The Hayward Latin Jazz Festival takes over B and Main streets on Saturday, June 27, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. — free, all ages, and with Lucha Libre on the side program.

The Hayward Latin Jazz Festival lands on B and Main streets in Downtown Hayward this Saturday, June 27, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Free admission. All ages. No RSVP.

Festival founder Alfredo Rodriguez built the event to give the city and wider Bay Area something more to gather around. The day runs eight hours of Latin jazz on the street, with one standout side offering: a Lucha Libre session where the wrestling style is actually taught, not just watched. "It's created by the community for the community," said Tatiana Aguilar, a Downtown Hayward representative. Expect food vendors and cultural programming spread across the afternoon.

It's also the beginning of a season: the city's Hayward Summer Street Parties kick off at the same downtown corner on the third Thursday of each month — June 19 tonight, then July and August — from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., with live music, small businesses, food vendors, and more. Both the festival and the street parties are free.

Getting there: The Hayward BART station is literally on B Street — City Hall is at 777 B Street — so the festival corner is a five-minute walk from the platform. Street parking near downtown Hayward on a summer Saturday will require patience. Take BART.

If you have Saturday afternoon open, 11 a.m. is your move: the block is freshest, the crowd is thinnest, and you'll have the full eight hours ahead of you.