Best SF Bay Area
Events, Weekends & Festivals 2019
We limit our picks to ONLY the best events in the SF Bay area in 2019, personally handpicked for local insiders to enjoy. Many are unique world-class affairs. A few are just a lot of fun. The events below are organized by month & regularly updated including local Pacific Coast time. Also see regular weekly events at the end of each month below and recently past events.
MARCH 2019 — SF Bay Area Events & Weekend
Special Things To Do Outdoors this March The blooming spring flora are outstanding this time of year. There’s less fog along the coast and it’s cooler inland. Here are some good things to check out in March.
- Old St Hillarys Open Space Preserve in Tiburon has some of the very best views in the SF Bay area. Here are some pictures we took on March 1st last year.
- Dutch Windmill & Tulip Gardens in Golden Gate Park … March 15th-April 15th is the best time of year to tiptoe through the tulips, icelandic poppies and primroses. Cherry blossoms at the Japanese Tea garden are in full bloom during the same period.
- It’s less foggy along the Half Moon Bay coastline making this is a great time to check out the many HMB coastal trails. For example, try the Mori Ridge Trail starting at the Shelldance Orchid Nursery in Pacifica. Or, Devils Slide Trail or Montara Mountain Trail a few miles south.
March Madness College basketball playoffs on TV
The Games: Start 3/19/19 through 4/8/19
Final 4: Saturday-Sunday 4/6/19-4/7/19
National Championship: Monday 4/8/19
NCAA brackets & schedule.
March Holidays
- Daylight Savings Starts, Sunday 3/10/19
- Saint Patricks Day, Sunday 3/17/19
- March Equinox, Wednesday 3/20/19
- Cesar Chavez Day, Saturday 3/31/19 (state holiday Monday 4/1/19)
- More Holidays
Mavericks Big Wave Challenge, Pillar Point Harbor, Princeton-By-The-Sea
Sometime before 3/31/19 on 24 hour notice the top 24 surfers in the world will tackle some of its biggest most dangerous waves right here at Mavericks. Read about the 50-60 foot waves on 1/19/18. However, the exact date is unknown since competitors must wait for the surf to be massive before they are given notice to get here. We will let you know, in red, right here when the event is scheduled to start. More details.
Breeding Sea Lions Tour, Ano Nuevo State Park, 27 miles south of Half Moon Bay
12/15/18 – 3/31/19 (every day except Christmas and last weekend in January). Admission $7 + $3.99 reservation fee
See 2.5 ton, 16 foot long elephant seal bulls skirmish for dominance during breeding season. Thousands of seals and sea lions gather for a 3-month orgy of fighting, mating, and birthing. This naturalist-led tour of the world’s largest mainland breeding colony for the northern elephant seal is about 2.5 hours and 3 miles long. Advance reservations are recommended since available slots fill up quickly, especially on weekends. See more details.
Gray Whale Migration Season, Numerous locations along the Pacific coast
12/15/18 – 5/31/19, Paid boat tours or Free from shore
Watch some 20,000 gray whales migrating from the Arctic to Baja, Mexico. Tour boats leave San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, Moss Landing and Monterey during this season. Or, watch them from on shore. See more details.
Fun & Free WEEKLY Events & Activities
Here are some good things to do that happen regularly every week in November.
- Off The Grid at Fort Mason Center – Friday Nights through October, This is the largest food truck event in the U.S. with over 30 independent food vendors, music and considerable action. See details.
- Swing Dancing in the Park – Sundays, 11 am-2 pm, year round. Free dancing & beginners lesson in Golden Gate Park.
- Bicycle Sundays – Open Sundays round subject to weather. Main roads are closed to cars on Sundays at both Golden Gate Park and Canada Road (off Hwys 280 & 92, Belmont) for bicyclists & skaters of all levels to enjoy.
Month of March – Other
- Pro Sports:
- Golden State Warriors: Preseason starts 9/29/18, regular season starts 10/16/18. See schedule (or national TV NBA schedule).
- College Sports: In the Bay Area you can see a variety of interesting collegiate sports up close and at low cost. E.g., the sunken diamond at Stanford is one of the best places to watch college baseball in the country. Check Stanford’s schedules for baseball or all sports. Also see the Cal Berkeley, San Jose State and San Mateo Jr. College event schedules.
- FREE Monthly Museum Days:
Typically the first Tue/Wed/Thu, every month at many Bay Area locations
Many San Francisco Bay Area museums have free admission days once a month. See dates & links. Often these events are quite crowded but if you arrive early enough this is a way to see the best museums for free.
Related Pages:
- PAST SF Bay Area Events. See events which have already passed.
- Top of page and Home page
