Fall is here with a weekend full of festivities! Join a festival of colors in Sacramento, feast on Italian food in San Jose, enjoy a beer festival in Oakland, and then celebrate the Autumn harvest moon in San Francisco! Whatever you decide, the Capitol Corridor is the best way to get there!
Holi Festival: 9/30 Sacramento
Join in the festival of colors! This Saturday, September 30, Sacramento will be hosting its own Holi Festival at Southside Park. Celebrated in India and Nepal, Holi festival is traditionally held in the spring to rejoice in the season’s burst of color and the joy in the everyday routine. Attendees won’t need to wait till spring and can enjoy all the festival has to offer this Saturday between 11am and 4pm. Listen to live music and DJ’s, take a yoga or dance classes, indulge in ethnic vegetarian dishes, and of course participate in the color throw. Kids enter for free, and festival goers who book online can use code HOLISAC108 for discounted tickets. Wear white but don’t forget a change of clothes! (Please note, for safety reasons no outside color packets will be allowed.) Take the Capitol Corridor to the Sacramento Station, make the short walk to the SacRT SB bus connections at 7th & H St. The Capitol Corridor offers free Transit Transfers for SacRT. Check Google Maps for more transit information.
Little Italy Street Festival: 10/1, San Jose
Celebrate all things Italy at the 2nd Annual Little Italy Street Festival on Sunday, October 1 in San Jose. From 11am to 7pm, enjoy a wine garden, artisan Italian arts and crafts, a children’s activities area and of course, plenty of authentic Italian cuisine sold by some of the best Italian restaurants in the South Bay. There will also be non-stop entertainment by well-known local and traditional bands. Italian Tenor, Pasquale Esposito, will be honored as the Grand Marshall and will be performing live. All proceeds from the festival will benefit the Little Italy San Jose Cultural Center and future Italian Museum. Nearly 10,000 people attended last year’s festival, so this year, the festival will be accommodating the large crowd by expanding and closing down a second street. To get there, take the train to the San Jose Diridon Station. The festival is within walking distance of the station and is accessible by the VTA, with a free Transit Transfer from the Capitol Corridor conductor.
Oaktoberfest: 10/1, Oakland
Grab your lederhosen and get ready to feast on pretzels, sausages and beer this Saturday, October 1 at Oaktoberfest in Oakland’s Dimond District. From 11am to 6pm, enjoy world-class beer, served in steins of traditional German flavors, and regional brew pub favorites in the tented beer hall. Highlights will include a traditional Biergarten; an Eco Fair; a Kid’s Area with Root Biergarten; vendors from around the Bay; and a German-style homebrew competition featured in the homebrewers’ alley. The annual free event celebrates the history, flavors, and the people of the Bay Area with craft beer and food, entertainment, arts, and ecology. To get to the festivities, take the Capitol Corridor to the Emeryville Station, and from there, take AC Transit Line 20 with a free transfer from the Capitol Corridor. You can also take the Capitol Corridor to the Richmond Station, connect to BART for travel to BART’s Fruitvale station, and then take AC Transit’s Line 20. Visit Google Maps for directions.
Autumn Moon Festival: 10/1, San Francisco
The 27th Annual Autumn Moon Festival will be happening this weekend in San Francisco in the heart of Chinatown on historic Grant Avenue between California Street and Columbus Avenue. From 11am to 6pm on Saturday, September 30, and Sunday, October 1, the two-day annual Asian-themed festival will be celebrating the time of the goddess of the moon during the autumnal equinox. The festivities begin with a parade led by civic officials, beauty queens, cultural performers, and lion dancers. The famous Dragon will appear on Sunday at 5pm as the grand finale of the event. Browse the thousands of Asian arts and crafts for sale at the event including housewares, plants, jewelry, and beauty products. Several vendors will be on hand to selling traditional treats and unique ethnic foods, as well as sponsors providing gifts, games, and raffles. To get there, take the Capitol Corridor’s dedicated connecting bus from Emeryville to the Pier 39 stop or Hyatt/Financial District stop. Or take the Capitol Corridor to the Richmond Station or Oakland Coliseum Station and connect to BART to downtown San Francisco. From any of these San Francisco bus or BART stops, you can walk or take public transit using Google Maps.
Written by Sylvia Sheehan
Photo courtesy Calvin Jeng