Davis & Sherry Ginsberg, Angela Workman, Joyce Hendy, Alison Webster, Judith Souza, Alexa, Angela Workman, David Retz & Terry Meyerson, Cindy Ainsworth, Francine Prophet, and Barbara Tannenbaum.