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.

Best overall shape: protect nap 2 Sunday, arrive just before Andy Z at 4 PM, eat and dance, then leave by about 5:30 PM for bedtime.
Why Sunday at four wins
  • 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.
  • Sunday's 4 PM children's set is the rare clean fit after nap 2. Arrive around 3:45 PM, stay for food and one dance beat, and leave while the evening is still easy.
  • 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.
  • Parking at the church is not available. Use the free parking and shuttle at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church or Notre Dame High School, and bring the stroller for the shuttle transition and an easy exit.
  • 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.
  • The focused social pass found no verifiable cancellation, crowd, parking, or access warning. Andy Z's own August 28 post confirms he is returning to Belmont; the official schedule controls timing.
  • 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.
  • Drive with the stroller, sun protection, water, and optional ear protection for the pipes. Pleasanton's first forecast is sunny around 75 F, warmer than San Francisco but not extreme.
  • 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 hour 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. One outing per day is enough. The cleanest event windows are before Nap 2, with bedtime protected.

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. This is the no-crowd, no-detour choice.

Sunday Belmont after nap 2 is the cleanest shape

Best overall
Belmont Greek FestivalProtect nap 2, take I-280 to the free shuttle, arrive around 3:45 PM for Andy Z at 4, then eat and watch one dance group before leaving near 5:30 PM.
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 bright and Sunday is bright. Outdoor plans should stay short, layered, and easy to exit.

Saturday

Bright, 69°

Good for the outdoor picks; bring layers for shade and wind.

Sunday

Bright, 67°

Good for the outdoor picks; bring layers for shade and wind.

Where Things Sit

A quick geography check: Precita and the Mission are the short drives from Glen Park; Hayes Valley, Japantown, and the waterfront ask for a fuller car plan.

Illustrated schematic map of this weekend's event options around a generalized home base
What it tells us. Hayes Valley is the big Saturday outing. Precita Park is the close Saturday answer, and Sunday Streets makes the Mission the cleanest Sunday stroller loop.
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

The best public-facing advice is not “follow the schedule perfectly.” It is “choose events that fit between naps and leave before the day gets expensive.”

For this weekend: Saturday opens up after nap 1, with the 1 PM Circus Bella show and Precita festival start both fitting cleanly. Sunday Streets is best as a late-morning edge loop before nap 2.

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. Use BART, bring a good child mask if appropriate, 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

The Scottish Games is a noon-to-2 PM field trip after nap 1. World Arts West is a 1-1:45 PM slice before nap 2. Belmont is the weekend's cleanest fit because Sunday's 4 PM Andy Z set starts just after nap 2. Portola and Glen Park only activate when the actual sleep day creates the window.

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 will close every northbound US-101 lane between Cesar Chavez and 10th Street from 11 PM Friday through 6 AM Monday. Use I-280 for the Bay Bridge and Peninsula return, use transit where practical, and expect spillover on surface streets. The Giants are away all weekend.

Social Read

The focused Reddit and X pass found no verifiable finalist-specific cancellation, heat, crowd, parking, stroller, or access warning. Andy Z's own current post reconfirms Belmont; the material route warning comes from Caltrans, SFMTA, and 511 rather than social chatter.