MLK Jr. Celebrations & Free Museum Days

Submitted by the Event Organizer

Every year, the Bay Area celebrates the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a series of festivals, marches and celebrations highlighted by a march and festival near the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Most of the events are organized by the NorCalMLK Foundation.

Getting There – Monday, January 20, 2020

• Free BART “Freedom” Passes – RSVP by January 12th for free BART flash passes for organizations, churches and community groups to attend the MLK Jr. festivities in SF.
• MLK 2020 Free Muni Passes – Take MUNI for free to the MLK2020 celebration events in San Francisco on January 20 and honor the life and legacy of Dr. King through exciting activities for all. The commemorative ticket is valid 11 am to 7 pm. RSVP Required.
• Caltrain’s MLK Celebration Train – The Celebration Train offers free round trip service from San Jose to San Francisco with the commemorative ticket, leaving San Jose’s Diridon Station at 9:45am and heading back south anytime after 1pm. RSVP Required.
• Freedom Ferry – The MLK2020 Golden Gate Freedom Ferry offers free commemorative service departing from Larkspur Terminal at two times 9:30 am and 10:30 am, arriving at the Golden Gate San Francisco Ferry Terminal at 10:30 am and 11 am, respectively. A free return ticket is also provided. RSVP Required.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. March / Parade

Monday, January 20, 2020 at 9:30am – Join thousands in honoring the Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama marches at the MLK2020 commemorative march/parade from San Francisco’s Caltrain Station to Yerba Buena Gardens. Details.

The 1.5 mile journey crosses the Lefty O’Doul Bridge and stops at Willie Mays Plaza at AT&T Park to commemorate the crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, a symbol of violence and victory in the civil rights movement. On arriving at Yerba Buena Gardens, an interfaith commemoration will commemorate Dr. King.

MLK Jr. Festival at Yerba Buena Center

Monday, January 20, 2020 | 11 am to 5 pm – Every year on the third Monday in January, over 15,000 attendees come to San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and Gardens to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. Details

2020 Black & Brown Comix Arts Festival – January 20th at City View / Metreon
The Black Comix Arts Festival (BCAF) celebrates African Americans’ creativity in the comic arts and popular visual culture and is dedicated to the notion that all audiences deserve to be subject in the culture in which we participate. The two-day event includes a grand expo, kids activities, film screenings, panels and conversations, cosplay events and much more.

Free Museum Days

• Monday, Jan. 20, 2020 – Museum of the African Diaspora, 685 Mission Street
• Monday, Jan. 20, 2020 – Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 750 Howard Street

Free National Parks Day

Monday, January 20, 2020  – On certain “fee-free” days throughout the year, enjoy free entrance to all national parks and monuments including Muir Woods and Yosemite National Park and free admission aboard all of the historic vessels at the Hyde Street Pier of SF’s Maritime National Historical Park.

Please note that a parking/shuttle reservation is still required at Muir Woods even on “fee-free” days.

MLK “Day of Service” Volunteer in the Park

Monday, January 20, 2020  – Make it a “day on” instead of a “day off.” Volunteer in the Golden Gate National Parks at your doorstep and help grow and restore these spectacular parklands. It’s fun, it’s healthy, and it makes a difference—the perfect way to pitch in on a momentous day, launching a new year in the national parks. Full details on volunteering.

Black Comix Arts Festival

January 19-20, 2020

The Black Comix Arts Festival (BCAF) celebrates African Americans’ creativity in the comic arts and popular visual culture and is dedicated to the notion that all audiences deserve to be subject in the culture in which we participate.

The three-day event includes a grand expo, kids activities, film screenings, panels and conversations, cosplay events and much more. Full Details.

• Saturday, January 18th – San Francisco Public Library (1 pm to 4 pm)
• Sunday, January 19th -San Francisco Public Library (1 pm to 5 pm)
• Monday, January 20th – City View at Metreon (11 am to 6 pm)

SF’s Black History Festival

January 5 – February 29, 2020  – Black History Month is an integral part of our nation’s tradition in which we promote affirmative examples of important historical events, honorable leaders and steps towards collective change. Full details.

Grace Cathedral’s Tribute to MLK Jr

Sunday, January 19, 2020 at 3 pm – Join an Interfaith Evensong, with reflections by local faith leaders, a homily by Dr. Andrea C. White, Union Theological Seminary, and music by the Edwin Hawkins Singers. Full details.

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.