Six things worth leaving the house for this weekend, verified down to the address and door time: a free Egyptian festival in Hayward, free reggae in Golden Gate Park, a monumental new SFMOMA installation, free Shakespeare in a Berkeley park, and a three-night Built to Spill stand.

Fogust is doing its thing — gray, damp, and stubborn — and that is exactly the wrong reason to stay in. Here are six things happening across the Bay this weekend, sorted by what they cost and how to actually get in the door. Every date, time, and address below is pulled from the organizer's own page.

The free one worth the drive: King Tut Festival, Hayward

The Bay Area's longest-running Egyptian festival hits its 36th year this weekend, and it's free. Per the festival's site (external source, opens in a new tab), the 36th Annual King Tut Festival runs Friday, Aug. 21 (6–10 p.m.), Saturday, Aug. 22 (11 a.m.–10 p.m.), and Sunday, Aug. 23 (11 a.m.–6 p.m.) at the Coptic Youth Center, 2500 Hansen Rd., Hayward. Expect a bazaar of imported crafts and jewelry, a full Egyptian food menu, live music, a Coptic Orthodox church tour, and a kids' zone.

The logistics that matter: don't circle Hansen Road looking for parking. The festival runs free parking and a free shuttle out of East Ave. Elementary School, 2424 East Ave. Park there, ride in. If you only do one thing, go hungry Saturday evening when the whole village is running at full tilt.

The free move in the city: Crucial Reggae Sunday

Sunday afternoon, the Golden Gate Bandshell turns into a free reggae session. Per SF Rec & Park (external source, opens in a new tab), Crucial Reggae Sunday runs 4:30–7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23, at the Bandshell on Music Concourse Drive in Golden Gate Park. It's free, no ticket. The bill: Irie Dole, DJ Guidance, and DJ Sep, with special guest DJ Jacques of WBLK Music playing the 5:30–6:30 p.m. stretch.

The tip: the Music Concourse garage fills on a nice weekend, and this is a walk-up crowd. Take the N Judah or the 44 O'Shaughnessy and come in through the Concourse — you'll skip the parking scrum entirely and land two minutes from the stage.

The museum event: Jacob Hashimoto's Giant Arc at SFMOMA

If the weather wins, go indoors and look up. Jacob Hashimoto: Giant Arc — the artist's largest work to date, roughly 75,000 hand-built bamboo-and-paper kites strung into a floor-to-ceiling cloud canopy — has taken over SFMOMA's Roberts Family Gallery, the free ground-floor space at 151 Third St. Per SFMOMA (external source, opens in a new tab), the installation debuted with a free opening celebration Thursday, Aug. 20, and stays up for the weekend; the museum is open Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. The Roberts Family Gallery is viewable without a ticket, so you can duck in, crane your neck at the canopy, and duck back out.

Free Shakespeare, East Bay edition: A Midsummer Night's Dream

Berkeley's Actors Ensemble opens its outdoor Midsummer this weekend at the John Hinkel Park Amphitheater. Per the company's listing (external source, opens in a new tab), the production opens Saturday, Aug. 22 and plays Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays at 4 p.m. through Sept. 7 at the stone amphitheater in John Hinkel Park, off Southampton Avenue in the Berkeley hills. It's free.

The tip: this is a hillside amphitheater with hard stone seating and Berkeley-canyon shade — bring a blanket or cushion and a layer, and get there early for a bench near the front. A 4 p.m. curtain means you're out by dinner.

The ticketed pick: Built to Spill at The Chapel

Indie-rock institution Built to Spill settles into The Chapel, 777 Valencia St., for a three-night stand — Sunday, Aug. 23, Monday, Aug. 24, and Tuesday, Aug. 25, doors 7 p.m. — with PLAYDEAD opening each night. Here's the catch, straight off The Chapel's calendar (external source, opens in a new tab): the Sunday show is already sold out, so if you haven't got a ticket, your nights are Monday and Tuesday, both still on sale (tickets run $44.50–$50). It's an all-ages room, and this is a buy-ahead show, not a walk-up — grab tickets before you count on getting in.

One more for Saturday night

Already out in the Mission on Saturday? The Chapel also hosts Cocteaufest SF Night #2 with Simon Raymonde (of Cocteau Twins) on a DJ set, Saturday, Aug. 22 — a dream-pop deep cut for the right crowd, tickets via the venue.


If you've only got two hours this weekend: make it Sunday. Catch the tail of Crucial Reggae at the Bandshell (get there by 5:30 for the DJ Jacques set), then walk east across the park. It's free, it's outdoors, and it's the most San Francisco way to tell Fogust to mind its business.