Left Coast Crime 2026 Newsletter

February 9, 2026

Welcome to all our new registrants! Check out our previous newsletters for Greetings from our Special Guests and Things to See and Do Close to the Hyatt Regency.


Close Encounters

Our Close Encounters track is now complete. Interested in The Basics of Lock Picking or a live performance of the Devil’s Trill Sonata? Check out the Regency Room schedule for these and many more  options! Special thanks to Victoria Kazarian & Diane Schaffer for organizing everything.


Author-Reader Connections

One of the best things about Left Coast Crime is the chance to get to know your fellow readers and writers. But sometimes, during the excitement and flurry of activities, it’s not always easy to find time to meet your favorite writer. Author-Reader Connections provide a unique forum for readers and authors to enjoy some time together in a small group. These Author-Reader Connections are free, and in some cases may include some special benefits from the authors.

Author-Reader Connections Information for Fans
  • Visit our Author-Reader Connections page and click the links to learn more about each Connection. You will need to click READ MORE to see the full description.
  • Only registered attendees may sign up for Author-Reader Connections.
  • After exploring the Connections, click RESERVE A SPOT to sign up for the Connection.
  • We will continue to add more Connections through February 10th, so check back often.
  • Registered attendees may sign up for no more than two Connections and no more than one per Author. 


Left Coast Crime 2026 Charity

Each Left Coast Crime Convention raises money to support a local literacy organization with funds raised through a silent and live auction. The 2026 recipient will be the Literacy and Learning Fund, received and administered by the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, to support the Library’s literacy programming for children and adults in San Francisco.

FOG Readers matches community volunteers with students for one-on-one tutoring live and online. The program is designed to accelerate reading skills in students with learning differences in grades 1-4, primarily from, but not limited to, the San Francisco Unified School District.

Project Read for Adult Literacy provides one-on-one instruction by trained volunteers in person and online as well as classes and workshops to improve essential reading and writing skills.

We encourage you to make a donation to our Silent Auction, and then visit the Hospitality Room to bid on auction items throughout the convention. Questions about your donation? Email Silent Auction Chairs Claire M. Johnson & Jenn Hooker.

 


San Francisco Museums

Here is a short list of some of our favorites from the many many museums in San Francisco.

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco includes both the de Young Museum and the Legion of Honor. Together, they make up San Francisco’s largest public arts institution.

The de Young Museum
Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco
Tuesday – Sunday, 9:30 am – 5:15 pm
Website

Legion of Honor
Lincoln Park, 100 34th Avenue (at Clement Street), San Francisco
Tuesday – Sunday, 9:30 am – 5:15 pm
Website

Current Exhibits at the Legion and de Young Museums 

    
San Francisco Railway Museum & Gift Shop
Open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 12 Noon – 5 pm.
Located across from the Ferry Building at the F-line Steuart Street Stop (77 Steuart Street, between Market and Mission Streets) this pocket-sized museum celebrates San Francisco’s rail transit history, exploring the positive impacts streetcars and cable cars have made on the quality of urban life in San Francisco, and is an easy walk from the Hyatt.
Website

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
151 3rd Street, San Francisco | Website
Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Sunday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Thursday Noon-8:00 PM, closed Wednesday

The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
200 Larkin St, San Francisco | Website
Thursday 1:00-8:00 PM, Friday-Monday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, closed Tuesday & Wednesday


Most of these museums are accessible via public transportation. Check the websites above for advice. Or you can travel via ride share or the futuristic self-driving Waymo cars. (Download the Waymo app HERE so you are ready to reserve your Waymo ride.)

 


Neighborhood Restaurants

There are wonderful places to eat in San Francisco. Here are a few within easy walking distance of the Hyatt. 

The Ferry Building
Right across The Embarcadero is the Ferry Building. You can eat at one of the many restaurants, or purchase something To Go and enjoy the fresh air and seagulls on the pier.
Ferry Building Restaurants and Shops

La Mar Cocina Peruana
Located an easy walk from the Hyatt at  Pier 1 ½, this seafood restaurant featuring the diverse gastronomic influences on Peruvian cuisine is a favorite of the staff at the Hyatt.
website

Boulevard
Located in the historic Audiffred building, Boulevard is a celebrated San Francisco restaurant at 1 Mission Street. Their prix fixe menu is pricey and delicious.
website

The Hot List: Our favorite restaurants and bars in SF right now
This recent article in the San Francisco Standard includes a review of Arquet, recently opened in the Ferry building, as well as other restaurants around the city.
 


San Francisco Schemin’ Events


Meet the New Authors Breakfast, sponsored by Sisters in Crime
Debut Authors who have a first mystery, crime, thriller, or suspense novel published between January 1, 2025, and March 1, 2026 (who did not present at the LCC 2025 Meet the New Author Breakfast), are eligible to present at our Meet the New Authors Breakfast on Friday, February 27, hosted by Mike Befeler, assisted by Jeff Ayers & Terry Stevens-Ayers. 
All LCC registrants are welcome to attend the breakfast Friday morning

Author Speed-Dating
Author Speed-Dating will take place Thursday, February 26, from 9:00–11:00 AM, before the panel programming begins, and is a fun way for authors to connect to a new set of readers. Hosted by Jeff Ayers & Terry Stevens-Ayers, the time frame and setup allows 40 authors to circulate in pairs and 144 fans to relax and enjoy the 2-minute pitches. First come, first seated! Seating is limited to 144.

Author-Hosted Tables
Authors are invited to partner with another author to host a table at the Lefty Awards Banquet on Saturday, February 28. The Awards Banquet seating will be at round tables ten: two Author Hosts plus eight other diners, who will sign up to join the hosted table as your guests. There is no fee for hosting. Table favors and decorations optional. Author requests will be taken through February 12th. More about Author Hosted Tables for Potential Author Hosts
    Author-Hosts: Email Lucinda Surber with BOTH of your names and email addresses.
    Fans: After you pick up your registration materials, look for the Author-Hosted Table nearby to sign up. First come, first served.
Note: There will be open tables for those who don’t sign up for Author-Hosted Tables. Reservations are not available for open tables.
 


Volunteers

As an all-volunteer organization, LCC can’t run conventions without volunteers...  like you! There are plenty of volunteer opportunities for everyone.

Volunteers Needed on Tuesday 24th for Book Bag Staging
Before the convention begins, a team of volunteers assemble the Book Bags. The first part of the Book Bag Packing Project will take place at the Hyatt on Tuesday, February 24th, beginning at 1:00 PM. By then all the boxes of books for the book bags will be at the hotel. Our task will be to open the boxes and stage the materials on tables so that the bags can be packed on Wednesday morning. Please email Lucinda Surber if you are willing to help on Tuesday 24th.

Registration
Sign up for a two-hour shift helping Registrar Stan Ulrich manage the registration table. We need both experienced Registration volunteers and those who have never done this fun job of welcoming convention registrants and handing out the envelopes and book bags. The Wednesday shifts are staffed (thank you!) but we need lots of volunteers for two-hour shifts on Thursday (8:30 AM – 5:00 PM), Friday (8:30 AM – 5:00 PM), Saturday (8:30 AM – 5:00 PM), and Sunday (8:30–10:30 AM).  Please email Lucinda Surber if you would like to help at Registration, mentioning some days and times you are available.

Panel Room Timekeeper
Sign up for a shift managing a panel room. Responsibilities include picking up the Panel Packet and arranging the panelist name tents before the panel, holding up signs so the Panel Moderator knows how much time is left before the end of the panel, and escorting the panelists to the signing space after the panel. Written instructions will be provided. Please email Lucinda Surber for a list of available Panels and Close Encounters still in search of volunteers.

Book Signing Room Helper
Sign up for a shift helping with the book signings. Duties include placing signage for each panel, greeting and directing authors to their seats, and managing lines to avoid congestion. Please email Laura Boss & Thena McArthur if you would like to volunteer, mentioning some days and times you are available. 

Silent Auction & Hospitality Room Monitor
Sign up for a two-hour shift monitoring the hospitality room and Silent Auction items. We need volunteers for two-hour shifts on Thursday (Noon – 4:00 PM), Friday & Saturday (10:00 AM – 4:00 PM), and Sunday (8:30–10:30 AM). Please email Glenda Carroll & Vinnie Hansen if you would like to volunteer, mentioning some days and times you are available.

Volunteer Table Helper
Sign up for a shift at the Volunteer Table, helping the Panel Room Timekeepers pick up their packets and pitching in as needed if other volunteers don’t arrive. We need volunteers for two-hour shifts on Thursday (10:00 AM – 5:00 PM), Friday (8:30 AM – 5:00 PM), Saturday (8:30 AM – 5:00 PM), Sunday (8:30–10:30 AM). Please email Bruce Johnson & Lexa Mac if you would like to volunteer, mentioning some days and times you are available.
 


San Francisco Schemin’ Souvenirs

Planning ahead for the cool nights in San Francisco? Visit the LCC 2026 store at Cafe Press to order your San Francisco Schemin’ sweatshirt or other souvenir LCC 2026 logo items.
 


Left Coast Crime 2027
The Big Chile Rides Again!

The 37th Left Coast Crime convention will convene April 1–4, 2027, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Special Guests
Lifetime Achievement: Craig Johnson
Guest of Honor: Lee Goldberg
Guest of Honor: Gigi Pandian
Toastmaster: Wendall Thomas

The Convention rate at the Eldorado Hotel is $249 on the convention nights, plus three nights before and after the convention (subject to availability) so you can extend your stay to explore the wonders in Santa Fe, the Rio Grande Pueblos, and northern New Mexico. The hotel’s usual $35 nightly “Amenity Fee” has been reduced to $10 for convention registrants, and is included in the $249 room charge. Amenities include complementary valet parking and wifi, the rooftop outdoor swimming pool and hot tub, and the Spa.

Convention Registration is now open!
The Registration Price is $250 through March 1, 2026, the close of Left Coast Crime #36 in San Francisco. More information and the Registration link can be found on The Big Chile Rides Again! website.