If fighter jets, military ships and crowds on the waterfront aren't your thing, you're in luck: SoMa has a completely different trick up its sleeve this weekend.
From 6-10pm Saturday, Yerba Buena Night is set to transform the area into a free festival featuring more than 30 diverse musicians, performing and visual artists on three stages around the neighborhood.
The Yerba Buena Community Benefit District, which focuses on enhancing the quality of life for residents and businesses in the neighborhood, began hosting the festival four years ago to showcase the area's focus on the arts, said Richard Ciccarone, the organization's events and administration manager. And unlike many street fairs around the city, this festival puts the emphasis on immersive entertainment, not vendors.
“I’ve lived in the city for 20 years, and I’ve personally never seen anything like this in the city,” he said.
A highlight this year is the diverse selection of dance troupes and flash mobs on tap for Jessie Square's dance stage, Ciccarone said. Culture Shock Oakland is set to bring about 50 high school students to perform a synchronized hip-hop routine, while the "boutique circus design house" La Maison Aurora will showcase aerialists, contortionists and other talented acts on the stage and the streets.
Over in the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Sculpture Garden, the troupe Bad Unkl Sistah will perform a four-hour presentation of Butoh, which is a decades-old yet increasingly popular Japanese performance that typically pairs silent, hyper-controlled movements with avant-garde costumes.
"I have to say, there's something really universal about that," Ciccarone said of Buthoh. "I don't know what it is, I can't point my finger on it, but it's mesmerizing."
Photo: Sidney Erthal Photography for Bad Unkl Sista/Facebook
The stage located at Yerba Buena Lane and Market street will be dedicated to musicians, including the Camilo y los Robot Ninjas, the Pacific Edge Voices and Cello Joe.
While the sheer amount and diversity of the scheduled performances may sound a bit overwhelming to some, Ciccarone says that the festival will not feel hectic. Compared to years past, "this one is going to be more as though you’re watching an amazing talented show opening up in front of you," he said.
The full lineup is available here, and copies of the schedule can be picked up Saturday evening at the show. You can also follow Yerba Buena Night on Facebook for regular glimpses at the scheduled performers.
