Past San Francisco Bay Area Events

Below are the most recent past events previously shown on hiddenSF.com.   Click current San Francisco Bay Area Events to see upcoming events.

past 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.

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.

National Ice Cream Month
July is national ice cream month and on Sunday 7/9/17, 11 am-5 pm PDT, is the SF Ice Cream Sunday Showdown.  See details.  The third Sunday, 7/16/17, is national ice cream day.  Check out our San Francisco Ice Cream Page and Map for some of the best ice cream in the world any time of year.

Amazon Prime Day 2017 – 30 Hours of Unusual Deals
Monday-Tuesday from 6 pm 7/10/17-7/11/17
Discounts all day Tuesday starting Monday evening at 6 pm PST. Like Black Friday after Thanksgiving, you get discounts from regular Amazon prices on over 100,000 products, especially Amazon brand products.   Unlike Black Friday these discounts tend to be on “flash” ads so they are not available all day; we’ve found that it’s a bit hard to find but why not check it out.

Sausalito Wednesday Art Walk
Wednesday 7/12/17 4 pm-8 pm  (also 8/9/17 & 9/13/17)
A weekday art walk down Caledonia street, which is a bit off the main track and frequented mainly by locals.    Here are some of the art stops.   You’ll also find a few nice little coffee shops and eating places there too.   Also see our Sausalito map and page for some of the niftiest local attractions to check out.

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.

Sunday Streets, Sundays, Free at different locations
These Sunday events close neighborhood streets to cars so people can enjoy a large, temporary, public space where they can freely bike, walk, run, dance, skate, yoga & meet neighbors.  In our experience they do not get busy until later in the afternoon so there is no need to get there right on time.

• Sunday Streets Mission (7/16/17, 11 am-4 pm)  On Valencia St. in the SF Mission district.
• Every Sunday at Golden Gate Park and Canada Road (off Hwys 280 & 92, Belmont) – Main roads are closed to cars every Sunday year round subject to weather for bicyclists & skaters of all levels to enjoy.
• For more details see Sunday Streets.

past JUNE 2017 — SF Bay Area Events & Weekends

The weather is usually fantastic in June and there is plenty to do around the Bay Area.

cityFEST, Leo Ryan Park, 650 Shell Blvd/Hillsdale, Foster City CA
Friday, 6/2/17, 5 pm – 11 pm;  Sat, 6/3/17, 10 am – 11 pm; Sun, 6/4/17, 10 am – 7 pm.
FREE admission, $10 parking.
Foster City’s biggest event formerly known as the Arts & Wine Festival.  A local family-oriented event which includes a Carnival, Festival, and Live Entertainment.  Over 175 booths, 20 different carnival rides and 40,000 attendees expected.   See more.

Belmont Stakes, Elmont, New York (outside of NYC)
Saturday, 6/10/17.  Post time is approximately 3:50 pm PST.  Free on NBC TV.
The third and oldest leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown is the 1-1/2 mile Belmont Stakes.

Novice Dragon Boat Race, Foster City Lagoon, Leo Ryan Park
Sunday, 6/11/17, 9 am-4 pm
A 1-day race focused on novice beginner teams and corporate teams.  This is a way for you and your friends to participate in this unique sport.  See details.

Jazz on the Hill, College of San Mateo, San Mateo, CA.
Saturday 6/???, 12 pm-6 pm, Free
A day-long community event sponsored by the jazz station KCSM 91.1 FM and San Mateo Jr College.  It’s free, the setting is beautiful, and there will be plenty of good food by local vendors.  Last year over 5000 attended.  See more details.

Golden Gate Park Band Festival, Music Concourse, Golden Gate Park
Sat-Sun, 6/13/15-6/14/15, 11 am – 5 pm, Free
10 different bands will be playing at the Music Concourse between de Young Museum and the Academy of Sciences.  Drop by as you enjoy the many other things to do in Golden Gate Park.  For example, on 6/14/15 there is Sunday Streets (next item below).  See more details on the Park Band Festival..

North Beach Festival, Washington Square Park, North Beach
Sat-Sun, 6/17/17-6/18/17, 10 am – 6 pm, Free
Big outdoor arts & crafts festival in historic North Beach. We don’t go because we are jaded having lived on Russian Hill adjacent North Beach for several years … so prefer to enjoy North Beach when it is less crowded.  See more details.

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.

NBA Basketball Finals 2017 – Go Warriors!
The Golden State Warriors have won the Western Conference and will be playing in their third straight NBA finals.  It will probably be a replay of the last 2 years NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers.  The team who wins the first four games (out of a possible seven) wins the Finals.  As of the end of Game 1 the score is Warriors 1 and Cavaliers 0.

• Sunday 6/4/17, 5:00 pm, Game 2
• Wednesday 6/7/17, 6:00 pm, Game 3
• Friday 6/9/17, 6:00 pm, Game 4
• More games will be played if necessary on Monday 6/12/17 6 pm,  Thursday 6/15/17 6 pm and  Sunday 6/18/17 5 pm until one of the teams wins 4 games.

All games will be shown on ABC TV.  See NBA playoff background and TV schedule information for more up to date details.

 

Escape from Alcatraz Triathalon, Marina Green, SF
Sunday 6/11/17, 7:30 am-11:45 am. Free to watch
If you want to see some of the top triathaletes in the world compete join some 20,000 spectators at the Fitness Festival on Marina Green.   This will be the center of the action before, during and after the race (e.g., swim start 7:30 am, first professional finisher 9:30 am,  awards presentation 11:45 am, etc.).  See pdf description and schedule.

Upcoming Holidays

• Summer Solstice, Tuesday 6/20/17 – Longest day of the year.
• Independence Day, Tuesday 7/4/17 – 4th of July
• More Holidays

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.

past MAY 2017 — SF Bay Area Events & Weekends

The weather is usually fantastic and May is filled with good events to see and do.

NBA Basketball Playoffs 2017 (Conference Semi-Finals)

• Tuesday 5/2/17, 7:30 pm, Round 2/Game 1  Warriors vs either the Jazz or Clippers (TNT)
• 5/16/17 Conference Finals begin (for Semi-Finals winners)
• 6/1/17 NBA finals begin (for Conference Finals winners)

See NBA playoff background and TV schedule information.

May Holidays

• Cinco De Mayo, Friday 5/5/17
• Mothers Day,  Sunday 5/14/17
• Armed Forces Day, Saturday 5/20/17
• Harvey Milk Day, Monday 5/22/17
• Memorial Day, Monday 5/29/17
• More Holidays

Cinco De Mayo Festival, Valencia St. between 21st & 24th Streets, Mission District, SF
Saturday 5/6/17, 10 am-6 pm, Free
The actual Cinco De Mayo holiday this year is Friday,  5/5/17.  It celebrates the contributions made by Latinos to the United States and commemorates the anniversary of a victory by Mexican forces over French forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. See the 5/6/17  festival details.

Polynesian Festival, Leo Ryan Park Amphitheater,
650 Shell Blvd/Hillsdale, Foster City
Saturday 5/6/17, 10 am – 5 pm, FREE admission
Unique day of activities celebrating the Polynesian culture.  There will be award-winning professional Polynesian dance performances, food booths, arts and crafts booths and even outrigger canoe rides by the Ho’okahi Pu’uwai Outrigger Canoe Club (with more than 100 members and headquartered in Foster City).  See more.

The Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky. Free on TV (NBC sports live streaming)
Saturday 5/6/17, 11:30-4:30 pm, 3:34 pm post time
May 2-6 is the biggest week of the year for horse racing culminating in what is known as the “fastest two minutes in sports.”  The Kentucky Derby is the country’s premier race for 3-year old thoroughbreds (1-1/4 miles).  See Derby week’s details.

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, Yerba Buena Center, SF
Various days 5/7/17 – 10/29/17, Free
Over 90 different events (usually music or shows) held various days of each week from 5/7/17-10/29/17.  See schedule.

Sunday Streets, Sundays, Free at different locations
These Sunday events close neighborhood streets to cars so people can enjoy a large, temporary, public space where they can freely bike, walk, run, dance, skate, yoga & meet neighbors.  In our experience they do not get busy until later in the afternoon so there is no need to get there right on time.

• Streets Alive Burlingame, (5/7/17, 9 am-1 pm)  Similar to Sunday Streets.  In Downtown Burlingame, at Park Ave & Howard Ave, in conjunction with the regular Farmers Market.
• Open Streets Watsonville, (5/21/17, 11 am-3 pm).  Brennan/Union Streets from Freedom Blvd to the City Plaza.
• Every Sunday at Golden Gate Park and Canada Road (off Hwys 280 & 92, Belmont) – Main roads are closed to cars every Sunday year round subject to weather for bicyclists & skaters of all levels to enjoy.
• For more details see Sunday Streets.

NBA Basketball Playoffs 2017 (Conference Finals)
The #1 seeded Golden State Warriors won their semi-finals and will advance to play their first game in the conference finals on either 5/14/17 or 5/17/17 against either the San Antonio Spurs or the Houston Rockets.  See NBA playoff background and TV schedule information for more up to date details.

• Sunday 5/14/17, 12:30 pm, Game 1  Warriors vs Spurs  (ABC)
• Tuesday 5/16/17, 6:00 pm, Game 2 Warriors vs Spurs (ESPN)
• Saturday 5/20/17, 6:00 pm, Game 3 Warriors vs Spurs (ESPN)
• Monday 5/22/17, 6:00 pm, Game 4 Warriors vs Spurs (TNT)
• More games will be played if necessary on 5/24/17 6 pm,  5/26/17 6 pm,  & 5/28/17 6 pm until one of the teams wins 4 games.
• 6/1/17 NBA Finals begin (for Conference Finals winners)

Amgen Tour of California Bike Race, San Jose
Stage 2, San Jose, Monday 5/15/17, Free
The Amgen Tour of California is the biggest professional bicycle race in America, the U.S. version of the Tour de France, consisting of seven stages running from 5/11/17-5/20/17.   San Jose is at the end of the mens’ Stage 2 (which starts in Modesto and ends at the Santa Clara County Motorcycle Park at approximately 3:45 pm). If you enjoy going on your own shorter bike rides see our best SF Bay bike tours page.

Preakness Stakes, Baltimore, Maryland
Saturday, 5/20/17.  Post time 3:48 pm.  Free on NBC TV, channel 11.
The second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown is the 1-3/16 mile Preakness Stakes.  Always Dreaming, this year’s Kentucky Derby winner, is favored.  See more here.

Stanley Cup Hockey Finals
Monday 5/30/16, 5:00 pm, NBC tv
The San Jose Sharks finally make their first ever Stanley Cup Finals.  They will play the Pittsburg Penguins 5/30/16, 6/1/16, 6/4/16, 6/6/16 and 6/9/16, 6/12/16 & 6/16/16 if needed.  See more details.

Caledonia Street Festival, Caledonia Street/Johnson Street, Sausalito
Saturday, 5/??/17, 11 am-5 pm,  Free.
A party for the people of Sausalito, very much like the old (vs the much bigger new) Sausalito Art Festival, featuring local art and music.  Over 7000 people attended last year.

Annual Bay to Breakers Race, San Francisco
THE EXPO  Friday-Saturday 5/19/17-5/20/17, Pier 35, 1454 The Embarcadero
THE RACE  Sunday 5/21/17, Start time 8 am.  Begins at Main & Howard St. and ends at the Ocean Beach Parking Lot
THE FINISH LINE FESTIVAL  Sunday 5/21/17, Ocean Beach Parking Lot
The Bay to Breakers 12k run and walk is probably the biggest foot race in the world (over 50,000 runners in 2016) and includes everyone from world-class runners to a wide range of costumed runners including corporate centipedes and fat old nude walkers.  It is also the oldest consecutively run annual footrace in the world, dating back to 1912.If you don’t want to run in it (like we and probably half of the SF Bay Area population has already done) then just go to Golden Gate Park to watch the finish and join the festivities held afterwards. See details.  See pictures.

Sunday Streets, Sundays, Free at different locations
These Sunday events close neighborhood streets to cars so people can enjoy a large, temporary, public space where they can freely bike, walk, run, dance, skate, yoga & meet neighbors.  In our experience they do not get busy until later in the afternoon so there is no need to get there right on time.

• Open Streets Watsonville, (5/21/17, 11 am-3 pm).  Brennan/Union Streets from Freedom Blvd to the City Plaza.
• Every Sunday at Golden Gate Park and Canada Road (off Hwys 280 & 92, Belmont) – Main roads are closed to cars every Sunday year round subject to weather for bicyclists & skaters of all levels to enjoy.
• For more details see Sunday Streets.

San Francisco Carnaval, Mission District, San Francisco
Festival, Saturday-Sunday, 5/27/17 – 5/28/17, 10 am-6 pm, Free.  Harrison St. between 16th & 24th Streets.
Parade, Sunday 5/28/17, 9:30 am, Free.  The parade starts at 24th & Bryant Street then moves west on 24th St. then north on Mission St.
A big, crowded Latin American/Caribbean Street festival and parade in the Mission District.  The easiest way to access it is probably via the 24th/Mission BART station which is located near the center of the parade.

Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indiana
Sunday, 5/28/17, 9:15 am-3:00 pm, Free on TV
One of the most famous motor car racing events in the world. It’s a 500 mile race where top lap speeds can get over 236 mph (this is the record made in 1996, in 2014 the top speed for a full lap was over 225 mph).  See more details.

Memorial Day Monday 5/29/17
For good things to do just look around our website. The Bay area is blessed with hundreds of hidden gems which are open every day.

Gray Whale Migration Season, Numerous locations along the Pacific coast
12/20/16 – 5/31/17, 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.

San Francisco Carnaval, Mission District, San Francisco
Festival, Saturday-Sunday, 5/27/17 – 5/28/17, 10 am-6 pm, Free.  Harrison St. between 16th & 24th Streets.
Parade, Sunday 5/28/17, 9:30 am, Free.  The parade starts at 24th & Bryant Street then moves west on 24th St. then north on Mission St.
A big, crowded Latin American/Caribbean Street festival and parade in the Mission District.  The easiest way to access it is probably via the 24th/Mission BART station which is located near the center of the parade.

Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indiana
Sunday, 5/28/17, 9:15 am-3:00 pm, Free on TV
One of the most famous motor car racing events in the world. It’s a 500 mile race where top lap speeds can get over 236 mph (this is the record made in 1996, in 2014 the top speed for a full lap was over 225 mph).  See more details.

Memorial Day Monday 5/29/17
For good things to do just look around our website. The Bay area is blessed with hundreds of hidden gems which are open every day.

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

• Yerba Buena Gardens Festival – Over 90 different events (music & shows) held various days of each week. (5/7/16-10/30/16)
• 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.
• Picnic at the Presidio, Main Parade Ground –  Sundays, 11 am-4 pm.  Off the Grid’s food vendors gather in this great venue.  April 3, 2016 – October.  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 May – Other

• Pro Sports:  See Golden State Warriors playoffs, San Francisco Giants and San Jose Sharks playoffs.
• 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.

past APRIL 2017 — SF Bay Area Events & Weekends

Golden State Warriors Basketball
Sunday 4/2/17 5 pm, Tuesday 4/4/17 7:30 pm (ESPN), Wednesday 4/5/17 7 pm, Saturday 4/8/17 7:30 pm, Monday 4/10/17 7:30 pm, Wednesday 4/12/17 7:30 pm.
The Warriors are currently missing the injured Kevin Durant but even so the current basketball team is one of the best in the history of the game and they are already in the playoffs starting 4/15/17.  For the remaining regular season games they will likely be resting and preparing for the finals.

Women’s NCAA Division 1 National Championship
Sunday 4/2/17, 3:05 pm, on ESPN TV
Mississippi plays South Carolina.  I happened to watch Mississippi beat Connecticut on Friday 3/31/17 and it was a classic.  Morgan William, Mississippi’s 5’5″ guard, hit a last second buzzer beater in overtime.  She is definitely an exciting player.  See details.

Rock & Roll Half Marathon, San Francisco
Sunday, 4/3/16, 6:30 am – 10:30 am  (NEXT ON 4/8/2018)
Half marathon race from the west end of Golden Gate park along the shoreline to Golden Gate Bridge, across Golden Gate Bridge and back, and then east along the shoreline to Ghiradelli Square, then south on Polk to Civic Center Plaza. There are bands and cheerleaders along the way. Also, an expo from 4/1/16-4/2/16 at Moscone Center North. Visitors expect road closures on race day. See event details.

March Madness  (College basketball playoffs on CBS TV)
National Championship:   Monday 4/3/17, 6 pm
See TV schedule (Eastern time) & brackets as they become available.

Cherry Blossom Festival, Japantown, Post & Fillmore, SF
1st weekend, Sat-Sun 4/8/17-4/9/17
2d weekend, Sat-Sun 4/15/17-4/16/17
Grand parade, Sat-Sun 4/16/17
We used to live on nearby and consider Japantown to be mainly a mall with many Japanese restaurants but if you’ve never been there then the Cherry Blossom Festival is a popular time to visit.  See event schedules.

Sunday Streets, Sundays, Free at different locations
These Sunday events close neighborhood streets to cars so people can enjoy a large, temporary, public space where they can freely bike, walk, run, dance, skate, yoga & meet neighbors.  In our experience they do not get busy until later in the afternoon so there is no need to get there right on time.

• Sunday Streets Dogpatch/Bayview (4/9/17, 11 am-4 pm)  On Third Street through Dogpatch & Bayview.
• Sunday Streets Tenderloin (4/30/17, 11 am-4 pm)
• Every Sunday at Golden Gate Park and Canada Road (off Hwys 280 & 92, Belmont) – Main roads are closed to cars every Sunday year round subject to weather for bicyclists & skaters of all levels to enjoy.
• For more details see Sunday Streets.

SF Giants Home Opener, AT&T Ball Park
Monday 4/10/17, 1:35 pm
The World Champion’s regular season home opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks at AT&T Ball Park. You can get inside for free on some non-game days (e.g., 10 am -4 pm weekends April, May when Giants are out of town).

April Holidays

• Passover, Tuesday 4/11/17
• Good Friday, Friday 4/14/17
• Easter Sunday, Sunday 4/16/17
• Tax Day, Tuesday 4/18/17
• More Holidays

Coastal Wildflower Day Half Moon Bay
Francis Beach Visitor Center, 95 Kelly Ave, Half Moon Bay
Saturday 4/15/17  10 am-4 pm, Free but parking is $10
Third annual celebration of coastal wildflowers.  Games and activities for the whole family including flower walks, gardening lessons, art show and a native plant sale.  Mainly for native plant enthusiasts.  See more details.

NBA Basketball Playoffs 2017

• Sunday 4/16/17, 12:30 pm, Round 1/Game 1  Warriors vs Blazers  (ABC TV)
• Wednesday 4/19/17, 7:30 pm, Round 1/Game 2  Warriors vs Blazors (TNT)
• Saturday 4/22/17, 7:30 pm, Round 1/Game 3  Warriors vs Blazers (ESPN)
• Monday 4/24/17, 7:30 pm, Round 1/Game 4  Warriors vs Blazers (TNT)
• More games will be played in Round 1 as necessary until one of the two teams wins 4 games.
• 5/1/17 Conference Semi-Finals begin (for Round 1 winners)
• 5/16/17 Conference Finals begin (for Semi-Finals winners)
• 6/1/17 NBA finals begin (for Conference Finals winners)

Hopefully none of these games are blacked out like some were during the regular season.  See NBA playoff background and TV schedule information.

Stanley Cup Hockey Playoffs 2017
The San Jose Sharks are in the playoffs. The next games are played 4/16/17, 4/18/17.  See more details.

Golden Gate Park Band, Music Concourse, Golden Gate Park
Sunday, 4/23/17, 1 pm- 2:45 pm, Free
The FIRST concert of the 2017 season will be played at the Music Concourse between de Young Museum and the Academy of Sciences.  The Band will be playing there every Sunday until 10/8/17.  Drop by as you enjoy the many other things to do in Golden Gate Park.  See more details.

Cesar Chavez Day Parade
& 24th Street Festival
Saturday 4/29/17, 11 am – 6 pm, Free
The Parade starts at Mission Dolores Park at 11 am and proceeds through the Mission to the 24th St Festival  (on 24th St between Treat St. and Bryant St.)  The best place to see both is to go to 24th St. between Mission St. and Treat St; you can get there via Bart (24th & Mission Station).  See our Mission Neighborhoods Page and Map for best places to visit nearby.

Dream Machines Show, Half Moon Bay Airport
Sunday 4/30/17, 10 am-4 pm, Admission
See an amazing array of old planes, cars, and machines in a fun and funky setting.   Definitely check this out if you’ve never been before!  It’s for a good cause too.  See more.

Sunday Streets, Sundays, Free at different locations
These Sunday events close neighborhood streets to cars so people can enjoy a large, temporary, public space where they can freely bike, walk, run, dance, skate, yoga & meet neighbors.  In our experience they do not get busy until later in the afternoon so there is no need to get there right on time.

• Sunday Streets Tenderloin (4/30/17, 11 am-4 pm)
• Every Sunday at Golden Gate Park and Canada Road (off Hwys 280 & 92, Belmont) – Main roads are closed to cars every Sunday year round subject to weather for bicyclists & skaters of all levels to enjoy.
• For more details see Sunday Streets.

Filoli Gardens in the Spring, Woodside, CA
Open year round, $20 admission
If you like flowers you won’t want to miss one of the best botanical gardens in the U.S. in the spring.  See our Filoli page and pictures for details.

Picnic at the Presidio Main Parade Ground, Main Post, Presidio of SF
Every Sunday March 19 – October, 11 am – 4 pm, Free admission
This is another San Francisco treat to do some lazy Sunday afternoon.  Off the Grid’s food vendors gather in this great venue (weather, view, grass, food) along with hundreds of locals.  See details.

NEW Presidio Visitor Center, Presidio, SF
Open 7 days/week, 10 am-5 pm
The new $5 million dollar Presidio Visitor Center opens 2/25/17 … and will be open 7 days/week from 10 am-5 pm.  It’s a great place to learn about the many attractions & trails in this great park.  By the way, the weekly Sunday Picnic at the Presidio, on the main parade ground adjacent the Visitor Center, starts up again on 3/19/17.

Gray Whale Migration Season, Numerous locations along the Pacific coast
12/20/16 – 5/31/17, 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 March.

• 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.  
• Picnic at the Presidio, Main Parade Ground –  Sundays, 11 am-4 pm.  Off the Grid’s food vendors gather in this great venue.  April 3, 2016 – October.  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 April – Other

• Pro Sports:  See Golden State Warriors, San Francisco Giants and San Jose Sharks.
• Golden State Warriors: See full schedule (or national TV NBA schedule).  Also note that the Warriors are on a new radio station this year, 95.7 FM in SF plus 93.5 FM in San Jose.
• 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. See Stanford, 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.

past MARCH 2017 — SF Bay Area Events & Weekends

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.

Off The Grid – Fort Mason Center, SF
Every Friday night starting, 3/3/17, 5 pm – 10 pm, Free entry
This is the largest food truck event in the U.S.  It starts up again on 3/3/17 and runs every Friday evening through 10/20/17.  There are over 30 independent food vendors, music and considerable action.  See details.

Golden State Warriors Basketball
Saturday 3/11/17 5:30 pm (ABC) against Cleveland, Tuesday 3/14/17 7:30 pm, Thursday 3/16/17 7:30 pm, Saturday 3/18/17 7:30 pm, Monday 3/20/17 5:00 pm (TNT), Tuesday 3/21/17 5:30 pm, Friday 3/24/17 7:30 pm,  Sunday 3/26/17 5 pm, Tuesday 3/28/17 5 pm, Wednesday 3/29/17 6:30 pm (ESPN), Friday 3/31/17 7:30 pm (ESPN).
The current Warriors basketball team is one of the best in the history of the game; they are #1 in every current NBA category except for rebounding #6 (look near top of schedule for current ranks).  Their 3-point shooting, passing and defense is much more fun to see than just watching big men beat each other up under the basket.  See the full Warriors schedule or, for TV cord cutters like me, see the NBA TV schedule on TNT, ESPN & ABC.  Also note that the Warriors are on a new radio station this year, 95.7 FM in SF and 93.5 FM in San Jose.

Daylight Savings Time Begins, San Francisco Bay Area
Sunday 3/12/17.  At 2:00 am turn your clocks forward 1 hour to 3:00 am.  You will lose an hour.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival, Civic Center Plaza
Festival Saturday 3/11/17 10 am-5 pm.
The biggest St. Patrick’s event on the west coast!  Parade starts 11:30 am at Second & Market and ends at the Festival at City Hall.   See details.

St. Patrick’s Day, Thursday 3/17/17

March Holidays

• Daylight Savings Starts, Sunday 3/12/17
• Saint Patricks Day, Friday 3/17/17
• March Equinox, Monday 3/20/17
• Cesar Chavez Day, Friday 3/31/17 (state holiday)
• More Holidays

March Madness  College basketball playoffs on TV
Elite 8:  Saturday-Sunday  3/25/17-3/26/17, 1st game Sat 3:00 pm, 1st game Sun 5:30 pm
Final 4:  Saturday 4/1/17, 3 pm & 5:30 pm
National Championship:   Monday 4/3/17, 6 pm
See TV schedule (Eastern time) & brackets as they become available.

Breeding Elephant Seal Tour, Ano Nuevo State Park, 27 miles south of Half Moon Bay
12/15/14 – 3/31/15, $7 Admission
See 2-1/2 ton, 16 foot long elephant seal bulls skirmish for dominance during breeding season when thousands of seals and sea lions gather for a 3-month orgy of fighting, mating, and birthing. The only way to see this unique natural phenomenon is via naturalist-led tour which takes about 2.5 hours and is 3 miles long.

The season is busiest between January 15th & February 15th. Tour tickets sell out early so advance reservations are definitely recommended. The season is busiest between January 15th & February 15th.  See more details.

Gray Whale Migration Season, Numerous locations along the Pacific coast
12/20/16 – 5/31/17, 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 March.

• 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.  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 March – Other

• Sports All month, many Bay Area locations or on TV, Admission.
• Golden State Warriors:   See full schedule (or national TV NBA schedule).  Also note that the Warriors are on a new radio station this year, 95.7 FM in SF plus 93.5 FM in San Jose.
• San Francisco Giants:  See spring training schedule.
• Pro Hockey:  San Jose Sharks:  See schedule.
• College Sports of all types are in full swing as usual.  See Stanford, 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.

past FEBRUARY 2017 — SF Bay Area Events & Weekends

The mild weather in February is quite pleasant for inland activities that sometimes get quite hot during other months … such as visiting Historic Niles or Old Mission San Jose in Fremont, Hollister, or, walking the flat manicured Bay trails around Foster City and Redwood Shores.

San Francisco Zoo  10 am-4 pm daily
Wednesday 2/1/17 is San Francisco Free Resident Day
Month of February Seniors Discount
Seniors, if both are over 65 years old, receive a 2-for-1 admission every day of February.  See discount details and details on regular admission (usually $16 for out-of-town seniors) & parking costs ($10-12) … or call (415) 753-7080.

Superbowl Week
Superbowl week begins Saturday 1/28/17, ends with Super Bowl Sunday 2/5/17 in Houston.  See more information.

February Holidays

• Chinese New Year, Saturday 1/28/17 (see parade and other related events on 2/11/17 below)
• Groundhog Day, Thursday 2/2/17
• Valentines Day, Tuesday 2/14/17
• Presidents Day, Monday 2/20/17 (a national holiday)
• More Holidays

Superbowl Football
Sunday 2/5/17 3:30 pm
The New England Patriots, with quarterback Tom Brady who was born in San Mateo, and a surprisingly strong Atlanta Falcons team play for the NFL championship.  See more information.  Also see full schedule and playoff news.

Mavericks Big Wave Surf Contest, Pillar Point Harbor, Princeton-By-The-Sea
CANCELLED.  Sometime between 11/1/16 – 3/31/17 on 24 hour notice
The top 24 surfers in the world will soon tackle some of its biggest most dangerous waves right here at Mavericks. 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.

FREE Krispy Kreme Donut
Monday 2/6/17-2/28/17
For 3 weeks every time you buy a cup of their new coffee Krispy Kreme will give you a free glazed donut.  See more info.  There’s one in Daly City off Hwy 280, Mountain View & Santa Clara.  See locations.

Chinese New Year Parade, Chinatown along Kearny Street (between Market St & Columbus Ave)
Saturday 2/11/17, 5:15 pm-8:00 pm, Free
Gung Hay Fat Choy (Best wishes and congratulations. Have a prosperous and good year)! This parade is a historical tradition starting in the 1860s and has been named one of the top ten Parades in the world. Now some 500,000 spectators watch it in person along with another 3 million TV viewers (that’s us because parade day is almost always cold & rainy). Getting there earlier than 4:30 pm (it is very crowded) via public transportation (parking is tough) is recommended. See www.chineseparade.com for details including exact route.

Chinese Community Street Fair, Chinatown
Saturday 2/11/17, 10 am-4:30 pm, Sunday 2/12/17, 9 am-5 pm, Free
The street fair will be located along Grant Ave from Clay St. to Broadway, Pacific Ave. from Stockton to Kearny. It was not that exciting last year but is a good excuse to visit Chinatown and has traditional Chinese entertainment such as lion dancing on stage.  See details and Chinatown map.

SF Giants – KNBR 680 Fan Fest, AT&T Ball Park

Saturday  2/11/17, 10 am- 3 pm, Free
The World Champion Giants baseball team will personally meet & greet some 40,000 fans at the annual pre-season fan fest.  This is a way to get on the baseball  field, watch players answer questions asked by the fans, and get autographs (at 6 autograph booths if you want to stand in a long line).  Fan fest can also be watched on line at sfgiants.com.  See more details about fan fest or listen to Radio KNBR 680 which is co-sponsoring the event.

Tulipmania, Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf
Saturday 2/11/17– Sunday 2/19/17
This is a good time of year to visit Fisherman’s Wharf … it’s not so crowded with tourists. 39,000 blooming flowers may give you a good excuse to visit Pier 39 … though it didn’t seem like many to us. See Tulipmania.

FREE Sunday at the Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park
Sunday, 2/26/17, 11 am-5 pm
All guests get FREE admission one Sunday every quarter.  Get there early because you can expect crowds.  It’s a 400,000 sf world-class science exhibit including an aquarium, a planetarium, a natural history museum and a four-story rain forest. See more details.

Golden State Warriors Basketball
(for national TV, see bold face dates below; the other games are only on the local CSN cable TV channel)
Saturday 2/25/17 7:30 pm, Monday 2/27/17 4 pm, Tuesday 2/28/17 4 pm.
The current Warriors basketball team is one of the best in the history of the game; they are #1 in every current NBA category except for rebounding #6 (look near top of schedule for current ranks).  Their 3-point shooting, passing and defense is much more fun to see than just watching big men beat each other up under the basket.  See the full Warriors schedule or, for TV cord cutters like me, see the NBA TV schedule on TNT, ESPN & ABC.  Also note that the Warriors are on a new radio station this year, 95.7 FM in SF and 93.5 FM in San Jose.

FREE Krispy Kreme Donut
Monday 2/6/17-2/28/17
For 3 weeks every time you buy a cup of their new coffee Krispy Kreme will give you a free glazed donut.  See more info.  There’s one in Daly City off Hwy 280, Mountain View & Santa Clara.  See locations.

San Francisco Zoo  10 am-4 pm daily
Month of February Seniors Discount
Seniors, if both are over 65 years old, receive a 2-for-1 admission every day of February.  See discount details and details on regular admission (usually $16 for out-of-town seniors) & parking costs ($10-12) … or call (415) 753-7080.

Golden State Warriors Basketball
(for national TV, see bold face dates below; the other games are only on the local CSN cable TV channel)
Thursday 2/23/17 7:30 pm, Saturday 2/25/17 7:30 pm, Monday 2/27/17 4 pm, Tuesday 2/28/17 4 pm.
The current Warriors basketball team is one of the best in the history of the game; they are #1 in every current NBA category except for rebounding #6 (look near top of schedule for current ranks).  Their 3-point shooting, passing and defense is much more fun to see than just watching big men beat each other up under the basket.  See the full Warriors schedule or, for TV cord cutters like me, see the NBA TV schedule on TNT, ESPN & ABC.  Also note that the Warriors are on a new radio station this year, 95.7 FM in SF and 93.5 FM in San Jose.

NEW Presidio Visitor Center, Presidio, SF
Saturday, 2/25/17, 10 am-4 pm
The new $5 million dollar Presidio Visitor Center opens 2/25/17 … and will be open 7 days/week from 10 am-5 pm.  It’s a great place to learn about the many attractions & trails in this great park.  By the way, the weekly Sunday Picnic at the Presidio, on the main parade ground adjacent the Visitor Center, starts up again on 3/19/17.

Visit Fremont? This is a good time of year!
We like visiting the lower East Bay in the winter because summers can get quite hot. Here are some excellent places worth checking out: Coyote Hills Park, the Alameda Creek Trails and old town Niles. The Niles Canyon Railway starts up again in February for two Sundays/month.

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

• 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 February- Other

• Sports All month, many Bay Area locations or on TV, Admission.
• Golden State Warriors:   See full schedule (or national TV NBA schedule).  Also note that the Warriors are on a new radio station this year, 95.7 FM in SF plus 93.5 FM in San Jose.
• Pro Hockey:  San Jose Sharks:  See schedule.
• College Sports of all types are in full swing as usual.  See Stanford, 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.

past JANUARY 2017 — SF Bay Area Events & Weekends

January is a great time of the year for watching football on TV.  The mild weather around San Francisco Bay also makes it a excellent time to visit sights that are crowded during other months.  For example, Fisherman’s Wharf is good to check out this time of year because it’s not overloaded with tourists; Pier 39 has some 50% off deals for locals December-January.  Check out the many links on this hiddenSF site for more ideas.

New Years Day, Sunday 1/1/17
As mentioned before, the beautiful 55-acre San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park is free to non-residents (as well as residents as usual) all day Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day.  By the way, the nearby California Academy of the Sciences is open every day of the year including Christmas and New Years Day … see details.  We are going to both this year!

Rose Bowl Game, Monday 1/2/17, 2 pm.
You can watch the Rose Bowl parade in the morning and the Rose Bowl game at 2 pm with #9 USC vs #5 Penn State. The Outback Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Sugar Bowl will also be played today.  See complete schedule.

Audubon Walk, Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve, Pescadero
First Sunday 1/1/17 10 am and third Sunday 1/15/17 1 pm of every month, Free
This is a nice change from watching sports on TV! This pleasant low key 2-hour docent-guided walk in Pescadero Marsh is less than 2 miles long and children can join as well (definitely no dogs however).

On New Years Day 2015 we went and saw a kingfisher bird along with the normal array of herons, coots, etc.  Then we walked Pescadero Beach and snacked at our favorite little town, Pescadero, afterwards.

The docents give two such walks every month, the first & third Sunday or you can go on your own.  See Sequoia Audubon walk details.

National College Football Championship
Monday 1/9/17, 5:00 pm
Clemson & Alabama, the winners of the Peach Bowl & Cotton Bowl playoffs on 12/31/16 will compete in the third ever national college championship playoff game.

Holiday Ice Skating Rinks in San Francisco,
Union Square & Embarcadero Center
Rent some skates or just enjoy the holiday atmosphere. Both are surrounded by festive stores and decorations. See details below.
Embarcadero Center Ice Rink – The “largest outdoor rink in San Francisco” 11/2/16-1/8/17
Union Square Ice Rink – A holiday tradition for seven years. Open 11/2/16-1/16/17

NFL Playoff Schedule
The Oakland Raiders are playing in the Wild Card this year but are not expected to go far due to injuries.  See full schedule and playoff news.

• NFC & AFC Divisional Round: Saturday-Sunday 1/14/17 – 1/15/17
• NFC & AFC Championship Games: Sunday 1/22/16 12:05 pm and 3:40 pm
• Superbowl: Sunday 2/5/17 (3:30 pm)

Martin Luther King Day, Monday 1/16/17

Chinese New Year Events Several other events are also held to celebrate the Chinese New Year in Chinatown. For details check this calendar.

• Chinese New Year Procession:  Saturday 1/21/17 10:30 am.  A much smaller version of the big parade which will be held 2/11/17.
• Flower Market Fair:  Saturday-Sunday 1/21 & 1/22/17 Traditional food & Chinese entertainment on stage.  Not too exciting but a good excuse to visit Chinatown.
• Chinese New Year Day:  Saturday 1/28/17.  No events are scheduled.
• Chinese New Year Parade:  Saturday 2/11/17  5:15 pm-8 pm.

Golden State Warriors (on national TV, in bold below, and on CSN local cable TV)
1/12 7:30 pm, 1/16 5 pm, 1/18 7:30 pm, 1/20 5 pm, 1/22, 1/23, 1/25 5 pm, 1/28 5:30 pm, 1/29, 2/2 7:30 pm.
The current Warriors basketball team is one of the best in the history of the game; they are #1 in every current NBA category except for rebounding #6 (look near top of schedule for current ranks).  Their 3-point shooting, passing and defense is much more fun to see than just watching big men beat each other up under the basket.  See the full Warriors schedule or, for TV cord cutters like me, see the NBA TV schedule on TNT, ESPN & ABC.  Also note that the Warriors are on a new radio station this year, 95.7 FM in SF and 93.5 FM in San Jose.

NFL Playoff Schedule
See full schedule and playoff news.

• NFC & AFC Championship Games: Sunday 1/22/16 12:05 pm and 3:40 pm
• Superbowl: Sunday 2/5/17 (3:30 pm)

Golden Gate Kennel Club Dog Show Cow Palace, Daly City
Saturday-Sunday 1/28/17-1/29/17, 8:00 am-5 pm, Admission $15
If you want a dog, have a dog or just like dogs this is the big local show you don’t want to miss. It is the oldest major dog event in Northern California and one of the most prestigious in the U.S.  with almost 2,000 dogs of more than 150 different breeds.  This is a benched show, which is fairly rare, which means you can walk around and talk with the breeders and see (& pet sometimes) their animals at their benches between events. We like the wandering around and seeing dogs up close & personal much more than like the judging events.  Check see details.

By the way, if you already have a dog check out our extensive page on best dog walks & parks in the SF Bay area.  Almost all of these walks are good for humans too, even if you don’t have a dog.

Chinese New Year
Saturday 1/28/17
No special public events today.  The big San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade and related events are on Saturday 2/11/17.  See February events below for more information.

Golden State Warriors Basketball
(for national TV, see bold face dates below; the other games are only on CSN local cable TV)
Saturday 1/28 5:30 pm, Sunday 1/29 6 pm, Thursday 2/2 7:30 pm.
The current Warriors basketball team is one of the best in the history of the game; they are #1 in every current NBA category except for rebounding #6 (look near top of schedule for current ranks).  Their 3-point shooting, passing and defense is much more fun to see than just watching big men beat each other up under the basket.  See the full Warriors schedule or, for TV cord cutters like me, see the NBA TV schedule on TNT, ESPN & ABC.  Also note that the Warriors are on a new radio station this year, 95.7 FM in SF and 93.5 FM in San Jose.

Breeding Elephant Seal Tour, Ano Nuevo State Park, 27 miles south of Half Moon Bay
12/15/14 – 3/31/15, $7 Admission
See 2-1/2 ton, 16 foot long elephant seal bulls skirmish for dominance during breeding season when thousands of seals and sea lions gather for a 3-month orgy of fighting, mating, and birthing. The only way to see this unique natural phenomenon is via naturalist-led tour which takes about 2.5 hours and is 3 miles long.

The season is busiest between January 15th & February 15th. Tour tickets sell out early so advance reservations are definitely recommended. The season is busiest between January 15th & February 15th.  See more details.

Gray Whale Migration Season, Numerous locations along the Pacific coast
12/20/16 – 5/31/17, 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.

Mavericks Big Wave Surf Contest, Pillar Point Harbor, Princeton-By-The-Sea
Sometime between 11/1/16 – 3/31/17 on 24 hour notice
The top 24 surfers in the world will soon tackle some of its biggest most dangerous waves right here at Mavericks. 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.

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

• 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 January – Other

• Sports All month, many Bay Area locations or on TV, Admission.
• Golden State Warriors:   1/25 5 pm, 1/28 5:30 pm, 1/29, 2/2 7:30 pm.  See full schedule (or national TV NBA schedule for the dates shown in bold).  Also note that the Warriors are on a new radio station this year, 95.7 FM in SF plus 93.5 FM in San Jose.
• Pro Hockey:  San Jose Sharks:  See schedule.
• College Sports of all types are in full swing as usual.  See Stanford, 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.

—————————————————————
Previous Events from January 2016 last year

Watch Heavy Surf This Week
Friday-Sunday 2/1/16-2/7/16, San Francisco-Santa Cruz Beaches & Trails
For those who like watching Mother Nature at work the surf is about 10 ft-30 ft due to the recent (higher than normal) King Tides and last weekend’s storms. Check surf cameras & reports for current status at many of these San Francisco-Santa Cruz Beaches & Trails.  For the less adventurous Rockaway Beach in Pacifica is especially easy to drive to for a quick look at the waves; some of our friends like Nick’s Restaurant on the beach.  We especially enjoy the hike on Pillar Point Bluff overlooking where the famous Mavericks Big Wave Surf Contest is held … but often the waves are too far away to see.

New Berkeley Art Museum Opening, Berkeley
Sunday, 1/31/16, Admission
The grand opening of the new BAM, Berkeley Art Museum, which is replacing the old one.  See details on the 4-day Grand Opening Events from 1/28/16-1/31/16 ending with a FREE public open house on Sunday 1/31/16.

Alpacas of Marin Spring Festival, near Point Reyes Station
Sat-Sun, 12 pm – 4 pm, 2/21/15-2/22/15, $20/person admission

See the little resort town of Point Reyes Station, the Gateway to the Point Reyes National Seashore, and get up very close and personal with 54 alpacas to boot. This alpaca farm is about 45 minutes (assuming you beat the traffic) north of Golden Gate Bridge. We haven’t visited yet but it sounds like a nice day trip. See more details.

Another nearby place where you can look over the fence to see these cute animals is Alpacas By The Sea in Montara

past DECEMBER 2016 — SF Bay Area Events & Weekends

Night of Lights Between Main Street & Kelly, Half Moon Bay
Friday, 12/2/16, 6-9 pm, Free
This local home-made event is a big favorite of Half Moon Bay residents and their children. There are tree lighting festivities, a parade, caroling, roasted chestnuts, booths by local clubs, open retail stores and more. Since mainly locals attend highway traffic has not been a problem to date. See details.

California Academy of Sciences – FREE quarterly admission day, Golden Gate Park
Sunday 12/11/16, 11 am-5 pm, Free
The Academy of Sciences is expensive ($34.95/adult) and often crowded. However, on four Sundays each year there is free admission on a first-come first-serve basis compliments of Chase Bank. Early arrival is highly recommended and you can still expect to stand in line. See details.

We have also heard that the Academy’s nightlife events (6-10 pm Thursday nights, $12 for adults over 21) are a good way to go. They have cocktails, music (sometimes live), and unique themes each week … and the crowds are not so intense. Check ahead to confirm details.

By the way, the Academy of Sciences is open every day of the year including Christmas Day.  See details.

Christmas Shopping Union Square and other Top Shopping Centers
Month of December
We usually skip the biggest crowds on Thanksgiving weekend and pick some quieter weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas to wander around. This is the best time of year to see Union Square … when you can enjoy festive store decorations, the big Christmas tree, watching ice skating, hearing opera singers on Maiden Lane, Macy’s Christmas windows and very brisk shopping action. We’ve enjoyed a Christmas brunch overlooking Union Square at the Cheesecake Factory … but get there early to avoid crowds.

For more Christmas shopping hike from Union Square down Powell St, along the cable car line, to Market St. At Market/Powell is the third largest urban shopping center in the U.S., Westfield San Francisco Centre with over 200 stores.

Here is a list showing the Top Shopping Centers in the San Francisco Bay Area. It’s always fun to visit them during Christmas time even if you don’t buy anything. We like Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto and Santana Row in San Jose.

Lighted Boat Parade, Fisherman’s Wharf
Friday evening, 12/16/16, 6-8 pm, Free
More than 60 decorated boats will parade along the waterfront (from  Pier 39 to the St Francis Yacht Club and back) in this annual parade.  The Fisherman’s Wharf Fishing Fleet will remain lit at night during the holiday season; best viewing of the fleet is from Jefferson Street between Jones & Taylor.  See details.

College Football Bowl Games
Saturday 12/17/16 – Monday 1/9/17
The college football bowls start December 12/17/16 and end with the semi-finals on Saturday 12/31/16 and the national championship on Monday, 1/9/17.  See schedule.

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair, Cow Palace, Daly City
5 Weekends, Saturdays & Sundays, 11/19/16 – 12/18/16, 10 am-7 pm
Admission $30/adult, Parking $12/car (or free on the street where we usually park, at least during daylight). Twilight tickets after 3 pm are $18 at the box office; we like those.
A big event on three acres transformed into a  facsimile of Victorian London circa 1865.  You can walk around amidst hundreds of amateur “actors” playing different roles. Enjoy “authentic” food, music, shops and a wide variety of free shows inside.  It’s a great way to get into the Christmas spirit.  See details about the fair including any on-line price deals.

Niles Canyon Railway Christmas Train of Lights, Niles District in Fremont
The historic old railroad town of Niles, on the east side of Fremont, is nearby and a fun place to explore any time of the year.   On Saturday, 12/10/16, 11 am-4 pm is the Niles Holiday Home Tour featuring several decorated homes in this historic district.   The Train of Lights is another Christmas favorite which runs several days/week is during the holiday season.  Alas, the holiday trains are so popular you have to get tickets months in advance and they are already sold out for 2016; we had to scramble to get ours for 12/17.   However, you can still see the Christmas train and make your plans for next Christmas.  These historic “museums on wheels” also run on weekends other times of the year too … but without the Christmas lights.

Breeding Sea Lions Tour, Ano Nuevo State Park, 27 miles south of Half Moon Bay
12/15/16 – 3/31/17 (every day except 12/25/16 and 1/24-25/16).  Admission $7
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
12/20/16 – 5/31/17, 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.

College Football Bowl Games
Saturday 12/17/16 – Monday 1/9/17.
The college football bowls start December 12/17/16 and end with the semi-finals on Saturday 12/31/16 and the national championship on Monday, 1/9/17.  See the complete schedule.  Some of the biggest bowl games we will watch on New Years weekend are the:
* Peach Bowl: Saturday 12/31/16, 12 pm.  #1 Alabama vs #4 Washington.
* Cotton Bowl: Saturday 12/31/16, 4 pm.  #2 Clemson vs #3 Ohio State.
* Rose Bowl: Monday 1/2/17, 2 pm. #9 USC vs #5 Penn State.
The winners of the Peach Bowl & Cotton Bowl (the national semi-finals) will play in the College National Championship at 5:30 pm, Monday 1/9/17. See more information.

New Years Eve Dance Party – USS Hornet Aircraft Carrier, Alameda
Saturday 12/31/15, 7:30 pm-1 am, Admission
There are three dance floors on the enclosed, heated hangar decks of this famous World War II aircraft carrier which is now a National Historic Landmark. This is a big, fun event that thousands attend. It is run by and proceeds benefit the USS Hornet Museum.  See details.

Holiday Ice Skating Rinks in San Francisco,
Union Square & Embarcadero Center
Rent some skates or just enjoy the holiday atmosphere. Both are surrounded by festive stores and decorations. See details below.
Embarcadero Center Ice Rink – The “largest outdoor rink in San Francisco” 11/2/16-1/8/17
Union Square Ice Rink – A holiday tradition for seven years. Open 11/2/16-1/16/17

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

• 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 December – Other

• Sports All month, many Bay Area locations or on TV, Admission.
• Golden State Warriors:  12/30, 1/1, 1/4 7:30 pm.  See schedule (or national TV NBA schedule).  Also note that the Warriors are on a new radio station this year, 95.7 FM in SF plus 93.5 FM in San Jose.
• College Football Bowl Games:  See schedule.
• Pro Football:  Oakland  Raiders:  See schedule.   SF 49ers:  See schedule.
• Hockey:  San Jose Sharks:  See schedule.
• College Sports of all types, including football, are in full swing.  See Stanford, 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.

past NOVEMBER 2016 — SF Bay Area Events & Weekends

This month has the fewest tourists and the weather is often surprisingly good … so November is a quiet month for locals to enjoy the many year-round activities and attractions San Francisco offers. For example, weekends on Ocean Beach can be outstanding this time of year.

Fall along the Half Moon Bay Coast
Fall is the best time of year to visit the coast.  See things to see (see map) and trails & beaches (see map) along the Half Moon Bay Coastline. We also recommend visiting Pescadero, our favorite small town between San Francisco & Santa Cruz.

Baseball World Series, on TV
11/1/16 at 5 pm PT
(and, if necessary, 11/2/16 at 5 pm).
The Chicago Clubs play the Cleveland Indians.  See Baseball Postseason Schedule (note:  Shown in Eastern Time which is 3 hours ahead of Pacific Time).

Daylight Savings Time Ends
Sunday morning 2:00 am 11/6/16
In the San Francisco Bay Area (i.e. Pacific Time) at 2:00 am turn your clocks back to 1:00 am.

Day-long Ethnic Dance Festival Auditions, Palace of Fine Arts Theater, SF
Fri 11/4/16 6 pm-7:15 pm, Sat-Sun 11/5/16-11/6/16, 11 am-7 pm.  $10 admission
We haven’t been but if you or your children are seriously interested in dance then this looks like great way to see a wide variety of the Bay area’s finest dance companies compete for a place in the 2017 San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival.  Stay for an hour or all day for just $10, children 12 & under are Free.  See more details.

Election Day, Tuesday 11/8/16.

Veterans Day, Friday 11/11/16
Here’s a good list of Discounts to Veterans and Active Duty Military (restaurants & stores) on or around Veteran’s Day.

The Head of the Lagoon Rowing Regatta, Foster City Lagoon map
Saturday, 11/12/16, 9 am-12 pm, and Sunday, 11/13/16, 9 am-1:00 pm
This big two-day  rowing regatta is hosted by the Stanford Rowing center that features several Collegiate & Open crews on Saturday and Junior & Master crews on Sunday.  Up to 250 crews will be racing each day.    If you’ve never watched crew races before the Foster City Lagoon is a perfect venue.  See more details.

See the Biggest & Best Full Moon since 1948
Sunday-Monday, 11/13/16-11/14/16
The supermoon will be the closest full moon to earth since 1948.  Check it out before the clouds roll in, anytime around these days.  See more information.

Thanksgiving Day
Thursday 11/24/16
For plant lovers, here’s a interesting idea: the 55-acre San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park is free to non-residents all day Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.

 

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Week
Friday, 11/25/16, and Monday, 11/28/16
Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year (it’s called Black Friday because historically that’s when retail stores profits often went “in the black” for the year). Here are the best shopping centers in the Bay area.  Cyber Monday, 11/28/16, when shoppers are still looking for bargains on-line from their work computers, has now also become a part of this big weekend.

On-line discounts are never better than these two days. Personally, I make my clothing shopping list for the entire year and buy it all on Black Friday.  Brand items which are almost never on sale can be discounted 30% or more.

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair, Cow Palace, Daly City
5 Weekends, Saturdays & Sundays, 11/19/16 – 12/18/16, 10 am-7 pm
Admission $30/adult, Parking $12/car, Twilight tickets after 3 pm are $18 at the box office.  We like those!
Join the largest cast (over 700 local hobbyists) of costumed Dickensian characters in the world who do an excellent job recreating Charles Dickens’ Victorian London Town. The show fills more than 3 acres and feels even bigger. There is a wide variety of things to do (food, shows, shops, caroling, street performers, wandering the town, etc.) that will get you in the mood for Christmas. See details.

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

• 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 November – Other

• Sports All month, many Bay Area locations or on TV, Admission.
• Baseball World Series:  Begins Tuesday 10/25/16 and continues through at least 10/29/16.  See schedule.
• Golden State Warriors:  Regular season starts 10/25/16.  See schedule (or national TV NBA schedule).  Also note that the Warriors are on a new radio station this year, 95.7 FM in SF plus 93.5 FM in San Jose.
• Stanford Football plays  11/5/16 12:30 pm (Oregon State at Stanford), 11/12/16 (at Oregon), 11/19/16 (at Berkeley), 11/26/16 (Rice at Stanford).  See schedule.
• 49ers:  11/6/16 1:05 pm, 11/13/16 1:25 pm, 11/20/16 1:25 pm, 11/27/16 10:00 am.   See schedule.
• College Sports of all types, including football, are in full swing.  See Stanford, 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.

past OCTOBER 2016 — SF Bay Area Events & Weekends

The clear, mild weather usually makes Fall the best time of the year to visit Half Moon Bay and the Half Moon Bay Coastline.  See the pumpkin patches and visit Pescadero, our favorite small town between San Francisco & Santa Cruz. Be aware, however, that Halloween along the coast is very crowded so start & leave early to help minimize chances of getting stuck in a serious traffic jam.

SF Giants Wild Card Game
Wednesday 10/5/16, 5 pm, on radio & TV
After a very up & down season the Giants came out of their long slump to make it into a sudden death wild card game with the NY Mets.   Two of the best pitchers in baseball will be facing off in this high stakes game:  Bumgarner has been SF’s ace through several World Series (he’s a good hitter too) and the Met’s Syndergaard (who throws 100 mph).  More background and complete postseason schedule (note: this wild card game’s winner will play a series with the Cubs starting Friday 10/7/16).

 

Blue Angels Air Show, Fishermans Wharf & Marina area
Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10/7/16 – 10/9/16, 3 pm-4 pm, Free
On Friday-Sunday, the Fleet Week Air Show starts at 12 pm with several other aircraft performances and ends with the Blue Angels from 3 pm – 4 pm.  See more about best places to watch the show.

San Francisco Fleet Week, Fishermans Wharf area
Friday-Sunday 10/7/16 – 10/9/16, Free
Fleet Week attracts more than a million visitors each year to see the parade of ships, ship tours and air show featuring the Blue Angels.  See more details .

Columbus Day Parade, Fishermans Wharf to Washington Square, Free
Sunday 10/9/16, Starts 12:30 pm, Free
The oldest Italian-American parade in America (est. 1869). Over 400,000 people attended last year so with Fleet Week going on simultaneously this will be one of the most crowded days of the SF year.  The parade starts at Jefferson & Stockton Streets in Fishermans Wharf and moves up Columbus Avenue to Washington Square.  See details.

Open Sunday Streets , Sundays, Free
These Sunday events close neighborhood streets to cars so people can enjoy a large, temporary, public space where they can freely bike, walk, run, dance, skate, yoga & meet neighbors.  There are also many street vendors and musicians.
* Open Streets Santa Cruz  (10/9/16, 9am-2pm),  2 miles from Lighthouse Field State Beach to Natural Bridges State Beach.
* Sunday Streets Berkeley (10/16/16, 11am – 5pm), on Shattuck Ave centered at University Ave between Rose St. to Haste St.  Shattuck Ave is located immediately east of UC Berkeley.   See detailed activity guide with locations.
* SF Excelsior neighborhood (10/16/16, 11am – 4 pm), Mission St. south of Hwy 280.
* Every Sunday at Golden Gate Park and Canada Road (off Hwys 280 & 92, Belmont) – Main roads are closed to cars every Sunday year round subject to weather for bicyclists & skaters of all levels to enjoy.

SF Giants vs Chicago Cubs – Baseball Playoffs
Tuesday 10/11/16, 5:30 pm.  Thursday 10/13/16 if needed.
The Cubs (best team in baseball so far this year) are ahead in this series 2 to 1 and it only takes 3 games to win.  Last night 10/10/16 the Giants clawed their way back to win in the 13th inning.

Art & Pumpkin Festival,  Half Moon Bay
Sat-Sun 10/15/16-10/16/16, 9 am-5 pm, Free
If you can stand the very heavy weekend traffic (over 350,000 attended last year) check out the Art & Pumpkin Festival in Half Moon Bay and the pumpkin stands near Half Moon Bay. We go much earlier in the month and earlier in the morning (certainly before 10 am) when traffic is not as bad.  It often backs up for miles on Hwy 92, especially around the Lemos Farm kid’s rides just east of the city.

Open Sunday Streets , Sundays, Free
These Sunday events close neighborhood streets to cars so people can enjoy a large, temporary, public space where they can freely bike, walk, run, dance, skate, yoga & meet neighbors.  There are also many street vendors and musicians.
* Sunday Streets Berkeley (10/16/16, 11am – 5pm), on Shattuck Ave centered at University Ave between Rose St. to Haste St.  Shattuck Ave is located immediately east of UC Berkeley.   See detailed activity guide with locations.
* SF Excelsior neighborhood (10/16/16, 11am – 4 pm), Mission St. south of Hwy 280.
* Every Sunday at Golden Gate Park and Canada Road (off Hwys 280 & 92, Belmont) – Main roads are closed to cars every Sunday year round subject to weather for bicyclists & skaters of all levels to enjoy.

Renaissance Fair, Hollister, CA
Saturdays & Sundays only, 10 am-6 pm, 9/17/16-10/16/16, $28/day or $40/weekend pass.
History comes to life at this Hollister version of the Renaissance Fair.  This is one of the best we’ve seen. Held at Casa de Fruta every Saturday and Sunday for a month in the fall.  No pets are allowed.  See more details.

Grand National Rodeo  Cow Palace, Daly City
Fri-Sat 10/14/16-10/15/16 & 10/21/16-10/22/16, Admission (note: see discount tickets)
If you like rodeos this is the one to see in San Francisco once per year. There are several different events during the week including livestock exposition, cattle dog competitions, and horse shows depending on your interests.  It generally opens at 8 am and rodeo shows are at 7:30 pm on Friday & Saturday evenings. See details and discount tickets.

Baseball World Series, on TV
11/1/16 at 5 pm PT
(and, if necessary, 11/2/16 at 5 pm).
The Chicago Clubs play the Cleveland Indians.  See Baseball Postseason Schedule (note:  Shown in Eastern Time which is 3 hours ahead of Pacific Time).

USS Hornet Monster Ball Bash—, USS Hornet Aircraft Museum, Alameda,
Saturday Night 10/29/16, 7:30 pm-1 am, Admission ($40 at the door or $35 in advance for the Ball … does not include the Haunted Hornet Attraction which is another $35)
The ultimate Halloween party for adults.  Thousands attend the Monster Ball every year at the USS Hornet Aircraft Carrier/Museum in Alameda. There will be dancing with a live band, a no host bar, haunted tours and a $500 cash prize to the best dressed.  This museum fund-raising event has been both safe and fun; our swing dance instructor who loves to dress up in costumes highly recommends it.  This year, on Friday 10/28/16, there is also a “Ship of Spirits dinner with a medium and flashlight tour” for $65.  See more details.

Halloween,
Monday 10/31/16
Halloween is a big deal in San Francisco. For those into history, from the 1940s until 2006 the most fantastic costume event in the world was held Halloween Eve on Castro Street, SF. But, alas, this amazing street celebration was cancelled after crowds of hundreds of thousands became too difficult to control. Now you will have to go to a private party to seriously celebrate or pay to get into a night club.  The USS Hornet Monster Ball mentioned just above is a good option for ballroom dancers, in costume or not.  Zillow thinks these neighborhoods in SF & San Jose are the best in the nation for trick or treating.

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

• Picnic at the Presidio, Main Parade Ground, Presidio –  Sundays, 11 am-4 pm.  Off the Grid’s food vendors gather in this great venue.  See details.  (4/3/16-10/9/16)
• Twilight at the Presidio, Main Parade Ground, Presidio – Thursdays, 5 pm – 9 pm.  Food vendors gather at the main post. See details.  (5/12/16-10/6/16)
• 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.  (3/4/16-10/28/16)

• Yerba Buena Gardens Festival – Over 90 different events (music & shows) held various days of each week. (5/7/16-10/30/16)
• Stern Grove Concerts –  Sundays, 2 pm.  Free weekly world-class concerts. (starts 6/19/16-8/21/16)
• 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)
• Free Summer Concerts on the Peninsula – Fridays, 6 pm – 8 pm, at the Foster City Lagoon (8/5/16-8/19/16) and in Redwood City.

• 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 October – Other

• Sports All month, many Bay Area locations or on TV, Admission.
• SF Giants:   Playing the Cubs in postseason on Friday 10/7/16 6 pm, Saturday 10/8/16 5 pm & Monday 10/10/16 and on 10/11/16 & 10/13/16 if needed.  See schedule.
• World Series:  begins Tuesday 10/25/16 and continues through at least 10/29/16.  See schedule.
• Golden State Warriors:  Preseason starts 10/1/16,  regular season starts 10/25/16.  See schedule (or national TV NBA schedule).  Also note that the Warriors are on a new radio station this year, 95.7 FM in SF plus 93.5 FM in San Jose.
• Stanford Football plays 10/8/16 (Washington State), 10/15/16 (Notre Dame), 10/22/16 (Colorado) and 10/29/16 (Arizona).  See schedule.
• 49ers:  10/6/16,  10/16/16,  10/23/16.   See schedule.
• College Sports of all types, including football, are in full swing.  See Stanford, 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.

past SEPTEMBER 2016 — SF Bay Area Events & Weekends

Labor Day Weekend— Sat-Mon 9/3/16-9/5/16 has some big events for art lovers. See:

• Sausalito Art Fair:   Opens at 10 am, 9/3/16-9/5/16. The “Granddaddy” of outdoor art festivals. Also check out the nearby ICB Building Art Studios Event while you are there.
• Sausalito Artists at Work: Open 9/3/16-9/5/16. Visit with more than twenty artists at work in their art studios at the historical ICB Building.
• Burning Man Festival: 8/28/16-9/5/16.  An amazing week long party.  See more below.
• Milbrae Art & Wine Festival:  10 am-5 pm, 9/3/16-9/4/16.  One of the biggest events on the Peninsula if you enjoy street festivals.  Free Mardi Gras-style celebration.  See more details.
• Free Shakespeare in the Park:  2 pm, 9/3/16-9/5/16.  At the Presidio Parade Ground.  See details. Also check out the regular Sunday Picnic on the Presidio food truck event from 11 am-4 pm while you are there.
• Regular Weekly events:  These are always good too.

Burning Man Festival, Black Rock Desert, Nevada
Week long event held 8/28/16-9/5/16
Even the organizers have a difficult time explaining this unique week-long party/art festival/event held in the desert. However, it is “amazing” and something our 21-35 year old friends would never miss. Over 50,000 people attend and it always sells out. See details and pictures.

Mountain View Art & Wine Festival, Castro Street, Mountain View
Sunday, 9/10/16-9/11/16, 10 am-6 pm
One of the biggest and best festivals on the Peninsula.  There will be over 600 artists selling handcrafted ware, big bands and more.  See details.

Open Sunday Streets – Western Addition, along Fillmore & Fulton Streets, SF
Sunday, 9/11/16, 9:30 am – 5:30 pm
A giant open street block party.

See Hundreds of Hawks/hour, Hawk Hill, Marin Headlands
9/10/16-10/9/16, Free
The largest known flight of daytime raptors (hawks, falcons, vultures, etc.) takes place every autumn  at Hawk Hill, the 920 foot peak on the Marin side of the Golden Gate Bridge. See details.

Stanford Football vs USC
Saturday, 9/17/16, 5 pm at Stanford on ABC TV. See schedule.

San Francisco’s Comedy Day, Sharon Meadow, Golden Gate Park
Sunday, 9/18/16, 12 pm-5 pm, Free
The professional comedy community joins together (each year since 37 years ago when Robin Williams helped them start) to produce a FREE highly-entertaining, PG-13 rated, five-hour show with 40 comedians at Golden Gate Park. Up to 10,000 attendees. Doggies are allowed too.  See details.

SF International Dragon Boat Festival, Merrit Island, Oakland
Saturday-Sunday, 9/17/16-9/18/16, Free admission
One of the largest competitive dragon boat races in the United States.  The festival has entertainment, food and free activities.  See details.

Rolex Big “Sailing” Boat Series, St. Francis Yacht Club, San Francisco Bay
Thu-Sun 9/15/16-9/18/16, Races start at 11 am, Free
In an effort to bring large racing sail boats to compete in the San Francisco Bay, members of the St. Francis Yacht Club created the St. Francis Perpetual Trophy Regatta in 1964.   It features 4 days of world-class competition and has become the West Coast’s premier regatta.  See details and pictures.

Free Shakespeare In The Park, The Winters Tale, see details.
* 9/3/16-9/18/16, Saturdays & Sundays & Labor Day Monday, 2:00 pm
The Main Presidio Parade Ground, San Francisco.  Excellent free Shakespeare performances in a beautiful setting.  On Sundays you can also enjoy the weekly Picnic at the Presidio from 11 am – 4 pm.
* 9/24/16-10/2/16, Saturdays & Sundays, 2:00 pm
Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, McClaren Park, San Francisco
* 9/30/16, Friday, 10:00 am
Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, McClaren Park, San Francisco

Sausalito Floating Homes Tour, Kappas Marina, Sausalito
Saturday 9/24/16, 11 am-4 pm, Admission
See hundreds of the most unique & beautiful houseboat homes in the world and look inside several of them. It includes a free art fair and live music. Often sold out even the houseboat tour is rather expensive ($60 or $50 in advance).

Stanford Football vs UCLA
Saturday, 9/24/16, 5 pm at UCLA on ABC TV. See schedule.

Pacific Coast Fog Fest, Palmetto Street, Pacifica
Sat-Sun, 9/24/16 – 9/25/16, 10 am-6 pm. Free admission
Over 200 vendors on the main street of Pacifica.  See more details.

Folsom Street Fair
Folsom Street, between 8th and 13th Streets
Sunday 9/25/16, 11 am-6 pm, Admission free (with a “strongly” suggested donation of $10 last time we went)
The largest leather event in the world and definitely kinky. Adults only!  Live entertainment and over 200 exhibitor booths. Warning: definitely do not go if you are at all easily shocked. We have only dared to brave it twice ourselves and did not take pictures. :)  See details.

California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Dr, Golden Gate Park
Sunday, 11 am-5 pm, 9/25/16, Free quarterly admission day
The Academy of Sciences is expensive ($34.95) and often crowded. However, four Sundays/year there is free admission on a first-come first-serve basis. Early arrival is highly recommended and you can still expect to stand in line. See more general details. We’ve also heard that the Academy’s nightlife events ($15, 6-10 pm Thursday nights for adults over 21 only) are a good way to go. They have cocktails, music (sometimes live), and unique themes … and the crowds are not so intense.

Fall Prevention Week
Thursday-Wednesday, 9/22/16-9/28/16,  see free website
Falls can be serious at any age but especially for older adults. Approximately 1 in 3 adults over 65 fall every year.  The San Mateo County Fall Prevention Task Force says that falls account for 80% of accidental injury deaths in individuals over the age of 85, and 20% in ages 75 to 84.  Here are some easy exercises to help prevent falls.  Also practice standing on one leg.  It can’t hurt you to learn them for future reference or for a senior friend.

Renaissance Fair, Hollister, CA
Saturdays & Sundays only, 10 am-6 pm, 9/17/16-10/16/16, $28/day or $40/weekend pass (there is 2 for 1 discount the first weekend, however)
History comes to life at this Hollister version of the Renaissance Fair. Held at Casa de Fruta every Saturday and Sunday for a month in the fall.  No pets are allowed.  See more details

Hardly Strictly Blue Grass Festival, Golden Gate Park
Friday 9/30/16 – Sunday 10/2/16, 11:00 am – 7 pm, Free
We particularly like this music festival because it is low-key (bring your dog and picnic blanket for sitting on the grass) and features over 100 different musical artists on seven different stages.  You can wander in and out of the venues even during performances.  If you can’t make it there physically check out the live webcast and archives.

It is located on the west side of Golden Gate Park south of John F Kennedy Dr between the Polo Field (about 32d Ave) and Highway 1 (Park Presidio Blvd).  See details and a pdf map (2016 version) showing the stages.

Free Shakespeare In The Park, The Winters Tale, see details.
* 9/30/16, Friday, 10:00 am
Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, McClaren Park, San Francisco
* 9/24/16-10/2/16, Saturdays & Sundays, 2:00 pm
Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, McClaren Park, San Francisco

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

• Picnic at the Presidio, Main Parade Ground, Presidio –  Sundays, 11 am-4 pm.  Off the Grid’s food vendors gather in this great venue.  See details.  (4/3/16-10/9/16)
• Twilight at the Presidio, Main Parade Ground, Presidio – Thursdays, 5 pm – 9 pm.  Food vendors gather at the main post. See details.  (5/12/16-10/6/16)
• 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.  (3/4/16-10/28/16)

• Yerba Buena Gardens Festival – Over 90 different events (music & shows) held various days of each week. (5/7/16-10/30/16)
• Stern Grove Concerts –  Sundays, 2 pm.  Free weekly world-class concerts. (starts 6/19/16-8/21/16)
• 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)
• Free Summer Concerts on the Peninsula – Fridays, 6 pm – 8 pm, at the Foster City Lagoon (8/5/16-8/19/16) and in Redwood City.

• 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 September – Other

• Pro Sports All month, many Bay Area locations or on TV, Admission:  SF Giants are chasing the Dodgers for the pennant – see schedule.  SF 49ers – see 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 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.

past AUGUST 2016 — SF Bay Area Events & Weekends

Most Incredible Meteor Shower of the Year
Late Thursday night/early Friday morning, 8/11/16-8/12/16  (and continues through 8/24/16)
The Perseid meteor shower of 2016 peaks tonight and experts say it may get up to 200 meteors/hour this year.  They are best seen, all across the sky, after midnight.  If that’s too late for you it will also be shown live on the Internet at 8 pm EDT  (5 pm our PDT) on Thursday evening.  See details.

Free Shakespeare In The Park, The Winters Tale, see details.
* 8/13/16-8/28/16, Saturdays 7:30 pm & Sundays 4:30 pm
Sequoia High School, 1201 Brewster Avenue, Redwood City
* See September dates further below.

Desert Plants at UC Botanical Gardens … a small part of one of the most diverse plant collections in the U.S. with over 12,000 species.

Fall Plant Sale, UC Botanical Garden, Berkeley
Thursday, 8/25/16, 10:30 am – 1:30 pm, Admission
If you are into plants, especially California natives, the University of California Botanical Garden in Berkeley should definitely be on your bucket list to visit sometime.  It’s a great place for an interesting hike too.  Their Fall Plant sale is a good day to visit if you want to buy plants or get free advice.  See more details.

Burning Man Festival, Black Rock Desert, Nevada
Week long event held 8/28/16-9/5/16
Even the organizers have a difficult time explaining this unique week-long party/art festival/event held in the desert. However, it is “amazing” and something our 21-35 year old friends would never miss. Over 50,000 people attend and it always sells out. See details and pictures

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

• Picnic at the Presidio, Main Parade Ground, Presidio –  Sundays, 11 am-4 pm.  Off the Grid’s food vendors gather in this great venue.  See details.  (4/3/16-10/9/16)
• Twilight at the Presidio, Main Parade Ground, Presidio – Thursdays, 5 pm – 9 pm.  Food vendors gather at the main post. See details.  (5/12/16-10/6/16)
• 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.  (3/4/16-10/28/16)

• Yerba Buena Gardens Festival – Over 90 different events (music & shows) held various days of each week. (5/7/16-10/30/16)
• Stern Grove Concerts –  Sundays, 2 pm.  Free weekly world-class concerts. (starts 6/19/16-8/21/16)
• 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)
• Free Summer Concerts on the Peninsula – Fridays, 6 pm – 8 pm, at the Foster City Lagoon (8/5/16-8/19/16) and in Redwood City.

• 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 August – Other

• Pro Sports All month, many Bay Area locations or on TV, Admission:  SF Giants see schedule. SF 49ers see 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:

• CURRENT SF Bay Area Events.  The events above have already passed.
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