Let’s Glow! BART Anime Festival returns to Warm Springs BART station

By Staff Writers Abigaile Lei & Tanish Thunuguntla

Packed with colorful booths, custom wrapped cars, and enthusiastic cosplayers, the annual BART Let’s Glow! event was held at 4-9 p.m. on September 19,  at the Warm Springs/South Fremont BART Station. The free festival brought together anime fans, artists, and cosplayers, transforming the station and the surrounding parking lot into a lively gathering for the Bay Area’s anime community.

First held in September 2025, the Let’s Glow! BART Anime Festival is a community event that celebrates a shared appreciation for anime and public transit. The free festival attracted more than 4,000 attendees in 2025, prompting BART to expand the event into its second year with more artists, performances, vendors, and cosplayers.

Upon entering the venue, visitors were met with colorful Itasha cars, custom-wrapped vehicles holding  LEGO displays of anime, manga, or video games. Dozens of booths filled the area, with vendors selling items such as anime keychains and shirts, and artists promoting their work. “It’s a pleasure for me to be one of the people to represent Let’s Glow,” vendor Chase said. “Seeing people come up to your booth and be so excited to see a niche character … is the best feeling in the world.”

Strolling through the fair, attendees gathered to browse the themed merchandise and munch on snacks from the food trucks and vendors. Popular anime characters could be spotted dancing to music, posing for pictures, and giving out merch. Nearly every direction had something connected to anime — themed T-shirts and costumes, anime card trading booths, anime-rating stations, and BART’s own anime mascots: Baylee, Nimbus, Jasmine, and Mira. The event also attracted regular commuters who observed the festival while passing through the transit station. Riders received exclusive anime giveaways and could take pictures with cosplaying attendees.

With the intention of giving attendees a space for creativity, unique interests, and the community, Let’s Glow! brought together different parts of the anime and gaming community while making BART itself part of the experience. “The amount of different fandoms [that] come together and celebrate … BART and multicultural, shows and games and movies … just expressing what they love,” attendee Jose Geary said.