Alcatraz Occupation to be Honored with Thanksgiving Sunrise Gathering

Alcatraz Island may be closed for Thanksgiving, but a special Indigenous People’s Sunrise Gathering will be held to commemorate the 1969-1971 occupation of Alcatraz.

Interested participants can get to the island from Pier 33. Boats leave every 15 minutes from 4:45 a.m. to 6 a.m. on November 28.

All participants in the gathering must return to Pier 33 on the last boat, which leaves Alcatraz Island at about 8:45 a.m.

Tickets are $14 per person, children under 5 are free. Tickets can be purchased by calling 415-981-7625, by visiting AlcatrazCruises.com, or directly at Pier 33 the day of the event.

Alison Taggart-Barone/National Park Service

Dancers at a previous Thanksgiving Sunrise Gathering on Alcatraz Island