BARTable This Weekend: May 8-10

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Take BART to the Tenderloin neighborhood in SF to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month. Photo courtesy of Into the Streets. 

This week, we're celebrating AAPI Heritage Month and Mother's Day at a slew of events around the Bay. Pay what you can at the Exploratorium or spend the day at Yerba Buena Gardens. In the East Bay, the Oakland Roots SC hosts AAPI Heritage Night with special giveaways and performances, and Downtown San Leandro brings live performances and vendors out for an evening of fun. Spend the weekend taking BART and enjoying the cool events listed below. 

Use BART's Trip Planner for detailed routes and transit options.

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BARTable partners with local organizations located near BART stations to shine a light on the incredible diversity of businesses, restaurants and happenings that are easily accessible by transit. Our partners provide special deals and prizes for our weekly giveaways, which you can find on our Contest and Deals page. Interested in becoming a BARTable partner? Learn more here.

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival is back with its season opener. Photo courtesy of Yerba Buena Gardens.  

May 8 | San Leandro Station
4-9:00 p.m. | 1446 Washington Ave.
 
Celebrate AAPI month at San Leandro Second Fridays with the San Leandro Library, Downtown San Leandro, and West Coast Makers! Learn Bollywood dance from instructor Satish Panchal, see Polynesian dance performances, and enjoy lots of AAPI food and artisan vendors. Downtown San Leandro will host this cultural event in the Butterfly Plaza, 0.4 miles from San Leandro Station.
 
May 9 | Coliseum
7:00 p.m. | 7000 Coliseum Way 
 
Head to the Coliseum for AAPI Heritage Night with the Oakland Roots SC. When you exit BART, cross the footbridge, 0.2 miles, and you'll find the entrance to the stadium. 
 
May 9 | Powell St.
2-4:30 p.m. | 750 Howard St.
 
Yerba Buena Gardens Festival is the independent presenting organization dedicated to enhancing the vitality and quality of life in the parks and open spaces of Yerba Buena Gardens and other public sites of San Francisco through the curated presentation of free artistic, community, and cultural programs. Take BART to Powell St, and the Great Lawn at Yerba Buena Gardens is 0.4 miles away.
 
May 9 | Embarcadero
12-5 p.m. | 600 Larkin St. 

Check out live music, a fashion show, cultural performances, K-Pop DJ Sets and Karaoke, free kids activities, and more surprises for AAPI Heritage Month. Take BART Civic Center/UN Plaza and head 0.4 miles to Eddy St and Larkin St to enjoy the festivities. 
 
Through May 10 | 16th St Mission
Times vary | 429 Castro St.  
 
The San Francisco Silent Film Festival (SFSFF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the presentation and preservation of silent cinema, and the education of the public about silent film as an art form and as a culturally valuable historical record. The SFSFF takes place at the Castro Theatre, 0.9 miles from 16th St Mission. 
 
Through May 10 | Stations vary
Times vary | Locations vary
 
Celebrating its 44th year in 2026, CAAMFest is the nation’s leading showcase for films from Asian America and beyond. For over 45 years, the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) has been dedicated to presenting stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible. The festival takes place in San Francisco's Japantown neighborhood. Check out CAAMFest 2026 for event-specific details. 
 
Through May 10 | Stations vary
Times vary | Locations vary

The San Francisco International Arts Festival returns April 29th through May 10th. From breathtaking cirque and stellar tango to bold new theater, experience moving performances at venues across the Mission District. Celebrate the powerful voices of our diverse local communities alongside artists from around the globe. Tickets are affordable, with some events free. Plus, most venues are near BART.
 
Through May 24 | Civic Center/UN Plaza
Times vary | 1192 Market St. 
 
"Hell's Kitchen" is the hit musical from Grammy® Award-winning Alicia Keys—inspired by her life, her music, and her community. Relatable, raw, and refreshingly fun, Hell's Kitchen is a celebration of finding yourself, your purpose, and the people who lift you up. Catch the hit show at the Orpheum Theater right outside the Civic Center/UN Plaza Station.
 
Through May 24 | 19th St. Oakland
Times vary | 415 Geary St.

When the plague steals 11-year-old Hamnet from his loving parents, Agnes and William Shakespeare, they must each confront their loss alone. And yet, out of the greatest suffering, something of extraordinary wonder is born. Experience the U.S. premiere of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s “elegant and beguiling” stage adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s best-selling novel, adapted by award-winning playwright Lolita Chakrabarti and directed by Erica Whyman. Take BART to Powell St to enjoy the show, 0.2 miles away at the Toni Rembe Theater. 

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You needn’t pay a dime – or even a pretty penny! – to enjoy the breadth of the Bay Area’s offerings. Below you’ll find a roundup of free local events, including festivals, markets, museum admission-free days and more!

Catch jaw-dropping designs at a live fashion show in Union Square. Photo courtesy of Justin Katigbak/SF Chronicle.

May 8 | Powell St.
1-3 p.m. | 291 Geary St.

The fourth annual Bloom Fashion Show, hosted by the Union Square Alliance, is a celebration of Mother’s Day weekend and the beginning of Spring in Union Square. Enjoy the flower-inspired fashions 0.3 miles from Powell St.
 
May 9 | Embarcadero
1-5 p.m. | Embarcadero Plaza

Another Planet Entertainment and San Francisco Recreation and Parks are teaming up to transform Embarcadero Plaza into the city’s premier outdoor dance floor. Head to Embarcadero and enjoy the free EDM concert at Embarcadero Plaza, 0.3 miles away.
 
May 10 | 19th St. Oakland
12-8 p.m. | Embarcadero Plaza

510Day is a free, public, intergenerational, grassroots community event dedicated to celebrating Oakland’s history and culture while addressing social justice issues affecting the community. Take BART to 19th St. Oakland, and the festival takes place along the West side of Lake Merritt (about 0.6 miles away).
 

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New events have just arrived in the Bay Area! New shows, one-time events, unique workshops, annual events or anything that's just popped up on our radar. Learn more about what qualifies as "BARTable" or use hashtag #sfbartable for the chance to be featured!

Spend Mother's Day at the Exploratorium. Photo courtesy of the Exploratorium.

May 8 | 12th St. Oakland City Center
7-9 p.m. | 1544 Broadway

The Word is out, direct from the main stage of RuPaul's Drag Race 2026, Mia Starr graces FLUID510's stage to launch Season 11 of Drag Race All Stars. Grab your tickets now because you don't want to miss this! FLUID510 is 0.1 miles away from 12th St. Oakland City Center.
 
May 10 | Embarcadero
11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. | Pier 15

Celebrate mothers, grandmothers, and the caregivers who nurture our families.  Enjoy fabulous performances of traditional dances honoring all mothers, make paper flowers as gifts, and dance together as a community. Pay what you wish for a day of fun at the Exploratorium! Take BART to Embarcadero, and the Exploratorium is 0.6 miles away. 

What are you doing this weekend?

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