Official site of Yerba Buena Gardens Festival

Free outdoor performing arts in downtown San Francisco

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History of Yerba Buena

1953

The San Francisco board of Supervisors designated a 19-block section south of Market Street as a Redevelopment Area.

Late 1970s

After years of delays and setbacks, San Francisco artistic and community groups gathered to collect information about practical needs and cultural aspirations. Developed with extensive community involvement, the Yerba Buena project planned to put much of the convention center underground while providing low-income housing and cultural and open space.

1980

1985 photo of Yerba Buena Gardens location
Site of Yerba Buena Gardens in 1985. Courtesy of San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library

Mayor Dianne Feinstein and the SFRA issued an invitation to developers worldwide to “create…in the heart of one of the world’s great cities, an environment in the form of a magnificent urban garden…”

Today

2013 Photo of Yerba Buena Gardens Esplanade
Yerba Buena Gardens in 2013

The 87 acres of Yerba Buena Center include the area from Market to Harrison and Second to Fourth Streets. Within these blocks are Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, Children’s Creativity Museum, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 5.5 acres of urban gardens, the Moscone Convention Center, entertainment centers, art galleries, and countless restaurants and cafés. The community’s determination to ensure that the Yerba Buena Project would preserve and foster popular culture resulted in Yerba Buena Gardens Festival; the focus on ethnic diversity reflects the values and cultures of our community.



Photo of two flamenco dancersSpecial Projects
A flourishing commissioning and residency program nurtures unique performances
Meet Originals
Photo of singer Nader DeAik on stage leaning forward towards a group of childrenMission
Presenting admission-free programs is just one aspect of the festivalRead the mission
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A guest on traditional, unceded Ramaytush Ohlone Land.
VENUE: Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission St. between 3rd and 4th Sts., San Francisco
OFFICE: Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, 760 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94103
PHONE: (415) 543-1718

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