SF’s Yerba Buena Gardens Festival 2023 (May 6 – October 28)

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival

The 2023 Yerba Buena Gardens Festival hosts a full lineup of free outdoor music, theater, circus, dance, poetry, and children’s programs. The Festival opens on Saturday, May 6 at 1:00pm with John Santos Sextet + The Afro-Peruvian Coalition.

Now in its 23rd year, the Festival will run each and every week and weekend until October 28 (fall programs to be announced) and is located between Mission and Howard Streets and Third and Fourth Streets in downtown San Francisco.  

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival 2023

May 6 – October 28, 2023
Plus pre-festival events throughout April 2023
Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission btwn Third and Fourth, SoMa, SF
FREE

Directions & Parking | Admission-Free Seating | Performance Times | See the Full Calendar

2023 Festival Highlights:

• CO-LLAB Choir directed by Cava Menzies May 13
• CAAMFest: Directions in Sound presents Fanny May 20
• Theatre Rhino’s Pericles May 26 & 27
• Melissa Cruz Flamenco June 3
• SF Uke Jam’s Summer Uke-Splosion June 10
• La Mezcla + Laura Rebolloso June 17
• 25th Annual Native Contemporary Arts Festival June 18
• Circus Bella’s Bananas June 23 & 24
• Yosvany Terry Quintet & Gema Corredera + Arun Ramamurthy Trio July 1
• Embodiment Project’s Get Free Festival July 8
• Joe Bataan + La Doña July 15
• Fiestas Fridas July 22
• AfroSolo Arts Festival presents Martin Luther McCoy August 5
• PISTAHAN 30th Anniversary August 12 & 13
• YBG Dance Day August 19
• Thursday Lunchtime Concert Series
• Children’s Garden Series
• Salsa at Jessie Square Series
• Poetic Tuesdays Series with Litquake and MoAD

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Programs & Series 2023

Salsa at Jessie: Open-Air Salsa Dance Party
Takes place in Jessie Square (near the Contemporary Jewish Museum) on the third Thursday of each month from May to August from 6:00pm – 7:30pm. The series includes Danilo y Orquesta Universal on May 18, Cabanijazz Project on June 15, Karl Perazzo & Mike Spiro y su Conjunto Karabalí on July 20, and Bululú on August 17.

Children’s Garden Series
Interactive performances specially designed for kids and their adults every Friday with two performances at 11:00am and 12:15pm. The Series runs from June to August in the Yerba Buena Children’s Garden at Fourth and Howard Streets. The kiddie-popular series presents RhythmALLogy on June 9, Ka-Hon on June 16, Circus Bella’s Bananas on Friday, June 23 and Saturday, June 24 with the performances on the Esplanade in Yerba Buena Gardens, Unique Derique on June 30, Chelle! & Friends on July 7, Circus of Smiles on July 14, René y Familia on July 21, Calvin Kai Ku on July 28, Caterpillar Puppets on August 4, Red Panda Acrobats on August 11. The series ends with the popular 23rd Annual Halloween Hoopla on Saturday, October 28.

Thursday Lunchtime Concert Series
Thursdays from 12:30pm to 1:30pm and features local and international musicians including Ajyal Music Platform on May 11, Tom Rigney & Flambeau on May 18, CMC Older Adults Choir on May 25, The Howard Wiley Show on June 1, Anita Lofton Project on June 8, Bongo Sidibe & the TonTons on June 15, Jenny Lind Concert on June 22, ASTU on June 29, Rob Reich Swings Left on July 6, Big Trippin on July 13, KOHAKU on July 20, Aki Kumar on July 27, La Gente SF on August 3, Salma El Assal & the Sudan Ensemble on August 10, and Alessandro Penezzi & Fabiana Cozza on August 17.

Poetic Tuesdays
Twice monthly line-up of poets and musicians at Jessie Square from 12:30pm to 1:30pm. Curated on the 2nd Tuesdays by Litquake and the 4th Tuesdays by MoAD, the Poetic Tuesdays series begins Tuesday, May 9.

Annual Cultural Celebrations
Yerba Buena Gardens Public Art Tours, 25th Annual Native Contemporary Arts Festival on June 18, Embodiment Project’s Get Free Festival on July 8, Fiestas Fridas on July 22, AfroSolo Arts Festival with Martin Luther McCoy on August 5, and Pistahan’s 30th Anniversary on August 12 and 13.

2023 Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Programming

All events are free and 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 Street.

APRIL 2023 – Pre Festival Events

• Salsa Workout with Rueda Con Ritmo, Friday, April 14, 11:00am-12:00pm
• Yoga in the Gardens, Tuesday, April 18, 11:00am-12:00pm
• Dance Outdoors with Rhythm & Motion,  Wednesday, April 19, 11:00am-12:00pm
• Yerba Buena Gardens Public Art Tour, Thursday, April 20, 11:00am-12:00pm
• Salsa Workout with Rueda Con Ritmo, Friday, April 21, 11:00am-12:00pm
• Bay Area Dance Week Kick-Off, Saturday, April 22, 11:00am-2:00pm
• Yoga in the Gardens, Tuesday, April 25, 11:00am-12:00pm
• Dance Outdoors with Rhythm & Motion,  Wednesday, April 26, 11:00am-12:00pm
• Salsa Workout with Rueda Con Ritmo, Friday, April 28, 11:00am-12:00pm

MAY 2023

• 2023 Official Season Kickoff! John Santos Sextet + The Afro-Peruvian Coalition, Saturday, May 6, 1:00pm-3:30pm
• Poetic Tuesdays with Litquake, Tuesday, May 9, 12:30pm-1:30pm
• Ajyal Music Platform, Thursday, May 11, 12:30-1:30pm
• CO-LLAB Choir directed by Cava Menzies, Saturday, May 13, 1:00pm-2:30pm
• Tom Rigney & Flambeau, Thursday, May 18, 12:30-1:30pm
• Salsa at Jessie with Danilo Y Orquesta Universal, Thursday, May 18, 6:00pm-7:30pm
• CAAMFest: Directions in Sound presents Fanny, Saturday, May 20, 1-3:00pm
• Poetic Tuesdays with MoAD, Tuesday, May 23, 12:30pm-1:30pm
• CMC Older Adults Choir, Thursday, May 25, 12:30-1:30pm
• Theater Rhino’s Pericles, Friday, May 26, 6:00-8:00pm & Saturday, May 27, 1:00-3:00pm

JUNE 2023

• The Howard Wiley Show, Thursday, June 1, 12:30pm-1:30pm
• Melissa Cruz Flamenco, Saturday, June 3, 1:00pm-2:30pm
• Anita Lofton Project, Thursday, June 8, 12:30pm-1:30pm
• SF Uke Jam: Summer UkeSplosion!, Saturday, June 10, 1:00pm-3:00pm
• Poetic Tuesdays with Litquake, Tuesday, June 13, 12:30pm-1:30pm
• Bongo Sidibe & the TonTons, Thursday, June 15, 12:30pm-1:30pm
• Salsa at Jessie with Cabanijazz Project, Thursday, June 15, 6:00pm-7:30pm
• La Mezcla + Laura Rebolloso, Saturday, June 17, 1:00pm-3:30pm
• Native Contemporary Arts Festival, June 18, 12:00pm-3:00pm
• Jenny Lind Concert, Thursday, June 22, 12:30pm-1:30pm
• Circus Bella’s Bananas, June 23, Noon and June 24, Noon and 2:15pm
• Poetic Tuesdays with MoAD, Tuesday, June 27, 12:30pm-1:30pm
• ASTU, Thursday, June 29, 12:30pm-1:30pm

JULY 2023

• Yosvany Terry & Gema Corredera; Arun Ramamurthy Trio, Saturday, July 1,1:00-3:30pm
• Rob Reich Swings Left, Thursday, July 6, 12:30-1:30pm
• Embodiment Project’s Get Free Festival, Saturday, July 8, Noon-4:00pm
• Poetic Tuesdays with Litquake, Tuesday, July 11, 12:30pm-1:30pm
• Big Trippin, Thursday, July 13, 12:30pm-1:30pm
• Joe Bataan + La Doña, Saturday, July 15, 1:00pm-3:00pm
• KOHAKU, Thursday, July 20, 12:30pm-1:30pm
• Salsa at Jessie with Karl Perazzo/Mike Spiro Y Su Conjunto Karabali, Thursday, July 20, 6:00pm-7:30pm
• Fiestas Fridas, Saturday, July 22, 1:00-3:00pm
• Poetic Tuesdays with MoAD, Tuesday, July 25, 12:30pm-1:30pm
• Aki Kumar, Thursday, July 27, 12:30pm-1:30pm
• San Francisco Mime Troupe, July 29, 2:00-4:00pm

AUGUST 2023

• La Gente SF, Thursday, August 3, 12:30pm-1:30pm
• AfroSolo Arts Festival presents Martin Luther McCoy, August 5, 1:00pm-2:30pm
• Poetic Tuesdays with Litquake, Tuesday, August 8, 12:30pm-1:30pm
• Salma El Assal & the Sudan Ensemble, Thursday, August 10, 12:30pm-1:30pm
• Pistahan, Saturday, August 12 & Sunday, August 13, 11:00am-4:00pm
• Alessandro Penezzi & Fabiana Cozza, Thursday, August 17, 12:30pm-1:30pm
• Salsa at Jessie with Bululú, Thursday, August 17, 6-7:30pm
• YBG Dance Day, Saturday, August 19, 1:00pm-2:30pm

SEPTEMBER + OCTOBER 2023

• YBG ChoreoFest, Saturday, September 23 & Saturday, September 30, 1:00pm-3:00pm
• 23rd Annual Halloween Hoopla, Saturday, October 28, Noon-3:00pm
• Additional programming to be announced this summer.

 

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