Academic and author Brittney Cooper discussed Serena Williams, the power of black feminism, the Kavanaugh hearings and more with the San Francisco Chronicle’s Otis Taylor Jr. to open the 2018 Berkeleyside Uncharted Festival. Photo: Pete Rosos

For the kind of engaged, aware people that choose to go to an ideas festival, Friday and Saturday were clouded by Senate votes on the other side of the country. But more than 40 speakers and performers buoyed festivalgoers at the sixth Berkeleyside Uncharted Festival with ideas for action and deep dives into many of the issues that lay behind immediate tweets and headlines.

Among the feedback from the nearly 500 festivalgoers: “The most vibrant community conversation about real issues that exists!” “An opportunity to escape the daily hustle and step into a multitude of perspectives, ideas, and communities,” “Disparate ideas explored and later connected by humanity,” and “A blast of thought-provoking information that you can chew on for days and weeks.”

Here are some of the images from the two days of the festival.

Kris Hayashi, head of the Transgender Law Center, talks about both progress and setbacks for transgender rights in the current political climate. Photo: Pete Rosos
Zahra Billoo, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations, Bay Area, discussed the risks people are willing to take for what they believe in on Friday at the festival. Photo: Pete Rosos
Worried about bots and deep fakes? Caroline Orr and Samuel Woolley explained how to survive the disinformation age at the festival. Photo: Pete Rosos
Speaker Jason Roberts chats with festivalgoers at the Uncharted Party Friday night at Alumni House on the UC Berkeley campus. Photo: Pete Rosos
Edible Excursion’s Lisa Rogovin leads an interactive lab at Berkeleyside’s Uncharted Festival about the various uses of cannabis. Photo: Pete Rosos
Festivalgoers listen intently to Allyson Hobbs and Andres Resendez discuss “The history of the unheard” on Friday. Photo: Pete Rosos
Berkeleyside’s Frances Dinkelspiel challenges conservative thinker Mona Charen on her views on feminism. Photo: Kelly Sullivan
State Senator Scott Wiener talks about the need for more housing – affordable and market rate – with Kim-Mai Cutler. Photo: Kelly Sullivan
Long-time Chez Panisse executive chef Cal Peternell takes a group of festivalgoers to the farmers market, before showing how to put together a fall salad. One friend of Peternell at the market asked him if he was running for office. Photo: Kelly Sullivan
Peternell demonstrates the right way to chop ingredients for his salad. Photo: Kelly Sullivan
Young activist Eva Lewis talks to Kate Schatz about her efforts to mobilize young people in Chicago. Photo: Kelly Sullivan
Danyel Smith discussed hip hop with Kevin Smokler. Photo: Kelly Sullivan
San Jose-based popping crew Playboyz closed the festival with a rousing performance. Photo: Kelly Sullivan
After the festival, a relaxing happy hour at Hotel Shattuck Plaza’s Zino. Brittney Cooper and Kate Schatz chat with festivalgoers. Photo: Kelly Sullivan

Lance Knobel (Berkeleyside co-founder) has been a journalist for nearly 40 years. Much of his career was in business journalism. He was editor-in-chief of both Management Today, the leading business magazine...