Storybook watercolor illustration of Daniel, Lisa, and Anderson in a San Francisco park
September 5-6, 2026 · for Daniel, Lisa, and Anderson

Anderson's Weekend Map

A softer, shorter guide: one good plan, a few backups, and permission to go home the moment the nap math gets weird.

Best bets Pocket list

Pick From These Three

The full event universe got compressed into the only question that matters this weekend: what will still feel nice with an 8-month-old?

BEST OVERALL
SAT + SUN12-10PMChurch of the Holy Cross, Belmont~25-40 min via I-280; free shuttle

Belmont Greek Festival

A warm, food-first Greek festival with all-day music, community dancing, mythology plays, traditional performances, and a real children's anchor in Andy Z.

Protect nap 2. Andy Z at 4 PM works only with a natural wake by about 3 PM; otherwise arrive around 5 for food and dancing and leave around 5:45.
Sunday after nap, with a realistic travel buffer
  • The official festival site confirms Saturday and Sunday, September 5-6, from noon to 10 PM at the Church of the Holy Cross in Belmont.
  • The schedule gives Saturday a 1:30 PM mythology play and 3 PM Andy Z set; Sunday repeats the play at 1:30 and 3 PM, then puts Andy Z at 4 PM followed by children's and community dance groups.
  • Allow roughly 45-60 minutes for the drive, parking, and shuttle; this is a planning buffer, not a live traffic estimate. A natural wake by about 3 PM makes the 4 PM Andy Z set plausible. If nap 2 ends near 4, skip the set and aim for food and dancing around 5; leave around 5:45 for bedtime.
  • General admission is $5, youth 13-17 are $3, and children 12 and under are free with an adult. Tickets are available at the entrance; festival booths are card-first.
  • There is no church parking. Free parking and shuttles run from Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (1040 Alameda de las Pulgas) and Notre Dame High School (1540 Ralston Avenue). Do not park at Carlmont Shopping Center or Safeway; the 1870 Ralston public lot has no shuttle.
  • Use I-280 in both directions. Northbound US-101 through Hospital Curve is fully closed all weekend, so do not let navigation send the return trip toward the closure.
  • Andy Z's Friday morning post reconfirms both Belmont concerts. The focused social check found no verifiable festival-specific cancellation or access warning; use the official schedule for set times.
  • Event details.
SATURDAY FIELD TRIP
SAT + SUN8AM-6PMAlameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton~45-65 min via I-280 and Bay Bridge

160th Scottish Highland Gathering & Games

A full-scale Scottish spectacle with caber-style heavy athletics, massed pipes, Highland dancing, sheepdogs, birds of prey, living history, and Celtic animals.

The big sensory field trip
  • The official organizer confirms the 160th Scottish Games at the Alameda County Fairgrounds on September 5-6, with gates open from 8 AM until after 6 PM.
  • The 2026 program spans heavy athletics, piping and drumming, Highland dancing, sheepdog trials, birds of prey, Celtic animals, soccer, live music, and living-history demonstrations.
  • For Anderson, the best short loop is one heavy-athletics stop, pipes or dancing, then sheepdogs, birds, or the children's Passport to the Clans. Do not try to cover the fairgrounds.
  • Children five and under are free but still require a valid ticket. Buy all tickets online before departure; the fairgrounds has no physical box office, though QR-code purchase is available at the gates.
  • The organizer recommends buying parking online as well. Yellow, Green, and Red entry gates are open; grandstand seating is free, and prepared food in a soft cooler or insulated bag is allowed.
  • Drive with the stroller, sun protection, water, and optional ear protection for the pipes. Friday Open-Meteo puts Pleasanton near 74 F Saturday with sunshine; the San Francisco weather card does not describe the fairgrounds.
  • The northbound US-101 closure affects the normal approach to the Bay Bridge from Glen Park. Follow Caltrans' I-280 detour, add buffer, and leave before afternoon traffic and nap friction stack up.
  • The focused social pass found no verifiable finalist-specific heat, parking, crowd, ticket, stroller, or cancellation warning; official event and fairgrounds guidance remains authoritative.
  • Event details.
BEST FREE SUNDAY
SUN1-4PMEast Meadow, Presidio Tunnel Tops~25-40 min by surface streets; transit works

World Arts West Dance Festival

A free outdoor afternoon of global dance, bright costumes, live music, participatory Brazilian and line-dance workshops, lawn space, and Tunnel Tops resets.

The beautiful short Sunday option
  • The Presidio Trust confirms the festival's final weekend on Sunday, September 6, from 1 to 4 PM at the East Meadow of Presidio Tunnel Tops, free and open to the public.
  • The lineup includes Academy of Danse Libre, Amazed by Grace Dance Ministry, Los Lupeños de San José, and Uzumaru, plus interactive Brazilian dance and line-dance workshops.
  • Anderson gets immediate movement, music, costumes, lawn space, and the nearby Outpost playground without needing to sit through a program.
  • The timing is the tradeoff. Treat 1-1:45 PM as the family event, then leave for nap 2; this is not a reason to push through the whole 1-4 PM program.
  • Bring a blanket and stroller, with the carrier available near the performance area. Food trucks and open park amenities make the exit easier than an indoor festival.
  • Avoid northbound US-101. Use surface streets or transit from Glen Park and expect traffic to spill onto alternatives during the full Hospital Curve closure.
  • The focused social pass found no verifiable World Arts West cancellation, crowd, parking, stroller, or access warning; official Presidio guidance remains authoritative.
  • Event details.

The Actual Plan

Keep it light. Choose one outing per day around the actual nap windows, and leave enough time to get home for bedtime.

Saturday choose one field trip or one post-nap playroom

Big field trip
Scottish Highland GamesLet nap 1 finish, take I-280 toward the Bay Bridge, arrive around 12:30 PM, and choose heavy athletics plus pipes plus one animal stop. Leave near 2 PM for the car nap rather than stretching for the 4 PM massed bands.
Shorter peninsula alternative
Belmont Greek FestivalUse I-280, shuttle in, catch the 1:30 PM mythology play, eat, and leave before nap 2. Saturday Andy Z at 3 PM is real but poorly timed for the current nap rhythm.
If nap 2 ends early
Portola Saturday PlaytimeDrive over for the 3-4 PM toddler room only if Anderson wakes naturally in time. It is the nearby fallback when the longer outing feels like too much.

Sunday Belmont after nap 2 is the cleanest shape

Best overall
Belmont Greek FestivalProtect nap 2 and budget 45-60 minutes for I-280, parking, and the shuttle. Catch Andy Z at 4 only if Anderson wakes naturally by about 3; a 4 PM wake means food and dancing around 5 instead. Leave around 5:45.
Best free slice
World Arts WestArrive at Tunnel Tops right at 1 PM for 30-45 minutes of dance and open lawn, then leave for nap 2. Use surface streets or transit; northbound 101 is not available.
Indoor creative alternative
SF Zine FestUse BART and stroller for a short post-nap-1 Kid Zone and zine-making browse. Masks are required and the organizer expects a crowded indoor room.

Weather Window

Forecast now says Saturday is cloudy and Sunday is cloudy. Outdoor plans should stay short, layered, and easy to exit.

Saturday

Cloudy, 64°

160th Scottish Highland Gathering & Games still works; keep the loop short, layered, and easy to exit.

Sunday

Cloudy, 66°

Belmont Greek Festival still works as the weather-flex plan; keep the outing small.

Where Things Sit

Glen Park and Portola are the nearby fallbacks. Belmont needs a drive and shuttle, Pleasanton is the longer field trip, and Tunnel Tops needs a cross-city trip.

Illustrated schematic map of this weekend's event options around a generalized home base
What it tells us. Belmont is the best after-nap food-and-dance outing. The Scottish Games is the Saturday field trip; World Arts West is the short, free Sunday option at Tunnel Tops.
Small footnote. Times are rough car estimates from Glen Park. Use them for choosing, not routing.

Nap Math

Recent sleep data still points to a two-nap rhythm. That should shape timing without turning the day into a spreadsheet.

Working rhythm

Based on recent Huckleberry sleep data, protect the ordinary clock unless the day clearly goes sideways.

Wake7:00-7:30 AM
Nap 1Starts around 9:45-10:15, usually ending by late morning.
Nap 2Starts around 2:00-2:30 and should ideally end by 4:00.
NightBedtime routine around 6:45-7:00, asleep around 7:15-7:45.

How it changes the guide

Choose an event that fits the actual wake-up time, including the drive, parking, and the trip home.

For this weekend: Scottish Games works after nap 1 with a car nap home. On Sunday, choose a short World Arts West visit before nap 2 or Belmont afterward. Andy Z at 4 PM needs a natural wake by about 3; otherwise aim for dinner and dancing around 5.

Pocket List

The rest of the useful finds, kept compact. These are backups, detours, or “parents want this” options.

SUN11AM-5PMThe Hibernia, Civic Center
SF Zine FestA free independent-publishing fair with 200-plus exhibitors, a Kid Zone, zine-making, screenprinting, and a lot of visual texture in one building.
Best use A post-nap-1 indoor creative stop when the family wants something compact and transit-friendly.
Anderson angle The Kid Zone and zine-making turn the 200-plus-exhibitor fair into a hands-on browse rather than an adult shopping hall.
Caveat The organizer calls this a crowded indoor event and requires masks. Adults should bring masks; check the organizer's policy for young children before choosing this outing. Use BART and leave before nap 2.
SAT3-4PMPortola Library
Saturday PlaytimeA free monthly play date with toddler and preschool toys for ages 0-6, close enough to use without turning the afternoon into a production.
Best use The low-friction Saturday choice when nap 2 ends early enough for one nearby hour.
Anderson angle Toddler and preschool toys, other caregivers, and a room built for play rather than performance.
Caveat The 3 PM start may still overlap nap 2. Sleep wins; this only works on an early-wake day.
SAT10:30AM-12:30PMGlen Park Library
Saturday Morning PlaytimesA free neighborhood room of toddler and preschool toys and games, close enough to keep in your pocket rather than schedule.
Best use The hyper-local fallback when sleep shifts and a destination outing no longer makes sense.
Anderson angle Drop-in toys and games for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers with no ticket or commute.
Caveat The start overlaps nap 1. Walk over only if Anderson wakes early enough for a natural final half hour.

Weekend Notes

The practical edges that matter more than finding one more thing to do.

Nap Math

Scottish Games is a post-nap-1 field trip with a car nap home. World Arts West is a 1-1:45 PM slice before nap 2. Belmont works after nap 2, but the 4 PM Andy Z set needs a natural wake by about 3; otherwise go later for dinner and dancing.

Stroller vs. Drive

Drive with the stroller to Pleasanton and Belmont; use a carrier near dense performance areas. Belmont requires an offsite lot and free shuttle. Tunnel Tops works by surface-street drive or transit, while BART plus stroller is calmer for SF Zine Fest.

One Event Is the Plan

Scottish Games versus Belmont is a Saturday choice, not a sequence. Sunday is World Arts West before nap 2 or Belmont after nap 2; SF Zine Fest is the indoor alternative, not an add-on.

US-101 Is Closed Northbound

Caltrans confirms every northbound US-101 lane closes between Cesar Chavez and 10th Street from 11 PM Friday through 6 AM Monday. Southbound stays open. Use I-280 for the Bay Bridge and Peninsula return, and expect detour traffic. Howard between 3rd and 4th closes at 6 AM Saturday for Dreamforce setup. The Giants are away Saturday and Sunday.

City Layers, Inland Sun

The weather card is for San Francisco: cloudy, about 64 F Saturday and 66 F Sunday. Separate Friday Open-Meteo checks put Pleasanton near 74 F Saturday and Belmont near 72 F Sunday, with little rain risk. Bring sun protection inland and layers for Tunnel Tops.

Social Read

The focused Reddit and X checks found no verifiable finalist-specific cancellation or access warning. Andy Z's Friday post reconfirms Belmont, and 511's Thursday reminder reconfirms the US-101 closure; official pages control schedules and detours.