Southeast Asian Songkran Festival at Civic Center

The Bamboo is scheduled to stage Songkran Festival 2026 at Fulton Plaza in San Francisco’s Civic Center on Saturday, May 16, according to listings published by the organizer and local events site Funcheap. The free event is set to run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is billed as a public celebration of the Southeast Asian New Year. (bamboovoice.org) Organizers say the program will include a traditional water blessing, Thai street food and live cultural performances. Eventbrite and Funcheap both list the festival as open to the public. ### Where and when is the festival happening? Fulton Plaza at Fulton and Larkin streets is the listed venue for the festival on Saturday, May 16, with programming scheduled from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (sf.funcheap.com) Funcheap’s event page and The Bamboo’s own festival page list the same date, hours and Civic Center location. San Francisco’s Civic Center listings on Funcheap also place the event in the neighborhood’s May 16 calendar, describing it as a free Southeast Asian New Year festival and water celebration. ### What will people actually find at the event? (bamboovoice.org) The Bamboo says the festival is designed as a one-day, family-friendly cultural celebration centered on traditional arts, music and community activities. Its event page lists live cultural performances on a central stage, a traditional Songkran water blessing ceremony with community leaders and elders, and an educational booth hosted by The Bamboo Voice. (bamboovoice.org) Eventbrite’s description adds a parade, live music and performances, food and a traditional water blessing ceremony open to attendees. Funcheap’s listing highlights hands-on water blessing activities, Thai street food and live cultural performances. (sf.funcheap.com) ### Who is organizing it? The Bamboo is named as the organizer on Eventbrite, while The Bamboo Organization’s website hosts the primary event page and vendor materials for the festival. A Thai-language promotional listing says the group is presenting the event with the Thai Association of Northern California and a Thai community group in San Francisco and the Bay Area. (bamboovoice.org) The organizer’s website says the event is intended to present Southeast Asian New Year traditions in what it calls a respectful and inclusive setting. That description appears on the official event page rather than in third-party calendar summaries. (eventbrite.com) ### How big is the event expected to be? Approximately 20 food, artisan and community vendor booths are listed on The Bamboo Organization’s event page. The same page says vendors are being recruited from food businesses, artisans, small businesses and community organizations. A separate promotional posting says organizers expect about 1,500 to 2,000 attendees from across the Bay Area. (bamboovoice.org) That attendance figure appeared in vendor-focused promotional material rather than in the main public event description. ### Is there a ticket price or registration requirement? (bamboovoice.org) Funcheap lists the festival as free, and Eventbrite says admission is free while still offering an event registration page. Neither listing says a paid ticket is required for general admission. (bamboovoice.org) The Eventbrite page says ticket sales end before the event, but the listing continues to function as a public information page with schedule and location details. (happeningnext.com) ### What comes next for attendees and vendors? May 16 is the scheduled festival date, and the public listings direct attendees to Funcheap and Eventbrite for the latest event details before arrival at Civic Center. The Bamboo Organization’s website is also still carrying vendor information, including booth categories for on-site cooking, prepared food and food trucks. (eventbrite.com) (bamboovoice.org)