Thousands gather on Alcatraz before dawn each Indigenous Peoples’ Day for a ceremony of drumming, dancing and speeches marking the 1969 occupation of the island. The gathering itself costs nothing, but the ferry from Pier 33 is ticketed ($12, children under 5 free): the ticket office opens at 4am, boats leave at 4:15, 4:30, 5:00 and 5:15am, and all boats return by 9am. A limited number of tickets are sold on the day at Pier 33. Boarding is in the dark, so dress for cold wind on the water.
Correction, 8 October 2026: this listing gave a 5am start. The International Indian Treaty Council’s page lists the first boat at 4:15am (ticket office opens 4am).
Getting There
Transit directions, including buses
Nearest Muni Metro, streetcar and cable car stops and BART stations, from SFMTA and BART published stop data. Distances are straight-line, and walking times are our estimate. Buses aren’t listed here.
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Source: International Indian Treaty Council ↗ · Checked against the official source on October 8, 2026. Found something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.
Dates, times, prices and venue checked against the official source on .
Cite this page: Project SF, “Alcatraz Sunrise Gathering for Indigenous Peoples’ Day”, projectsf.com/events/alcatraz-sunrise-gathering-for-indigenous-peoples-day/ (updated ).