Welcome to SF Bay Weekend

Front-Page Weekly Article

THIS WEEKEND'S TOP TEN AROUND THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA | SEPTEMBER 10–13

Three operas this weekend, and two of them are free. Mike's 10 for the Weekend has the San Francisco Opera opening its season for the price of a movie ticket, arias on a lawn in Novato, lucha libre in San Leandro, a hundred thousand people on one mile of Solano Avenue — and a full orchestra playing Star Wars live, tonight.

“The big events are easy to find. We're looking for the ones that aren't.”

Mike MacPherson — SFBayWeekend
Mike's 10 for the Weekend

1
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi — Film with Live Orchestra
Where
Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco
When
Tonight & Saturday, 7:30 PM
Anthony Parnther conducts the San Francisco Symphony playing John Williams's score live while the film runs above them. Most people assume the Symphony's season doesn't start until the gala on the 24th — it does, but these two nights come first, and they are the kind of thing that sells out quietly. Two chances only: tonight and Saturday.

2
Simon Boccanegra
Where
War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco
When
Saturday, 8 PM
Cost
From $30
This is opening night of the San Francisco Opera's 2026–27 season, and tickets start at thirty dollars. Verdi's political tragedy — a Genoese doge, a poisoned cup, twenty-five years of grudges. If you have never been to the Opera House, an opening night at $30 is the cheapest excuse you will get. Note the 8 PM curtain; the following Saturday's performance is a 2 PM matinee, so the two weekends are not interchangeable.

3
Opera in the Park
Where
Robin Williams Meadow, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
When
Sunday, 1:30 PM
Cost
Free
The day after opening night, the company brings the orchestra to the park. Music Director Eun Sun Kim conducts, with stars of the coming season singing arias and duets. About two hours. No tickets, no reservations, no catch — first come, first served on the grass. Bring a blanket or a low chair; tarps are not allowed.

4
4th Annual Opera in the Amphitheater
Where
Hamilton Amphitheater, Novato
When
Saturday, 4–6 PM
Cost
Free
And the third one. Full-voice arias outdoors in Novato at no cost — rare free opera north of the Golden Gate. Children's activities run 3–4 PM before the singing starts. A $20 donation ticket is offered if you want to support it, but the event itself is free. Worth knowing: at least one printed listing has this on Sunday. The organiser says Saturday.

5
Solano Avenue Stroll
Where
Solano Avenue, Albany & Berkeley
When
Sunday, 10 AM–5 PM
Cost
Free
One mile of Solano Avenue closes across two cities. Four hundred vendors, performers, community groups and something close to a hundred thousand people. The micro-parade steps off at 10 AM at Colusa in Berkeley and finishes at the BART track in Albany, with Grand Marshal Sunny Hahn. There is a pet zone at 1120 Solano at Kains. This is the largest thing happening anywhere in the East Bay this weekend — go early or park far.

6
Latin Heritage Fest
Where
Downtown San Leandro — 1446 Washington Avenue
When
Friday, 4–9 PM
Cost
Free
A free salsa lesson at 5, lucha libre with WFC Wrestling at 5:30, and Mariachi Tapatío closing it out from 7 to 9. DJ Manches opens at 4. It's on Washington Avenue at 1446, it costs nothing, and it is exactly the kind of night that never makes the big listings sites because it happens in San Leandro.

7
Point Richmond Music
Where
Park Place at Washington Ave, Point Richmond
When
Friday, 5:30 PM
Cost
Free
Twenty-fifth anniversary season of a free street concert series in historic downtown Point Richmond. Los Nadies open at 5:30; the Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra featuring Willy Jordan takes over at 6:45. The restaurants stay open and people dance in the road. Twenty-five years and most of the Bay Area still hasn't heard of it.

8
54th Mountain View Art & Wine Festival
Where
Castro Street, Mountain View
When
Saturday 11–7, Sunday 10–6
Cost
Free
More than four hundred artists along a closed Castro Street, two days, no admission charge. It is the largest free arts festival in the region this weekend and downtown Mountain View is built for it — the whole thing is walkable from the Caltrain station.

9
Bay Area Theatre Week
Where
Region-wide
When
September 10–20
Cost
Discounted — code BATW2026
Theatre Bay Area is running its annual week from tonight through the 20th, with 35 participating companies and discounted tickets bought direct from each theatre using the code BATW2026. One honest caveat: almost none of the companies mention it on their own websites, so ask at the box office rather than assuming the code will be recognised. Worth trying if you have been meaning to see something — the discounts are real when they work.

10
Friday Nights at OMCA
Where
Oakland Museum of California
When
Friday, 5–9 PM
Cost
Free outdoors
Duniya Dance and Drum Company and a nine-piece West African ensemble, Bongo Sidibe & The TonTons, in the garden above Lake Merritt with Off the Grid food trucks. The outdoor block party is free. The galleries are not — those need a $25 museum ticket, and the museum's own listing words this confusingly. Parking is $10 flat in the garage until 10 PM.

Hidden Gem

Flower Piano
Where
San Francisco Botanical Garden, Golden Gate Park
When
September 10–20 · pianos out 10 AM–6 PM daily
Cost
Free for SF residents & others below — garden admission for everyone else
Twelve pianos scattered through the garden, playable by anyone who sits down, roughly 130 performances across eleven days. Pianos are out 10 AM to 6 PM daily. It is one of the loveliest things this city does.

And here is the part everybody gets wrong. Flower Piano is free only for San Francisco residents with proof of address, US military and veterans, Museums For All and EBT cardholders, and Garden members. Everyone else buys garden admission. If you are coming from Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose or Marin, you are paying at the gate.

Two more things worth knowing: the garden's universal free window is 7:30–9:00 AM, and the pianos don't come out until 10 — so the free hour won't get you in. And opening day is already showing fully booked, so aim for Friday through Sunday.

Family Pick

Free Telescope Viewings
Where
Chabot Space & Science Center, Oakland
When
Friday & Saturday, 7:30–10:30 PM
Cost
Free
Chabot's historic refractors on the Observatory Deck, open to the public, weather permitting. No museum admission required — this really is free, and Chabot says so plainly. It runs every Friday and Saturday night, which makes it the most reliably good free family evening in the East Bay, and almost nobody outside Oakland knows it exists. Dress warmly; it's up on Skyline.

The big events are easy to find.
We're looking for the ones that aren't.

Events. Venues. Cities. One place to figure out your weekend.

Explore SFBayWeekend.com

Find the Magic.

This Week's Sunday Drive

Sunday Drives with Mike: I Came for a One-Day Festival. Martinez Gave Me a Whole Sunday

By Mike MacPherson
SF Bay Weekend

I went to Martinez for Art in the Park.

I expected to walk through the festival, take a few pictures and head home.

Instead, I stayed long enough for Martinez to turn one event into an entire Sunday.

## Art, Music and a Bull Dog from Lil’s Big Dogs

The Martinez Arts Association’s annual Art in the Park filled Susana Park with local artists, live music, food trucks, beer, wine and some of the friendliest people I met all afternoon. The festival is held every August as the association’s largest annual fundraiser. (www.martinezarts.org/" style="color:#C0392B;text-decoration:underline;">Martinez Arts Association)

It felt like something the community had built for itself and was happy to share with anyone who wandered in.

I stopped at Lil’s Big Dogs and talked with the woman working the stand. I did not catch her name, but she told me it had been a good day with a strong crowd.

I asked the most important question.

“Are the hot dogs good?”

“They’re great,” she said.

I ordered the Bull Dog, a beef hot dog, and loaded it with onions, peppers, relish and just about everything else available.

She was right. It was excellent.

That small exchange captured the mood of the festival: friendly people, good food and a community event that did not need to oversell itself.

## The Farmers Market That Feels Like the Town

After the festival, I made my way into downtown Martinez and through the farmers market.

The Martinez Farmers’ Market runs every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., year-round, along Main Street between Ferry and Castro streets.

It is intimate, easy to walk and unmistakably local. The farmers and producers are identified, the people working the stands are approachable, and the market feels connected to the businesses and sidewalks around it.

You can buy something, stop for a conversation and still notice the town around you.

Once I started walking, Martinez kept giving me reasons to continue.

## The Show Scheduled by the Wind

From downtown, I headed toward the railroad tracks and the marina.

The Martinez waterfront sits along the Carquinez Strait, with the marina, fishing pier, trails, open space and regional shoreline gathered near the edge of downtown. The www.cityofmartinez.org/departments/planning/waterfront-and-marina" style="color:#C0392B;text-decoration:underline;">city’s waterfront area includes a working marina and a large stretch of adjoining parkland.

Numbers do not explain what made it memorable.

The wind does.

I walked toward the point and found the strait full of windsurfers. They raced across the water, turned, fell and climbed back onto their boards before heading out again.

The colorful sails against the water were spectacular.

I talked with a few of the windsurfers. They told me it was a particularly good, windy day and that Martinez was one of their go-to places to get out on the water.

I stayed much longer than I expected.

There was always something happening: another sail catching a gust, another rider cutting across the whitecaps, another turn that either worked beautifully or ended with someone in the water.

That may have been my favorite part of the day.

## A Town Built Around the Tracks

The railroad is not background scenery in Martinez. It runs directly through the city’s identity.

I have been in and out of the current Martinez station many times, including Capitol Corridor trips to Sacramento for an A’s game. On those trips, the station was usually a departure point—not part of the destination.

Walking through Martinez changed that perspective.

Near the current station is the old train depot, built in 1877. The present Amtrak station opened two blocks away in 2001, leaving the original depot vacant. Martinez is now working toward returning the building to active use while preserving its character. (www.cityofmartinez.org/departments/planning/major-development-projects/old-train-depot" style="color:#C0392B;text-decoration:underline;">City of Martinez)

Nearby, a large outdoor mural honors Joe DiMaggio, who was born in Martinez in 1914. The volunteer-led www.martinezhero.org/" style="color:#C0392B;text-decoration:underline;">Joe DiMaggio Hometown Hero Project is preserving that connection through the mural, a proposed museum, a statue and a walking tour.

I am a baseball fan, so this was not a detail I was going to walk past.

Martinez’s history is not sealed behind museum glass. You find it beside the railroad tracks, on the side of a building or while walking from downtown to the water.

## A Bar Worth Coming Back To

Eventually, I wandered into Hillside Tap Room.

It had exactly the look I want from a place I discover on a drive: comfortable, local and more interesting than I expected from the outside.

Hillside features live music, including performances in its beer garden. Its www.hillsidemartinez.com/experiences" style="color:#C0392B;text-decoration:underline;">events page gave me a reason to come back, have a beer and listen to a band near the waterfront.

Those are the discoveries I look for: places that make you think, I should come back here.

## A Northern California Gem Hiding in Plain Sight

Martinez is not arranged around tourists or built to deliver one polished postcard view. It is better suited to local visitors who arrive with a reason and give the town enough time to reveal itself.

The massive Benicia–Martinez Bridge rises above the strait. Tankers move through the water near the industrial shoreline and refineries. Trains pass beside downtown. The marina is a real working marina—not a shopping district decorated with boats.

The waterfront is not lined with coffee shops, restaurants and souvenir stores. What you get instead is open space, parks, fishing, boats, wind and the possibility of stumbling onto a windsurfing show.

It has a blue-collar, all-American feel. It feels used rather than staged.

Come for the Sunday farmers market. Take a morning walk through the waterfront parks. Bring your dog and visit the city’s www.cityofmartinez.org/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/24/205" style="color:#C0392B;text-decoration:underline;">dog park near the marina, while following the posted restrictions around the marsh and duck pond. If you are catching an Amtrak train, arrive early and spend some time downtown instead of waiting inside the station.

Parking makes the outing easier. Downtown meters are currently enforced Monday through Friday, which means parking is free on Sundays. www.ebparks.org/parks/radke-martinez" style="color:#C0392B;text-decoration:underline;">Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline also has no parking fee. Check posted signs before leaving your car, since parking rules can change.

There is also the John Muir National Historic Site. Muir’s Martinez home is one of the city’s most important historical destinations, although the main site is currently www.nps.gov/jomu/planyourvisit/index.htm" style="color:#C0392B;text-decoration:underline;">open Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sundays and Mondays.

That stop will require a different day.

Martinez does not demand that you build an entire vacation around it.

It simply rewards the detour.

## The Event Was Only the Excuse

I chose Martinez because Art in the Park gave me a reason to go.

The better story was the town I found around it.

The festival introduced me to the community—and to a very good Bull Dog. The market showed me the town’s small-scale character. The waterfront gave me an unexpected afternoon of windsurfing. The bridge, tankers, marina and railroad revealed a working California town. The Joe DiMaggio mural gave a baseball fan something personal to stop for.

Martinez is not a blockbuster destination.

That is exactly why it belongs in Sunday Drives with Mike.

Sometimes you need to choose a road, show up and stay awhile.

Martinez rewarded me for doing exactly that.

Hidden Gem of the Week

Davies Symphony Hall · San Francisco · Thu, Sep 10

Anthony Parnther conducts the San Francisco Symphony playing John Williams's score live to the film.

Featured Weekend Event

Legion of Honor · San Francisco · Thu, Jul 30

The Etruscans: From the Heart of Ancient Italy Live at the Legion of Honor!Step inside history's greatest untold story and discover the remarkable, highly advanced civilization tha

Free Event of the Week

Ferry Building · San Francisco · Thu, Sep 10

Tuesday Shift: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM (Features roughly 20 regional farm stands along the front plaza).Thursday Shift: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM (Features 10 to 15 vendors with a heavy emph

Best Date Night

Sweetwater Music Hall · Mill Valley · Fri, Sep 11

Bee Gees tribute. Doors 7:00 PM.

This Week in Behind The Ticket

Mike MacPherson · 4 min read

Gina was in line before the gates opened and still lost her usual spot. On her fourth trip to Stern Grove, she learned what “arrive early” really means.

From You

Got a Delta spot I missed? A tip, a photo, a story? Shoot me an email - I read everything, and I'm building next week's list right now.