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Yerba Buena Gardens Festival 2023
by Jill Loeffler •
Updated: June 21, 2023
Discover free music, artistic performances, and other cultural programs at the 2023 Yerba Buena Gardens Festival. This annual event offers free programming every week from April to October.
Enjoy classical, jazz, and world music, learn more about traditional and contemporary dance, watch local theater companies perform their craft, and uncover a variety of programs specifically for children and families.
During these months, you will find several performances each week around the Buena Vista Gardens. Many are on the weekends, although some are also scheduled during the week. They also feature special Thursday lunchtime shows for those working nearby.
This is a fun event every year. It's relaxing to sit in the gardens around Yerba Buena Park catching free, live performances of both up-and-coming local artists as well as some who are recognized around the world.
Here are some additional details on what you can expect to find during this festival.
Disclaimer: I receive a small commission from some of the links on this page.
Schedule
Here are some of the top performances this year.
April 2024
Dance Outdoors with Rhythm & Motion: 4/3, 4/10, 4/17 & 4/24 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Earth Day Festival 2024: 4/20 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Bay Area Dance Week Kick-Off:
4/27 from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm
May 2024
Dance Outdoors with Rhythm & Motion: 5/1 & 5/8 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Pedrito Martinez – Season Kick-Off!: 5/4 from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm
Neblinas del Pacífic: 5/9 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Balaklava Blues & Kitka: Songs for Ukrain: 5/11 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Poetic Tuesdays with MoA: 5/14 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Dance Outdoors with Rhythm & Motion: 5/15 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
QWANQW: 5/16 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
CAAMFest: Directions in Sound: 5/18 from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm
Islands By the Bay Festiva: 5/19 from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Dance Outdoors with Rhythm & Motion: 5/22 & 5/29 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
PHER: 5/23 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
CO-LLAB Choir directed by Cava Menzies: 5/25 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Community Music Center Neighborhood Choirs: 5/30 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
June 2024
Dance Outdoors with Rhythm & Motion: 6/5, 6/12, 6/19 & 6/26 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
RhythmALLogy (Kids’ Show): 6/7 from 11:00 am to 11:30 am
Dyertribe: Steve & Bokani Dyer + Izithunywa feat. Ndabo Zulu & Linda Sikhakhane: 6/8 from 1:00 am to 3:00 am
Poetic Tuesdays with MoAD: 6/11 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Darrell Grant & MJ New: 6/13 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
René y Familia (Kids’ Show): 6/14 from 11:00 am to 11:30 am
RAWdance: Drawing on a Decade: 6/14 & 6/15 from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm & 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Native Contemporary Arts Festival: 6/16 from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Christelle Durandy SankTET: 6/20 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Circus Bella’s “WOW!” (Kids’ Show): 6/21 & 6/22 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
The Alaya Project: 6/27 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Calvin Kai Ku (Kids’ Show): 6/28 from 11:00 am to 11:30 am & 12:00 pm to 12:30 pm
SF Uke Jam’s Summer Uke-splosion:
6/29
from
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
July 2024
Dance Outdoors with Rhythm & Motion: 7/3, 7/10, 7/17, 7/24 & 7/31 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Chelle! & Friends (Kids’ Show):
7/5
from
11:00 am to 11:30 am & 12:00 pm to 12:30 pm
Get Free Festival: 7/6 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Poetic Tuesdays with MoAD: 7/9 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
UZUMARU:
7/11
from
12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Ka-Hon (Kids’ Show): 7/12 from 11:00 am to 11:30 am & 12:00 pm to 12:30 pm
Yerba Buena Gardens ChoreoFest: 7/13 & 7/20 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Batey Tambó: 7/18 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Unique Derique (Kids’ Show): 7/19 from 11:00 am to 11:30 am & 12:00 pm to 12:30 pm
Destani Wolf: 7/25 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Color Your Mind Festival: 7/27 from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
August 2024
AfroSolo Arts Festival presents Charles Unger: 8/1 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Orquesta La Moderna Tradición: 8/1 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
Caterpillar Puppets (Kids’ Show): 8/2 from 11:00 am to 11:30 am & 12:00 pm to 12:30 pm
Ana Tijoux + J Noa: 8/3 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
San Francisco Mime Troupe: 8/4 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Dance Outdoors with Rhythm & Motion: 8/7, 8/14 8/21 & 8/28 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Audiopharmacy: 8/8 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Pistahan: 8/10 & 8/11 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm
Poetic Tuesdays with MoAD: 8/13 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Brazil in the Gardens: Monica Salmaso, Guinga and Teco Cardoso: 8/15 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
YBGF Seed Festival: 8/17 from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm
Mae Powell: 8/22 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Foleada: 8/29 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Meklit’s Movement Immigrant Orchestra: 8/31 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
September 2024
Dance Outdoors with Rhythm & Motion: 9/4, 9/11, 9/18 & 9/25 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Quinteto Latino: 9/5 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Jesús Díaz y su QBA: 9/5 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
African Arts Festival: 9/7 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm
American Bon Dancing: 9/8 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Poetic Tuesdays with MoAD: 9/10 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Spirology: 9/26 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
YBG Dance Day: 9/28 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
October 2024
Dance Outdoors with Rhythm & Motion: 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23 & 10/30 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
The Chris Trinidad Collective: 10/3 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Agua Pura: 10/3 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
Ouida + Ian Santillano: 10/5 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Poetic Tuesdays with MoAD: 10/8 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Rojai & The Pocket: 10/10 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
San Francisco Indigenous Peoples Day: 10/14 from 12:00 pm to 3:30 pm
Amihan: 10/17 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Litquake Book Fair + Litquake Out Loud:
10/19 &
10/20
from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm &
12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Michelle Jacques - Daughters of the Delta Project: 10/24 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
KOKOROKO + Jada Imani: 10/26 from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm
November 2024
Halloween Hoopla (Kids' Show):
11/2 from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Places to Stay Nearby
If you plan on spending quite a bit of time in or near Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, then I recommend looking at hotels in the Union Square District.
This area is centrally located and the most convenient place to stay in San Francisco for those exploring this area (or the entire city!). It's just a few blocks away from the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival and an easy bus ride to other popular attractions in SF.
Click here for my top recommendations in Union Square.
You can also find great deals for other locations when you Click here to find the perfect hotel for your stay in SF.
How to Get to the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival
The Yerba Buena Gardens Festival performances are all in and around the Yerba Buena Gardens at 750 Howard Street. You can also enter the gardens from Mission or 3rd Streets.
The great thing about the location of the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival is that it is easy to reach from everywhere in SF and the Bay Area.
BART: If you are coming from the south or east bay, you can take BART to the Powell Street Station. Head south on 4th Street one block and make a left onto Mission. You will find the gardens about one block down on your right.
Muni Buses: All of these buses drop within a block or two of the festival: 5, 6, 8, 14, 21 30, 38, 41, 45, 54, 72, 91, 92, 93. You can also take the light rail trains to the Powell Street Station and walk two blocks to the festival.
Caltrain: If you take Caltrain from the south bay, you can either walk to the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival or take the 30 or 45 bus from the corner of Townsend and 4th Streets.
Golden Gate Transit: If you are coming from the north bay, it's an easy bus ride on Golden Gate Transit. Take the 70, 80 or 101 bus to the stop at Mission and 4th Streets.
Other Popular Annual Festivals & Events
Wine Tasting Festivals: Some of my favorite events are SF's wine tasting festivals. The largest is the Chronicle Wine Tasting Event every February. You will also find other annual tastings such as Pinot Noir Days, the TAPAS Wine Tasting Event, and the Rhone Rangers Festival. Learn more here.
Street Fairs: Almost every weekend in the summer in SF, you will find a fun street fair or festival. They range from the two-day Pride Festival & Parade to the popular Haight Street Fair. Find the full list of this year's festivals.
Sunday Streets: Another free monthly event every year in SF is Sunday Streets. One Sunday a month from March to October, a specified district shuts down a number of streets to car traffic to allow pedestrians to run and play in the streets. You will also often find live music, free health screenings, and more. Click here for this month's schedule.
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
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It's a great place to interact with me and others who know the area well.
You can ask questions, get advice for your upcoming stay, and then share your photos and advice with others when you return home. It's a great community and the fastest way to get answers to those nagging questions about your visit!