San Francisco Events
Community celebrations, outdoor music and memorable evenings around the bay.
LOCAL CULTURE
Festivals & Events
San Francisco knows how to put on an event. Some celebrations grow directly from the communities that have shaped the city, from Chinese New Year and Carnaval to Pride and the Cherry Blossom Festival. Others take advantage of the setting itself, filling Golden Gate Park with music or turning the waterfront and sky above the bay into part of Fleet Week.
I have particularly good memories of international dance performances, the Fillmore Jazz Festival and events along the waterfront. There are many more than I could sensibly include here, so I have chosen a mix that shows different sides of the city. Check current dates and programs before planning your trip, since schedules and formats can change from year to year.
And a confession about the photographs on this page: apparently I was much better at going to San Francisco events than remembering to photograph them. Most of my event memories predate the point when I started documenting everything digitally, so the photos here are a rather incomplete record of many years of festivals, concerts and celebrations.
THROUGH THE YEAR
Event Highlights
A selection of festivals, seasonal celebrations and cultural experiences to consider when planning your visit. Check official event or venue websites for current dates, programs and ticket information.
Cultural & Community Celebrations
Chinese New Year Festival & Parade
San Francisco’s Lunar New Year celebrations are among the city’s great traditions, with Chinatown at their heart. The season includes community events and festivities leading up to the famous evening parade, with elaborate floats, performers and the enormous Golden Dragon. The date changes with the lunar calendar, so check the current schedule and arrive early if the parade is your priority.
Best For: Tradition, Chinatown and one of San Francisco’s great parades.
Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival
Japantown’s Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates Japanese and Japanese-American culture with performances, food, demonstrations and community activities, usually across two spring weekends. I like that it gives you a reason to spend more time exploring Japantown rather than simply coming here for a meal.
Best For: Japanese-American culture, performances and a day in Japantown.
San Francisco Pride
Pride is quintessential San Francisco to me. The parade and celebration are the most visible events, but Pride also reflects decades of LGBTQ+ activism and the city’s role in that history. June brings many different events, so look beyond the main parade and choose those that match your interests.
Best For: LGBTQ+ community, history and an enormous citywide celebration.
North Beach Festival
North Beach is already one of my favorite neighborhoods, and its long-running street festival gives me another reason to spend time here. Expect live entertainment, food, local vendors and busy streets surrounded by the cafés, restaurants and architecture that make North Beach enjoyable at any time.
Best For: Neighborhood atmosphere, food and a classic San Francisco street festival.
Visitors browse vendor tents at a crowded San Francisco street fair in North Beach.
Music & Performance
Stern Grove Festival
Stern Grove offers one of San Francisco’s most distinctive concert settings, with summer performances surrounded by eucalyptus and redwood trees on the city’s western side. The concerts are free, although current admission and reservation procedures should be checked in advance.
Best For: Free outdoor music and a beautiful natural setting.
Outside Lands
Outside Lands brings major performers, food and a full festival atmosphere to Golden Gate Park. I attended in the past and enjoyed it, although getting in and out can be challenging if you are coming from outside the city. I now get my annual large-festival fix at BottleRock in Napa instead.
If the lineup appeals to you, I would still consider Outside Lands. Use transit or another alternative to driving and bring layers for Golden Gate Park’s cool evenings.
Best For: Major performers, food and a full festival weekend.
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is one of San Francisco’s great free events, filling part of Golden Gate Park with multiple stages and an enormous range of performers. Despite the name, the music extends far beyond bluegrass. Pick a few acts you want to hear, but leave time to wander and discover someone unexpected.
Best For: Free live music and discovering new artists.
World Arts West Dance Festival
I have loved attending international dance performances in San Francisco over the years, and World Arts West showcases traditions from communities around the Bay Area and beyond. Programs, venues and formats can change, so I would start with the current schedule and choose performances that introduce you to something unfamiliar.
Best For: International dance, cultural traditions and discovering something new.
People gather outside Chase Center before an event.
A San Francisco Spectacle
Fleet Week
Fleet Week transforms the waterfront, with naval ships, public ship tours and aircraft above the bay. The Blue Angels are the headline attraction for many people, but I think the combination of ships, aviation and San Francisco’s setting is what makes the event memorable.
The northern waterfront offers excellent viewing, but expect crowds, loud aircraft and difficult parking. Use transit and check the current air-show and ship-tour schedules separately.
Best For: Aircraft, ships and one of San Francisco’s great waterfront spectacles.
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels fly in close formation against a blue sky during San Francisco Fleet Week.