Diverse array of music and arts highlight 2023 Yerba Buena Gardens Festival

La Doña, Stern Grove Festival

La Doña performs during the 84th annual Stern Grove Festival at Sigmund Stern Grove Park in San Francisco on June 20, 2021. She’ll perform at the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival this summer. Courtesy.

Producers of the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival have announced the 2023 lineup of free outdoor music and arts event.

The annual festival opens with the John Santos Sextet and The Afro-Peruvian Coalition on Saturday, May 6 at 1 p.m. and will run through August in downtown San Francisco between 3rd and 4th streets and Mission and Howard streets.

Performers include CO-LLAB Choir directed by Cava Menzies on May 13, CAAMFest: Directions in Sounds presents Fanny on May 20, Theatre Rhino’s Pericles on May 26 and 27, Melissa Cruz Flamenco on June 3, SF Uke Jam’s Summer Uke-Splosion on June 10, La Mezcla and Laura Rebolloso on June 17, Circus Bella’s Bananas on June 23 and 24, Yosvany Terry Quintet with Gema Corredera and Arun Ramamurthy Trio on July 1, Get Free Festival on July 8, Joe Bataan and La Doña on July 15, Martin Luther McCoy on Aug. 5, Pistahan’s 30th Anniversary on Aug. 12 and 13, and more.

Additionally, there will be new fall programming in September and October, Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Executive/Artistic Director Linda Lucero said in a news release. The full Fall Series lineup will be announced this summer.



Yerba Buena Gardens Festival programs and series include:

Salsa at Jessie, the open-air salsa dance party in Jessie Square (near the Contemporary Jewish Museum) on the third Thursday of each month from May to August from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Children’s Garden Series with interactive performances designed for kids and their adults every Friday with two performances at 11 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. from June to August in the Yerba Buena Children’s Garden at Fourth and Howard streets.

Thursday Lunchtime Concert Series on Thursdays from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Poetic Tuesdays, twice-monthly lineup of poets and musicians at Jessie Square, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Classes by Yoga with Purusha Yoga, Dance Outdoors with Rhythm & Motion, and salsa with Rueda Con Ritmo

See the full lineup below. For more information, visit the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival website.



2023 Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Programming:

MAY

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

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

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

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

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