Saturday, February 2nd, 2025
Save the date! Our friends in Monterey County are organizing their second ever event. Do you live down that way? Want to help? Drop them an email.
Toss it away?
No way!
Repair Café Silicon Valley is a volunteer-run, community service organization dedicated to encouraging the repair and reuse of goods rather than dumping them in landfills. Join us by bringing your broken items to be repaired or by volunteering.
What is Repair Café?
Repair Café is a free event all about repairing things (together). We have tools, materials, and volunteer experts to help you make any repairs you need on clothes, furniture, small appliances, bicycles, crockery, electronics, lamps, toys, and lots more. Our goal is to extend the life of everyday items and keep them out of the landfill.
Repair Café Silicon Valley started over ten years ago as separate organizations in Palo Alto and Mountain View and has grown to encompass all of Santa Clara Valley. Interested in hosting an event near you? Get in touch and we’ll help you get set up.
Did you know that Repair Café Palo Alto was the first one in the United States? Learn more about the history of the international Repair Café movement.
How do I get something fixed?
Bring it to a Repair Café! Our volunteers love a challenge so if you can carry it in we’ll do our best to get it back in service for you. We have electronics experts who love to solder, woodworkers who love to glue, sewing experts who love to stitch, and bike mechanics who love to grease things.
Sometimes we can fix it, sometimes we can identify the problem and send you home with a plan, and sometimes it may be time to recycle an item. But we’ll have a good time and know we are helping the environment by extending the life of the things we love.
How can I help?
Experienced tinkerer? Born organizer? Just want to learn? You can help, even if you’ve never used a screwdriver before you can make a difference.
Sign up for our email list below and you can help us save the planet one repair at a time. We are always looking for people who can troubleshoot and repair, help organize events, or even work on this website. Want to learn how to repair? Come hang out and shadow a fixer at our next event.
Students: ask about our apprentice program! We’ll pair you up with an experienced fixer who will help you build your troubleshooting skills.
Partners
The Museum of American Heritage
MOAH has provided us with the perfect venue for hosting Repair Cafés in Palo Alto over the years. We thank MOAH staff and board members for their help and support in growing this community event.
Zero Waste Palo Alto
Zero Waste Palo Alto’s mission is to help the community reach its Zero Waste goal of virtually eliminating waste being burned or buried. ZWPA supports the Repair Café through generous Waste Reduction Project Fund grants and on-going community outreach.
Upcoming Events
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Repair Café in Monterey County
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Repair Café at the Mountain View Senior Center
Sunday, March 16th, 2025, 11 AM to 3 PM
Repair Café is returning to the Mountain View Senior Center, 266 Escuela Ave
Mountain View, CA 94040. Everyone is welcome to bring items to repair.
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Repair Café at West Valley Community College
Tuesday, March 18th, 2025, 11 AM to 2 PM
Repair Café is joining the West Valley College Democracy Institute for a summit on sustainable consumerism. Volunteers will be providing free repairs on campus. Additional details will be announced soon.
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Repair Café at Spring Garden Fair
Saturday, April 26, 2025, 9 AM to 2 PM
Join us at the Master Gardener’s Spring Garden Fair in Martial Cottle Park, 5283 Snell Ave, San Jose. Bring your garden tools or anything else you want help fixing, but remember your little red wagon (we can fix that too) because it’s a bit of a walk from the parking to our booth.
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Repair Café at the Museum of American Heritage in Palo Alto
Sunday, April 27th, 2025, 11 AM to 3 PM
Join us as we return to the Museum of American Heritage in Palo Alto to fix your favorite things.
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Repair Café at BSD Annual Cleanup
Saturday, May 17th, 2025, 7 AM to 11AM
Repair Café volunteers will be at the Burbank Sanitary District Annual Cleanup day to give residents the option to repair instead of trashing broken household items. Anyone is welcome to stop by the Repair Café tent, but the cleanup event is only for residents of the Burbank neighborhood of Santa Clara Country.
Join Our Email List
Be the first to know about upcoming Repair Café events throughout Silicon Valley.
*If you choose the volunteer opportunities list we will send out notices a week or two before the event with details.