BART will host a festival in Oakland on Saturday to celebrate the 50th birthday of the transit system.
The birthday party will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lake Merritt station and plaza and is open to the public for free.
The main stage events, which will be live-streamed on BART’s social media platforms, will include the opening of a time capsule and the production of a new one. The BARTmobile, the transit system’s automobile made to replicate one of its train cars, will also be at the event.
BART-Man, the luchador of the transit system, will also be making an appearance for the birthday party.
The family-friendly celebration will also include food trucks, taiko drummers and other music and a zone for children with games.
Attendees will also be able to learn more about BART’s trains and history with 10 feet of train tracks to examine component parts and a film archive booth to watch historical BART films.
The front of a train car will also be at the celebration for the public to use as a photo booth.
Transit-themed booths and BART partners will also be at the festival, with the chance for the public to learn more about upcoming BART projects, model trains and the Western Railway Museum in Suisun City.
In celebration of the 50th birthday of the transit system, BART is offering a 50 percent discount to all published fares for riders using Clipper, including already discounted fares.
The Lake Merritt station will continue to display archival photos, historic BART maps and a timeline of BART milestones on places normally reserved for advertising. Displays were posted on the platform and concourse level on Sept. 1 and will continue through the end of the month.
BART will also feature historical documents, photographs, videos and stories on their anniversary website.
Merchandise to celebrate the transit system’s 50th year will be sold soon at railgoods.com.