Home » *Top Pick* , Fairs & FESTIVALS , In Person , Outdoors , SAN
FRANCISCO SF’s YERBA BUENA GARDENS FESTIVAL 2025 W/ “CMC OLDER
ADULTS CHOIRS” Thursday, May 15, 2025 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm | Cost:
FREE YERBA BUENA GARDENS | Mission St. & 3rd St., SAN FRANCISCO, CA
SAN FRANCISCO Free / Learn More SF’s YERBA BUENA GARDENS FESTIVAL
2025 YERBA BUENA GARDENS FESTIVAL THE 2025 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 10, 2025 with La Santa Cecilia to kick off its 25th
Anniversary Season . Now in its 25th year, the FESTIVAL WILL RUN EACH
AND EVERY WEEK AND WEEKEND PRESENTING 6 MONTHS
OF admission-free performances reflecting the rich cultures and
creativity of the Bay Area. The 2025 full schedule has yet to be
announced, but there’s typically events scheduled until
November and is located between Mission and Howard Streets and Third
and Fourth Streets in downtown SAN FRANCISCO. YBG FESTIVAL PRESENTS
CLASSICAL, world, and jazz music, contemporary and traditional dance,
theater, children’s and family programs, and cultural events
reflecting the rich cultures and creativity of the region. Artistic
excellence, inclusion, diversity and innovation are at the heart of
our mission. As the only curated arts park fully dedicated to the
long-term presentation of free arts and cultural programs, YERBA BUENA
GARDENS HAS A UNIQUE PLACE IN THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF SAN FRANCISCO.
YERBA BUENA GARDENS FESTIVAL 2025 2025 SEASON OPENER: May 10, 2025
(Events typically scheduled until November. Full 2025 schedule TBA)
YERBA BUENA GARDENS, Mission btwn Third and Fourth, SoMa, SF FREE
Directions & Parking | Admission-Free Seating | Performance Times |
See the Full Calendar Events will include music, theater, dance,
poetry, and children’s programming from May through October.
Regularly occurring series include the Lunchtime Concerts , showcasing
diverse musical acts every Thursday at 12:30 PM, Poetic Tuesdays , a
monthly spoken word event, and YBG ChoreoFest , celebrating innovative
dance performances. Families can also enjoy Sundown Cinema screenings,
storytelling showcases, and the annual Halloween Hoopla . All
performances take place at YERBA BUENA GARDENS, located between 3rd
and 4th Streets and Mission and Howard Streets. More information is
available at YBGFestival.org . 2025 Performance Schedule May May 10
(2:00pm-4:30pm) – La Santa Cecilia + La Doña May 15
(12:30pm-1:30pm) – CMC OLDER ADULTS CHOIRS (Lunchtime Concert) May
17 (2:00pm-4:30pm) – Joe Bataan + Tall Tee May 18 (1:00pm-3:00pm)
– 826 Valencia Storyteller’s Showcase May 22 (12:30pm-1:30pm) –
Aguidavi do Jeje x Batuki (Lunchtime Concert) May 24 (2:00pm-4:30pm)
– Madison McFerrin + The Seshen May 29 (12:30pm-1:30pm) – VEN Trio
(Lunchtime Concert) June June 7 (4:00pm-10:30pm) – Sundown Cinema:
Wicked June 14 (2:00pm-4:00pm) – Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu: Aloha
‘Aina June 15 (12:00pm-3:00pm) – 27th Native Contemporary Arts
FESTIVAL JUNE 19 (12:30pm-1:30pm) – Sundra Manning (Lunchtime
Concert) June 20-21 – Circus Bella: Hoopla June 26 (12:30pm-1:30pm)
– Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat (Lunchtime Concert) June 28 (2:00pm-4:00pm)
– Pride in YERBA BUENA! July July 3 (6:00pm-7:30pm) – Lavay Smith
& Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers July 5 (2:00pm-3:30pm) – Gamelan Sekar
Jaya July 6 (2:00pm-4:00pm) – SAN FRANCISCO Mime Troupe July 10
(12:30pm-1:30pm) – Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto (Lunchtime Concert) July
17 (12:30pm-1:30pm) – Arun Ramamurthy Trio (Lunchtime Concert) July
19 & 26 (1:00pm-2:30pm) – YBG ChoreoFest July 20 (10:00am-3:00pm)
– YBG Dance Day July 22 (12:30pm-1:30pm) – Poetic Tuesday July 24
(12:30pm-1:30pm) – Dani Offline (Lunchtime Concert) July 26
(12:00pm-1:00pm) – Poetry Workshop August August 2 (12:00pm-3:00pm)
– Viet Day featuring Vân-Ánh Võ’s Blood Moon Orchestra August 3
(12:00pm-4:00pm) – SF Uke Jam’s Summer Uke-splosion August 7
(12:30pm-1:30pm) – Lady Bianca & The West Coast Caravan of All-Stars
(Lunchtime Concert) August 7 (6:00pm-7:30pm) – Combo Chimbita August
9-10 (11:00am-5:00pm) – Pistahan August 14 (12:30pm-1:30pm) –
Brazil in the GARDENS (Lunchtime Concert) August 16 (12:00pm-1:00pm)
– Poetry Workshop August 16 (2:00pm-3:30pm) – Marcus Shelby
Orchestra: Blues and the Pursuit of Freedom August 21 (12:30pm-1:30pm)
– WAM Local Sirens Presents B. DeVeaux + Mare (Lunchtime Concert)
August 23-24 (2:00pm-3:30pm) – SAMMAY: The Way Home is an Upwards
Spiral August 28 (12:30pm-1:30pm) – Trío Guadalevín (Lunchtime
Concert) August 30 (2:00pm-3:30pm) – The Saúl Sierra Quintet
September September 20 (2:00pm-4:30pm) – Samora Pinderhughes + SOL
Development September 21 (2:00pm-3:30pm) – Mornings in Jenin
Musical: A Playlist September 25 (12:30pm-1:30pm) – Bia Ferreira
(Lunchtime Concert) September 27 (2:00pm-4:00pm) – Movement
Immigrant Orchestra September 28 (11:00am-4:00pm) – Litquake Out
Loud + Book Fair October October 2 (12:30pm-1:30pm) – Lucía
(Lunchtime Concert) October 4 (2:00pm-3:30pm) – Parangal Dance
Company November November 1 (12:00pm-3:00pm) – 25th Annual Halloween
Hoopla YERBA BUENA GARDENS FESTIVAL PROGRAMS & Series 2025 Salsa at
Jessie: Open-Air Salsa Dance Party The outdoor, monthly salsa event
takes place at YERBA BUENA GARDENS. From May to October, folks are
invited to dance into dusk to amazing live salsa bands. Many musical
acts hail from the Bay Area and some from out of town, all bringing
electrifying salsa sounds to the GARDENS. Starting just before sunset,
Salsa Nights is a casual, outdoor event to get your body moving under
SAN FRANCISCO skies. Fun for first-time and seasoned
salseras/salseros, or music lovers enjoying rhythms of the syncopated
top-notch performers. Salsa Nights is a unique dance experience, just
one of many cultural activities the YERBA BUENA NEIGHBORHOOD HAS TO
OFFER. And it’s FREE! Friends, families and conga-lines welcome.
Children’s Garden Series June through August is a great time for
parents, caregivers, and camp counselors to bring kids to the
Children’s Garden for sunshine and a show. The Children’s Garden
Series features professional artists with expertise in engaging
children under 10 and their ADULTS. Each show features excellent
performers skilled in puppetry, music, dance, acrobatics, body
percussion, clowning and more! Outstanding featured groups like Ka-Hon
and Duniya Dance & Drum demonstrate diverse musical and dance
traditions from all over the world. With such rich cultural and
artistic experiences, the Children’s Garden is the place to be in
the summertime. Thursday Lunchtime Concert Series From May to October,
the Thursday Lunchtime series features artists carving out their own
niches in the world of music and dance. While international and
touring artists perform in the Lunchtime Series, many homegrown Bay
Area artists view YERBA BUENA GARDENS AS THE PERFECT VENUE FOR NEW
WORKS. These fantastic performers are exploring new depths in jazz,
blues, soul, classical, world, swing, salsa, modern dance and more!
Thursday Lunchtime Concert Series takes place on Thursdays from
12:30pm to 1:30pm and features local and international musicians
including CMC OLDER ADULTS CHOIRS on May 15, Aguidavi do Jeje x
Batuki on May 22, VEN Trio of Vinicius Gomez, Elé Howell, Noah
Garabedian on May 29, Sundra Manning on June 19, Mahsa & Marjan
Vahdat on June 26, Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto on July 10, Arun
Ramamurthy Trio on July 17, Dani Offline on July 24, AfroSolo Arts
FESTIVAL PRESENTS LADY BIANCA & The West Coast Caravan of
All-Stars on August 7, Brazil in the GARDENS on August 14, WAM
Local Sirens Presents B. DeVeaux + Mare on August 21, Trío
Guadalevín on August 28, Bia Ferreira on September
25, and Lucía on October 2. Always free, fresh and outdoors,
Thursday Lunchtime programs are a great way to reinvigorate the day.
Downtown office workers, neighborhood groups, students and even
out-of-towners needing a break from the city’s hustle and bustle
come down to the GARDENS WITH LUNCH IN HAND. Then, stroll through
YERBA BUENA GARDENS FOR A JOLT OF FRESH AIR, art and inspiration.
Poetic Tuesdays A fabulously curated line-up of poets and musicians
grace YERBA BUENA GARDENS TO SHARE POEMS AND SONGS THAT DELIGHT,
provoke, stir and inspire. Poetic Tuesdays make for a lovely lunch.
Downtown office workers, neighborhood groups, students and even
out-of-towners needing downtime from the city’s hustle and bustle
come down to the GARDENS. Poetic Tuesdays are the perfect midday
breather over line breaks. Performances are approximately 60 minutes
long, at YERBA BUENA GARDENS ON MISSION STREET BETWEEN THIRD AND
FOURTH STREETS, SAN FRANCISCO. Outdoor Classes SAN FRANCISCO locals
and visiting out-of-towners can look to these outdoor classes to
refresh their body and spirit through dance, music, movement, public
art and more. On any given day of the week, you can always find
something Free, Outdoors and Fresh at YERBA BUENA GARDENS. Outdoor
Classes are each approximately 60 minutes long at at different spaces
in YERBA BUENA GARDENS, on Mission Street between Third and Fourth
Streets, SAN FRANCISCO. Weekend Sessions The Weekend Sessions is the
YERBA BUENA GARDENS FESTIVAL’s premier program series, highlighting
touring and regional artists performing to delighted audiences. Each
weekend program features a diversity of world-class artists giving
thrilling performances not to be missed. Crowds of arts-lovers, Bay
Area locals and out-of-towners flock to YERBA BUENA GARDENS FOR
OUTSTANDING ENTERTAINMENT IN MUSIC, dance, poetry, circus, theater or
large-scale cultural FESTIVALS. Free of admission and open to the
public, all are welcome to enjoy the fresh air and the truly memorable
cultural experiences. Located in the cultural heart of SAN FRANCISCO,
YERBA BUENA GARDENS FESTIVAL’s Weekend Sessions make for a
refreshing and inspiring weekend outing in the City. Weekend Session
performances begin at 1pm (unless noted otherwise), so plan ahead and
arrive early! Performances are approximately 90 minutes long, located
at YERBA BUENA GARDENS ON MISSION STREET BETWEEN THIRD AND FOURTH
STREETS, SAN FRANCISCO. Thursday, May 15, 2025 SF’s YERBA BUENA
GARDENS FESTIVAL 2025 YBGF IT’s time to fill the GARDENS WITH SOUL
AND CELEBRATION. Directed by Ken Little, singers from Community Music
Center Bayview Choir and Gospel Music Vocal Ensemble perform a set of
gospel, jazz and popular music. It’s just one small piece of what
happens at the CMC, a nonprofit institution that makes high-quality
music accessible to people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities
regardless of financial means. The CMC Bayview Choir is part of a
tuition-free Neighborhood Choir Program for OLDER ADULTS COMPRISED OF
15 CHOIRS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, and the Gospel Music Vocal Ensemble is
one of many vocal ensemble classes offered at CMC’s newly expanded
Mission District campus. Upcoming SF’s YERBA BUENA GARDENS FESTIVAL
2025 EVENTS SAT 5/10 SF’s YERBA BUENA GARDENS FESTIVAL 2025 SEASON
KICKOFF THU 5/15 SF’s YERBA BUENA GARDENS FESTIVAL 2025 W/ “CMC
OLDER ADULTS CHOIRS” 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. Report Error in Post Cost: FREE Categories: *Top Pick* , Fairs
& FESTIVALS , In Person , Outdoors , SAN FRANCISCO Venue : YERBA BUENA
GARDENS ADDRESS : Mission St. & 3rd St., SAN FRANCISCO, CA Other
Events on This Day Thursday, May 15, 2025 10:00 am Brand New Nintendo
SAN FRANCISCO Store Grand Opening FREE 12:00 pm SF’s Free Concerts
in the Plaza “Civic Center Soundtrack” (Every Tue/Thu) FREE 1:00
pm Bowling: Throwback Thursdays ($40/Hour for Lane Up to 5 People)
$40* *$40 per lane per hour, for a maximum of 5 bowlers. Bowling shoe
rental is $6 per person. Reservations are recommended. 4:00 pm SF’s
Epic Market “Cole Valley Nights” 2025 w/ Sunset Mercantile
(March-June) FREE* *Free Admission: All Welcome 5:00 pm Eve’s Eden
Closing Party FREE 6:00 pm East Bay Outdoor Comedy FESTIVAL 2025 (Live
at Bay Street) FREE* *RSVP for free raffle entry 6:00 pm The Buds at
El Rio FREE* *Tell the person at the door you're there to see The
Buds! 6:00 pm Be Seen: The Genius and Gaze of Black Creatives –
Opening Reception FREE* *Free and open for all ages 6:30 pm New LGBTQ+
Monthly Music Series “Vibin’ Live” (SF) FREE* *Admission free
with dinner reservation 7:00 pm Free “HellaSecret” Comedy Night @
Secret Bar (Oakland) FREE* *Limited free tickets with code FUNCHEAP
(donations appreciated). Otherwise use code FUNCHEAP5 for $5 off early
bird and general admission tickets 7:00 pm Shop Basics at Ace
Makerspace (Oakland) Paid Tickets* *You must RSVP/purchase tickets
through the ace makerspace website:
https://www.acemakerspace.org/event/shop-basics-5-15-25/
[https://www.acemakerspace.org/event/shop-basics-5-15-25/] 7:00 pm An
Evening With Helen & Kurt Wolff Translator’s Prize Winner Dr. Jon
Cho-Polizzi FREE* *RSVP required 7:00 pm “Black Laughs Matter”
(Live at SF’s Only Black-Owned Comedy Club) FREE* *RSVP Required
9:00 pm 16th & Mission Open Mic (w/out a mic) FREE* *Absolutely free
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10/07/2025 Last update