KALW’s Hear Here story and sound installation popped up in the grassy courtyard of the Oakland Museum of California this Friday evening amidst palm readers, face painters, and yes – a zombie flash mob.
The installation was just one feature of the Oakland Museum of California’s final Summer Nights event of the year, which included Halloween-themed activities like a costume contest and screening of the film Night of the Living Dead.

Hear Here producers invited costumed museum-goers to walk through the installation and listen to audio stories from local residents. Participants were also able to contribute their own answer to the Hear Here question, “What’s a place in your neighborhood that’s special to you, and why?”
The Hear Here installation will be returning to the Oakland Museum of California on Saturday, December 8 as part of KALW’s free Live Crosscurrents mixer and show. Return to kalw.org for more details about the event. In the meantime, contribute your own answer to the Hear Here question and listen to others’ answers on the project website.
Hear Here is KALW’s community storytelling project, designed to illuminate life in Oakland and San Francisco. Our Hear Here producers are asking residents to tell us about their favorite places – and their lives – in these two cities. They share what they’ve learned on air, online, and on stage, drawing out the common threads that tie us together.