Weekend Picks: Suisun Coast and Creek Cleanup, San Francisco Korean Day Cultural Fest, and San Jose Fiestas Patrias Festival

September 13, 2017

Participate in a coastal cleanup day in Suisun, immerse yourself in Korean culture in San Francisco, and celebrate Mexican Independence Day in San Jose. The weekend fun begins and ends along the Capitol Corridor!

Coast and Creek Cleanup: 9/16, Suisun

Get ready to roll up your sleeves and join the state’s largest shoreline cleanup project at the Coastal Cleanup Day in Suisun. Volunteers will walk the Bay Trail and the edge of the salt marsh on Saturday, September 16, from 9am to noon, picking up trash and removing the massive debris that accumulates on the beaches and inland shorelines polluting the marine habitat. Bring your own reusable items such as plastic bags, gloves, water bottles, and wear boots or closed-toe shoes that can get dirty. All other supplies will be provided. This is the 33rd year that the California Coastal Commission has organized this event and last year, volunteers removed more than 4,060 pounds of trash and 613 pounds of recyclables from miles of local waterways. To get there, take the Capitol Corridor to the Suisun Station, and you’ll be a short stroll to the waterfront.

Korean Day Cultural Festival: 9/16, San Francisco

Join in on the celebration of traditional and modern Korean culture at the 2017 Korean Day Cultural Festival in San Francisco’s Union Square. From 10am to 4pm, on Saturday, September 16, the festival will celebrate Chuseok (추석), a Korean holiday very similar to Thanksgiving. Enjoy live performances of traditional Korean dance and drumming; elaborate martial arts demonstrations; hands-on cultural experiences; various Korean foods and specialty vendors. Every year for the past 25 years, the Bay Area Korean community has celebrated Chuseok to share Korean cultural heritage and traditions of Korea. To get there, take the Capitol Corridor to the Richmond Station or the Oakland Coliseum Station and connect to BART to downtown San Francisco. Discount BART tickets and MUNI tokens are sold on board the train in the Café Car for added convenience.

Fiestas Patrias Festival: 9/16, San Jose

Make your way to San Jose this weekend and bring the whole family to the outdoor celebration of Mexican Independence Day at Fiestas Patrias “El Grito” Festival . From 12:30pm to 10pm there will be live music, entertainment, multi-cultural food options, and vendors representing local community services. There will also be an Official El Grito Ceremony with the San Jose Mexican Consulate. Fiestas Patrias 2017 is the largest and most prestigious Mexican Independence Day celebration in the Bay Area. This year’s expected attendance is more than 35,000 so get there early. Mexican Independence is celebrated annually to remember the bravery of Miguel Hidalgo, leader of the Mexican War of Independence. To this day, the church bell that was used 203 years ago hangs in the National Palace in Mexico City and is rung at midnight on September 15th each year by the President of Mexico. To get there, take the train to the San Jose Diridon Station. Guadalupe Park is accessible by the VTA, with a free Transit Transfer from the Capitol Corridor. Public transit options can be found on Google Maps.

Written by Sylvia Sheehan
Photo courtesy Korean Center SF