Best SF Bay Area
Events, Weekends & Festivals 2017

We limit our picks to ONLY the best events in the SF Bay area in 2017, 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 recently past events.

JUNE 2017 — SF Bay Area Events & Weekends

San Francisco Pride Festival & Parade, Civic Center, Market St., Castro St. and many other locations.
Sat-Sun 6/24/17-6/25/17, Free
One of the oldest, biggest, and most famous lesbian gay bisexual transgender events in the world.  Over 1 million visitors come to the City to attend.   The main parade starts at 10:30 am on Sunday, 6/25/17, at Market/Beale and ends at Market/8th Street. See more details and a calendar of many related events.

Stern Grove Concerts, Stern Grove, SF
Starts Sunday 6/25/17,  2 pm-about 5 pm, Free
These free world-class Sunday concerts start again for the 80th summer season.  Very crowded so get there early, especially the opening Sunday, but definitely worth at least one visit.  See background information and schedule.

Opera at the Ballpark, SF Giants Ballpark
Friday 6/30/17, 7:30 pm, Free
Enjoy a free live simulcast of Mozart’s Don Giovanni by the San Francisco Opera under the stars at AT&T Park.  See details & sign up now to register for an early entry starting at 5 pm which gets you the best seats.

Hollister Motorcycle Rally & Music Street Festival, Hollister, CA
Fri-Sun 6/30/17-7/2/17, Free
Celebrate the “birth of the American biker” as exaggerated in Marlon Brando’s movie The Wild Ones. This is one of the biggest biker rallies in California; about 150,000 attendees show up in this town of 35,000.   See more.

Upcoming Holidays

• Independence Day, Tuesday 7/4/17 – 4th of July
• More Holidays

Fun & Free WEEKLY Events & Activities
Here are some good things to do that happen regularly every week in June.

• Yerba Buena Gardens Festival – Over 90 different events (music & shows) held various days of each week. (5/7/17-10/29/17)
• Off The Grid at Fort Mason Center – Friday Nights, 3/3/17-10/20/17, This is the largest food truck event in the U.S. with over 30 independent food vendors, music and considerable action.  See details.
• Picnic at the Presidio, Main Parade Ground –  Sundays, 3/19/17-October, 11 am-4 pm.  Off the Grid’s food vendors gather in this great venue. See details.  Twilight at the Presidio is held there Thursday nights, 5 pm-9 am, through the summer as well.  See details.
• Stern Grove Concerts – Sundays, 6/25/17-8/27/17, 2 pm-5 pm.  See details.
• Golden Gate Park Band – Sundays, 1 pm-2:45 pm.  Located at the Music Concourse in Golden Gate Park.  See more details.
• Swing Dancing in the Park – Sundays, 11 am-2 pm.  Free dancing & beginners lesson in Golden Gate Park. (year round)
• Bicycle Sundays – Sundays.  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 (open year round subject to weather).

Month of June – Other

• Pro Sports:  See San Francisco Giants.
• 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.

JULY 2017 — SF Bay Area Events & Weekends

Fourth of July Festivities, San Francisco Bay
Sat-Sun, Tue  7/1/17-7/2/17, 7/4/17, Free
There are always big festivities including fireworks at approximately 9:30 pm 7/4/17.  They will be shot from barges located in SF Bay just north of Aquatic Park and Pier 39 in Fisherman’s Wharf.  Expect large crowds, snarled traffic, and sometimes fog over the SF Bay in the evening.  See more.

On the Peninsula, the fireworks at Foster City is always one of the top displays.  See more about fireworks & festivities around the Bay.

Flower Pianos, SF Botanical Garden, Golden Gate Park
12 straight days Thursday-Monday, 7/13/17-7/24/17, different times on different days
Free for SF residents, $8 for non-residents
12 pianos are set up around the garden for 12 straight days turning it into an outdoor concert hall.  It’s a good excuse to visit this beautiful place and hear some nice piano performances as well, some by professionals and some by talented visitors depending on when you go.  We went last year and afterwards walked over to the de Young museum nearby to enjoy the Golden Gate Park Band.   See the full flower piano schedule.

Hillsborough Concourse D’Elegance, Crystal Springs Golf Course (just off Hwy 280), Burlingame
Sunday, 7/16/17, 10 am-4 pm.  $35 Admission
A nice way to spend a Sunday if you like cars.  It’s very close & not too crowded, the venue is quite pleasant and weather summer warm.  See more details.    For something even better, but much less convenient and more expensive ($375), try going to the Pebble Beach Concourse  on 8/20/17.

Fun & Free WEEKLY Events & Activities
Here are some good things to do that happen regularly every week in July.

• Yerba Buena Gardens Festival – Over 90 different events (music & shows) held various days of each week. (5/7/17-10/29/17)
• Off The Grid at Fort Mason Center – Friday Nights, 3/3/17-10/20/17, This is the largest food truck event in the U.S. with over 30 independent food vendors, music and considerable action.  See details.
• Picnic at the Presidio, Main Parade Ground –  Sundays, 3/19/17-October, 11 am-4 pm.  Off the Grid’s food vendors gather in this great venue. See details.  Twilight at the Presidio is held there Thursday nights, 5 pm-9 am, through the summer as well.  See details.
• Stern Grove Concerts – Sundays, 6/25/17-8/27/17, 2 pm-5 pm.  See details.
• Golden Gate Park Band – Sundays, 1 pm-2:45 pm.  Located at the Music Concourse in Golden Gate Park.  See more details.
• Free Shakespeare In The Park, Hamlet – Free Shakespeare by talented actors appear in various venues around the Bay Area such as Pleasanton (July), Cupertino (July), Redwood City (August), SF Presidio (September), SF McClaren Park (September).  See more details.
• Swing Dancing in the Park – Sundays, 11 am-2 pm.  Free dancing & beginners lesson in Golden Gate Park. (year round)
• Bicycle Sundays – Sundays.  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 (open year round subject to weather).

Month of July – Other

• Pro Sports:  See San Francisco Giants.
• 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.

As a final tip, we have noticed that new events are often more unique and pleasant before most of the “world” learns about them. Then they sometimes become more crowded, commercial, and less free wheeling. Also, go early in the day. So don’t wait if you see something you may like. If you have never lived in San Francisco you may not realize that it is definitely a public party town without peer! The inhabitants really do spend a lot of effort throwing outstanding, unique, and fun events. Enjoy these special things to do … only in San Francisco!

 

Related Pages:

• PAST SF Bay Area Events.  See events which have already passed.
• Top of page and Home page