Search Results
BART Police's newest Deputy Chief, Ja'Son Scott, knows community connections matter
When newly minted BART Police Deputy Chief Ja’Son Scott was young, he lived across the world with his parents, who both spent their careers serving in the U.S. Air Force. They lived on military bases from Mississippi to Germany and everywhere in between. “During that time, one of the things that was instilled
From swimming holes to Star Wars drone shows: Take BART on the town this weekend
Friday, Aug. 18, 2023 – It was yet another high ridership weekend on Saturday, Aug. 5, and Sunday, Aug. 6, as Outside Lands Music Festival, the Pistahan Parade and Festival, and other exciting events unfurled across the Bay Area. Saturday and Sunday saw 101,100 and 79,300 exits respectively meaning more than 180,000 people rode BART last weekend (that’s roughly the populations of Berkeley, Benicia, and El Cerrito combined).
Looking for something to do this weekend? Keep reading and visit our BARTable website. We publish a weekly event roundup, BARTable This Weekend, which highlights happenings around the region as well as contests and sweepstakes.
This weekend, BART will be running extra trains for these big events: the Star Wars Drone Show following the A’s game on Saturday, and the Zach Bryan concert at the Oakland Arena on Monday.
Fri/Sat/Sun: Athletics vs. Orioles at the Oakland Coliseum (plus a Star Wars Drone Show!)
The Oakland Athletics face the Baltimore Orioles on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday – and each game offers a special themed promotion. For the Star Wars Drone Show on Saturday night, BART will be running extra trains to accommodate the anticipated crowds.
Here’s the lowdown on this weekend’s games: Friday, Aug. 18 (6:40pm start time) is Jerry Garcia Night, a tribute to the legendary Bay Area musician. Saturday, Aug. 19 (6:07pm start time) is the Star Wars Drone Show (with a special Mark Kotsay Mandalorian Bobblehead on offer). And Sunday, Aug. 20 (1:07pm start time), will see a “t-shirt hoodie” giveaway for early arriving fans, presented by Cal State East Bay.
It’s also First Responders Weekend at the Coliseum, with special prices, tailgates, jerseys, and more for first responders. (Promo info here.)
Use our guide to taking BART to the game here.
Sat/Sun: Take BART to the FOG India Day Parade and Fair in Fremont
On Saturday, Aug. 19, and Sunday, Aug. 20, the City of Fremont will host the largest India Day parade on the West Coast with more than 130 booths and 50,000 attendees. To get there, take BART to Fremont Station and travel about 0.6 miles to the event site – 39439 Paseo Padre Parkway, Fremont.
The fair takes over the parkway on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm, and the parade runs Sunday from 11am to 1pm. Bollywood superstar Mahima Chaudhry will serve as the grand marshal. Keep your eyes out for the BART booth, where BART directors, staff, and officers will be on hand with free swag and information about the system and our programs. More info here.
Mon: Singer-Songwriter Zach Bryan at the Oakland Arena on Monday
Singer-songwriter Zach Bryan touches down in Oakland this Monday, Aug. 21, for a stop on his Burn, Burn, Burn tour at the Oakland Arena (take BART to Coliseum Station) with Trampled by Turtles and Levi Turner. The show starts at 8pm and doors open at 6:30pm.
BART will be running extra trains Monday night to take concertgoers home.
Explore BARTable Pools, Coves, and Lagoons
Did you know you can take BART to swim? Cool off this weekend by visiting a BARTable swimming hole. We rounded them up (with directions) in this article.
Win Tickets to the “Hippest Trip – The Soul Train Musical” World Premiere
Win two tickets for you and your guest to the world premiere of "Hippest Trip -The Soul Train Musical" at A.C.T.'s Toni Rembe Theater in San Francisco on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 8pm. Five lucky winners will take the prize! Learn more about the Broadway-bound musical and enter the sweepstakes by clicking here.
Weekend Read: The Couple Who Hosted a BART Wedding at Fairyland
On May 27, 2023, Armin Samii and Marylee Williams married in a BART-themed wedding at Oakland’s Fairyland.
The couple, who met on BART, said, “We wanted a venue that was easily accessible to our guests, and accessibility to us looks like BART. BART was where we had our first taste of not being bound by a car.”
Read more about the wedding and see the colorful photos on bart.gov/news.
Happy Riding this Weekend!
We hope you enjoy your weekend adventures aboard our trains.
Stay in touch by signing up for the BARTable This Week newsletter on the BARTable website – your one-stop shop for all things accessible by BART. You can also keep up with BARTable on Facebook and Instagram.
Sweet subway sounds: "Punk rock Johnny Cash" among BART buskers who entertain riders
By Melissa Jordan BART/Senior web producer As commuters streamed off a rush-hour train one recent Wednesday afternoon, a few stopped to stare at the man with the deep booming voice, strumming a guitar and singing in the 24th St. Mission BART Station. Now on BART TV: Hear Morris sing Johnny Cash "I hear the
Inside look: How BART is helping small, local businesses compete for Measure RR bond work
L-R: McKee and Co. Electric CFO Haivinh Ha, Senior Estimator Michael Thomas and CEO Steve McKee By MELISSA JORDANBART Senior Web Producer For a small, family-owned business like McKee and Co. Electric of San Francisco, it can take years of hard work to get established enough to become part of a successful bid
Sound Tracks, BART’s free summer concert series, returns; next performance is September 4
Sound Tracks, BART’s free summer concert series, returns for three shows in August and September. The outdoor series, presented by the BART Art Program, is part of BART’s rider engagement strategy to activate stations, show appreciation for riders and neighbors, and support local artists – all for the love of music.
Performances will be held in the unpaid areas of stations, and attendees are encouraged to take BART. Dance bands have been so successful at past events that for this series, we’re bringing out musicians that know how to get a crowd on their feet.
Said Jennifer Easton, BART Art Program Manager: “The BART Art Program centers supporting local artists and delivering arts and cultural programming to enhance rider and community experience. Sound Tracks encourages riders to take a minute to celebrate with station neighbors, support local businesses, and enables BART to show our appreciation for all the people who ride the system and to those that make the station areas vibrant.”
Up next on the schedule:
Wednesday, Sept. 4, 5 pm to 630pm, Balboa Park: Kiazi Malonga (Congolese drummer performing with full percussion band)
Previously:
Wednesday, August 21, 5pm to 630pm, El Cerrito del Norte Station: Patron Latin Rhythms (Latin jazz, Latin rock, Mambo). Special reading by winners of the BART Lines Teen Poetry Contest.
Wednesday, Aug. 28, 5pm to 630pm, Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa Centre: Chris Trinidad y Con Todo featuring Mestiza (Cuban Timba, Puerto Rican Bomba, and Afro-Caribbean genres mixed with Latin jazz, soul, and R&B)
BART extended service for A's night games will not accommodate 7/2/21 post-game fireworks show
BART continues to provide additional trains after regular BART service ends for fans departing A’s night games at the Coliseum. Since the start of the 2021 MLB season, BART has provided extra event trains for fans who attend the 6:40 pm A's night games after regular BART service ends approximately at 9 pm
Behind the scenes on Veterans Day: How BART & partners help homeless vets get off streets
By MELISSA JORDAN BART Senior Web Producer If you don't personally know a veteran to thank on Veterans Day this Friday, here's a suggestion: be grateful for the men and women who work tirelessly to assist homeless veterans who seek shelter in BART stations. Outreach workers from the nonprofit organization
New art exhibit recalls silver android who rode BART for performance art piece in 1978
Photo by Kathleen Karp, copyright JBLee 1978 By Melissa Jordan BART Senior Web Producer The year was 1978. Star Wars fever had swept the nation a year earlier, with fantastic characters like the droid C-3P0 capturing the public imagination. In San Francisco, an artist who went by the name JONaEON took on the
Join us with your BART holiday sweater on 12/10/23 for SweaterFest '23
It's the most BARTable time of the year!
Celebrate our third year of the immensely popular BART holiday sweater at SweaterFest '23! Wear your BART holiday sweater from any year and join BART staff and fellow riders for a group photo at Rockridge Station on Sunday, December 10 from 2-3:30pm.
For riders who did not pre-order the 2023 BART holiday staff but would like to purchase one, staff will be selling the 2023 holiday sweater at SweaterFest '23. We will have contests, prizes, other BART merch for sale, music, and more to make it a true holiday event! Winners of our SweaterFest '23 Raffle can win exclusive BART prizes. (Raffle contestants must be present to win prizes)
Extra 2023 BART holiday sweaters will go on sale at railgoods.com after Thanksgiving.
For pre-orders who selected the pick-up option, your holiday sweater is available for pick-up at BART HQ, 2150 Webster Street in Oakland (walkable distance from 19th St Oakland Station) on weekdays from November 22 until December 7. The hours for pick-up are between 8:30am until 4pm. November 23 and November 24 will not be open due to Thanksgiving.
Starting December 11, pre-order pick-ups will be moved to the Customer Services Center at Lake Merritt Station on the concourse level.
Don’t be left out in the cold…grab your sweater and join us for a family-friendly, holiday-celebrating SweaterFest ’23!
We plan to introduce our new stamp rally passport at SweaterFest. If you attend the Meet the Anime Mascots event at Powell Street, be sure to bring your stamp from that event and we will add it to our passport.