Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2026 in San Francisco: Alcatraz Sunrise Gathering and Yerba Buena Gardens

Indigenous Peoples’ Day falls on Monday, October 12, 2026, and San Francisco marks it with two events organized with the International Indian Treaty Council: a sunrise gathering on Alcatraz Island before dawn, and a free afternoon of Native music, art and vendors in Yerba Buena Gardens. Boat tickets for the Alcatraz gathering cost $12, and the treaty council says only limited tickets will be sold on the day.

The Alcatraz Sunrise Gathering

The International Indian Treaty Council’s event page bills this year’s gathering as “Commemorating 534 Years of Indigenous Resistance, Cultural Resiliency and Survival in the Americas.” Alcatraz was the site of the Indians of All Tribes occupation, which the National Park Service dates from November 20, 1969 to June 11, 1971.

Per the treaty council:

• Where: Alcatraz Landing, Pier 33, on The Embarcadero.
• Ticket office opens: 4am.
• Boats depart: 5am, 5:15am and 5:30am. All boats return by 9am.
• Cost: $12. Children under 5 ride free.
• Tickets: Buy in advance through Alcatraz City Cruises. Only a limited number are sold on the day.
• Access: The event is listed as wheelchair accessible.
• Can’t make the boat? KPFA 94.1 FM broadcasts the gathering live from 6am to 8am, with a simulcast on the treaty council’s Facebook page.

Some third-party listings show different departure times, including a 4:15am boat. The times above come from the organizer’s own page, so check the time printed on your ticket.

The gathering is sponsored with Indigenous Justice and supported by San Francisco Grants for the Arts and the San Francisco Arts Commission, according to the treaty council.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Yerba Buena Gardens

After the boats return, the celebration moves to Yerba Buena Gardens, 750 Howard Street. The Yerba Buena Partnership lists the event from noon to 4pm with a performance by Jeremy Dutcher, plus Native American art, music and vendors from around the Bay Area, California and the Americas. The treaty council lists it as the city’s 8th annual Indigenous Peoples Day in the gardens, free, starting at noon; its page gives a 3pm finish, so plan around the earlier time if you’re catching a specific act. A full schedule had not been posted as of October 3.

Yerba Buena Gardens is a short walk from the Montgomery Street and Powell Street BART and Muni stations.

Alcatraz closes later in the month

The October 12 gathering falls two weeks before Alcatraz Island closes to visitors from October 26 for ferry dock repairs, with work expected to be finished by November 18. The treaty council also holds a sunrise gathering on Thanksgiving morning, which this year is November 26, after the expected completion date. For regular daytime visits, see our Alcatraz Island guide, and for the rest of the month, things to do in San Francisco in October 2026.

Photo: Craig Baker, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.