SF’s Yerba Buena Gardens Festival is Back for 2022
Yerba Buena Gardens
The 2022 Yerba Buena Gardens Festival announces the lineup of over 100 free outdoor music, theater, circus, dance, poetry, and children’s programs. The Festival will open on Saturday, May 7 at 1:00pm with Cuban percussionist Jesús Díaz y su Habana Afro-Cuban Ensemble with an opening set from Chulita Vinyl Club at 12:30pm.
Now in its 22nd year, the Festival will run each and every week and weekend until October 29 and is located between Mission and Howard Streets and Third and Fourth Streets in downtown San Francisco. For more information, visit ybgfestival.org.
2022 Festival Highlights:
- Ismail Lumanovski & Inspector Gadje ft. Frank London on May 14
- CAAMFest 40 Presents on May 21
- Gamelan Sekar Jaya: Sudamala (World Premiere) on May 28
- Diana Gameros on June 4
- Alice Coltrane Tribute with Brooklyn Raga Massive ft. Reggie Workman on June 11
- Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu: I OLA! on June 18
- Circus Bella’s Flip * Flop * Fly on June 25
- SF Uke Jam: Summer Ukesplosion! on July 9
- YBG ChoreoFest on July 23 & July 30
- Paula West on August 6
- Joti Singh: Ghadar Geet (World Premiere) on September 10
- Alleluia Panis: Nursing These Wounds (World Premiere) on October 1
- The Marcus Shelby New Orchestra: Blues in the City (World Premiere) on September 3
“After no Festival in 2020 and a limited season in 2021, I am so excited that we are able to present this exuberant full season of new programs and activations,” says Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Executive/Artistic Director Linda Lucero. “The Festival is proud to commission new musical and performance programs specifically designed for the Gardens and to support our artistic community. We look forward to seeing everyone this summer.”
In 2020, the Festival awarded Endurance, Hope, and Community grants of $2,000 to 20 Bay Area artists that allowed for the creation, continuation, or completion of specific performing arts projects. Several of these projects were performed during the 2021 Festival season. This year, the Festival has awarded Seed Commissions of $2,500 to an additional 20 Bay Area-based artists to act as a “seed” for the creative process. Many of the recipients will premiere or perform new works at this year’s Festival.
In partnership with the Community Music Center, the Festival will present a pre-season program called A Song of Triumph: The History of Black Music on April 23 from 1:00pm-2:30pm. This new work by Maestro Curtis is an extension of the CMC’s Black Music Studies Program.
Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Programs & Series
Salsa at Jessie, the open-air salsa dance party in Jessie Square (near the Contemporary Jewish Museum), takes place on the third Thursday of each month from May to September from 6:00pm – 7:30pm. The series includes Carlitos Medrano & Sabor De Mi Cuba on May 19, La Mixta Criolla on June 16, Edgardo Cambón on July 21, Javier Navarrette’s Socially Distant Friends on August 18, and Fito Reinoso y su Ritmo y Armonía on September 15.
Children’s Garden Series features interactive performances specially designed for kids and their adults every Friday from June to August in the Yerba Buena Children’s Garden at Fourth and Howard Streets. The kiddie-popular series presents Chelle! & Friends on June 3, Tito Ramon’s Pop-Up Puppet Show on June 10, RhythmALLogy on June 17, René y Familia on June 24, Ka-Hon on July 1, Coventry & Kaluza on July 8, Calvin Kai Ku on July 15, Unique Derique on July 22, Circus of Smiles on July 29, Red Panda Acrobats on August 5, Caterpillar Puppets on August 12. The series ends with the 22nd Annual Halloween Hoopla on October 29.
Thursday Lunchtime Concert Series takes place most Thursdays from 12:30pm to 1:30pm and features the very best of local and international musicians including New Voices Bay Area TIGQ Chorus on May 12, Kitka Vocal Ensemble on May 19, Tiffany Austin on May 26, Mads Tolling Quartet on June 2, Mitch Woods and his Rocket 88s on June 9, Rojai & The Pocket on June 16, Jenny Lind Concert on June 23, Queer Taiko on June 30, Eva Salina & Peter Stan on July 7, The Alaya Project on July 14, Nomad Session on July 21, María José Montijo on July 28, Tom Rigney & Flambeau on August 4, Orchestra Gold on August 11, Romero Lubambo & Chico Pinheiro on August 18, Lalin St. Juste on August 25, Cascada de Flores on September 8, and Ahkeel Mestayer Quintet on September 29.
Poetic Tuesdays, on the second Tuesday of each month from 12:30pm to 1:30pm at Jessie Square, is guest curated by Litquake and Museum of the African Diaspora featuring a wide array of poets and music. The series begins Tuesday, May 10.
The Yerba Buena Gardens Festival proudly hosts annual cultural celebrations and partner programs including Community Music Center’s A Song of Triumph: The History of Black Music on April 23, CAAMFest 40 Presents on May 21, Native Contemporary Arts Festival on June 19, AfroSolo Arts Festival with Paula West on August 6, Pistahan on August 13 and 14, Yerba Buena Night on October 8, and San Francisco Indigenous Peoples’ Day on October 10.
On Wednesdays from 11:00am to 12:00pm, Rhythm & Motion leads a follow-along class inspired by choreography and music from across the globe. Classes are taught by experienced dancers and performing artists that all emphasize the joyful spirit and open expressiveness of dance in its many forms. All levels and abilities are welcome to join.
2022 Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Programming
Visit www.ybgfestival.org for further artist announcements and detailed information. All events are free. The Yerba Buena Gardens Festival IS NOT part of YBCA. All programs take place outdoors in Yerba Buena Gardens, off Mission Street between 3rd and 4th Streets, and the Yerba Buena Children’s Garden located at Howard & Fourth Streets, San Francisco. The organization will continue to closely follow all current and future COVID restrictions, protocols, and guidelines set by City and State public health departments.
MAY
- Jesús Díaz y su Habana Afro-Cuban Ensamble; Chulita Vinyl Club, May 7, 1-2:30pm
- Poetic Tuesdays with MoAD, May 10, 12:30pm-1:30pm
- New Voices Bay Area TIGQ Chorus, May 12, 12:30-1:30pm
- Ismail Lumanovski & Inspector Gadje ft. Frank London, May 14, 1-3:00pm
- Kitka Vocal Ensemble, May 19, 12:30-1:30pm
- Carlitos Medrano & Sabor De Mi Cuba, May 19, 6-7:30pm
- CAAMFest 40 Presents, May 21, 1-2:30pm
- Tiffany Austin, May 26, 12:30-1:30pm
- Gamelan Sekar Jaya: Sudamala, May 28, 1-2:30pm
JUNE
- Mads Tolling Quartet, June 2, 12:30-1:30pm
- Diana Gameros, June 4, 1-2:30pm
- Mitch Woods and his Rocket 88s, June 9, 12:30-1:30pm
- Alice Coltrane Tribute: Brooklyn Raga Massive ft. Reggie Workman, June 11, 1-2:30pm
- Poetic Tuesdays with Litquake, June 14, 12:30pm-1:30pm
- Rojai & The Pocket, June 16, 12:30-1:30pm
- La Mixta Criolla, June 16, 6-7:30pm
- Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu: I OLA!, June 18, 1-2:30pm
- Native Contemporary Arts Festival, June 19, 12-3pm
- Jenny Lind Concert, June 23, 12:30-1:30pm
- Circus Bella’s Flip * Flop * Fly, June 25, Noon and 2:15pm
- Queer Taiko, June 30, 12:30-1:30pm
JULY
- Eva Salina & Peter Stan, July 7, 12:30-1:30pm
- SF Uke Jam: Summer UkeSplosion!, July 9, 1-3pm
- Poetic Tuesdays with MoAD, July 12, 12:30pm-1:30pm
- The Alaya Project, July 14, 12:30-1:30pm
- San Francisco Mime Troupe, July 16, 2-4pm
- Nomad Session, July 21, 12:30-1:30pm
- Edgardo Cambón: Un tributo a los 70’s, July 21, 6-7:30pm
- YBG ChoreoFest, July 23 & 30, 1-3:00pm
- María José Montijo, July 28, 12:30-1:30pm
AUGUST
- Tom Rigney & Flambeau, August 4, 12:30-1:30pm
- Paula West – Presented with AfroSolo Arts Festival, August 6, 1-2:30pm
- Orchestra Gold, August 11, 12:30-1:30pm
- Pistahan, August 13-14
- Poetic Tuesdays with Litquake, August 9, 12:30pm-1:30pm
- Romero Lubambo & Chico Pinheiro, August 18, 12:30-1:30pm
- Javier Navarette’s Socially Distant Friends, August 18, 6-7:30pm
- Lalin St. Juste, August 25, 12:30-1:30pm
SEPTEMBER
- Marcus Shelby Orchestra: Blues in the City, September 3, 1-2:30pm
- Cascada de Flores, September 8, 12:30-1:30pm
- Joti Singh: Ghadar Geet, September 10, 1-2:30pm
- Poetic Tuesdays with MoAD, September 13, 12:30pm-1:30pm
- Fito Reinoso y su Ritmo y Armonía, September 15, 6-7:30pm
- Ahkeel Mestayer Quintet, September 29, 12:30-1:30pm
OCTOBER
- Alleluia Panis: Nursing These Wounds, October 1, 1-2:30pm
- Yerba Buena Night, October 8, 6-10pm
- Indigenous Peoples’ Day, October 10, 12-4pm
- Poetic Tuesdays with Litquake, October 11, 12:30pm-1:30pm
- Litquake Festival, October 15 & 16, 12:00pm-5:00pm
Children’s Garden Series
Yerba Buena Children’s Garden is located at Howard & Fourth Streets.
Two performances – 11:00am-11:30am and 12:15pm-12:45pm.
- Chelle! & Friends, Friday, June 3
- Tito Ramon’s Pop-Up Puppet Show, Friday, June 10
- RhythmALLogy, Friday, June 17
- René y Familia, Friday, June 24
- Ka-Hon, Friday, July 1
- Coventry & Kaluza, Friday, July 8
- Calvin Kai Ku, Friday, July 15
- Unique Derique, Friday, July 22
- Circus of Smiles, Friday, July 29
- Red Panda Acrobats, Friday, August 5
- Caterpillar Puppets, Friday, August 12
- 22nd Annual Halloween Hoopla on October 29, Noon-3:00pm
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