Home » City Guide Archive

SF City Guides

SF's Annual Easter In the Park & Hunky Jesus Contest 2026SF’s Annual Easter In the Park & Hunky Jesus Contest 2026
By - posted 3/6/2026
Bay Area Favorites, Easter, Fairs & Festivals, Festival Updates, Only in San Francisco, Outdoorsy, Parks & Beaches, San Francisco

San Francisco’s most delightfully irreverent Easter tradition is back. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are taking over the north end of Mission Dolores Park on Sunday, April 5, 2026, for their annual Easter in the Park celebration, and yes, it’s as chaotic, joyful, and fabulous as you’ve been hoping. Festivities kick more...

Oakland Throws Big Homecoming Rally for Olympic Gold Medalist Alysa Liu (March 12)Oakland Throws Big Homecoming Rally for Olympic Gold Medalist Alysa Liu (March 12)
By - posted 3/5/2026
Celebrations, Community, East Bay, Oakland

Oakland is rolling out the welcome mat for hometown Olympic champion Alysa Liu with a free community rally at Frank Ogawa Plaza on Thursday, March 12, 2026. The celebration will honor Liu’s Olympic gold medal win and welcome the Oakland native back to the city that watched her rise from a more...

75,000 Hand-Built Kites Are Flying Into SFMOMA75,000 Hand-Built Kites Are Flying Into SFMOMA
By - posted 3/2/2026
Artsy Fartsy, Brand New, Downtown San Francisco

75,000 hand-built kites are coming to San Francisco and you can walk right under them for free. A massive new installation, Jacob Hashimoto: Giant Arc, is transforming the free public Roberts Family Gallery at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art into a floating canopy of color, pattern, and light. The more...

125+ Free Concerts Coming to Golden Gate Park in 2026125+ Free Concerts Coming to Golden Gate Park in 2026
By - posted 2/24/2026
Festival Updates, Outdoorsy, Parks & Beaches, San Francisco

Free live music is back in the park. Illuminate LIVE returns to the Golden Gate Bandshell in Golden Gate Park on Sunday, March 1, 2026, launching its sixth season of free outdoor concerts with more than 125 performances scheduled through mid-November. The long-running series has quietly become one of San Francisco’s biggest more...

SF's Mardi Gras & Fat Tuesday Celebrations 2026SF’s Mardi Gras & Fat Tuesday Celebrations 2026
By - posted 2/17/2026
Block Party, Celebrations

We can’t do anything normal here in the Bay Area. And it’s the same thing with Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday.  Check out the City’s most interesting and unique Mardi Gras celebrations including a big block party The Fillmore, with a second line parade and free blues concert, a festive Mardi more...

Massive Free Downtown SF Festival Returns for 2026Massive Free Downtown SF Festival Returns for 2026
By - posted 2/12/2026
Artsy Fartsy, Downtown San Francisco, Fairs & Festivals, San Francisco

Spend an evening exploring the ideas, art, and conversations shaping how we move forward collectively. Villa Albertine’s Night of Ideas returns in 2026 with an after-dark celebration of art, innovation, and culture across the U.S., landing in San Francisco at the Public Library and the Asian Art Museum. This year’s theme, more...

San Francisco March Festivals & Street Fairs 2026San Francisco March Festivals & Street Fairs 2026
By - posted 2/12/2026
Fairs & Festivals, Festival Updates, Get Out: Events

Here’s a round-up of fun and fabulous March festivals, street fairs, and events including Chinese and Lunar New Year celebrations, festive St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, the “Brides of March” Wedding Dress Pub Crawl, Holi, and much more you can look forward to this March 2026. >  We’ll be updating this guide with more...

Valentine's Day Guide 2026Valentine’s Day Guide 2026
By - posted 2/12/2026
Valentine's Day

Looking for something fun and festive for Valentine’s Day or maybe something quirky and different? Whether you’re swinging solo, out with friends, or with a partner, here’s our choices for our favorite free & affordable Valentine’s events for 2026. Whether you’re planning a romantic day together or a fun outing with more...

SF Finally Getting a "Sprouts" Grocery Store in 2028SF Finally Getting a “Sprouts” Grocery Store in 2028
By - posted 2/11/2026
Brand New, Downtown San Francisco, Groceries / Supermarkets, San Francisco

San Francisco could soon be getting its very first Sprouts Farmers Market. According to the San Francisco Standard, the grocery chain, which already has more than two dozen locations around the Bay Area, is planning a brand new store in SoMa, with a reported opening in 2028. The store is expected to more...

Exploratorium + Asian Art Museum Offer Free Admission During SFUSD School ClosuresExploratorium + Asian Art Museum Offer Free Admission During SFUSD School Closures
By - posted 2/11/2026
Getting Help, Museums / Cultural Institutions, San Francisco

With SFUSD schools closed due to the ongoing labor situation, a couple of San Francisco museums are stepping up with free (or heavily discounted) daytime admission for students and families. In response to SFUSD school closures, the Exploratorium and the Asian Art Museum are helping to support families during this unexpected more...

SF Chinatown's Portsmouth Square Is Getting a Major MakeoverSF Chinatown’s Portsmouth Square Is Getting a Major Makeover
By - posted 2/11/2026
Bay Area Updates, Parks & Beaches, San Francisco

San Francisco’s long-awaited Portsmouth Square renovation is officially moving closer to construction, with the city now targeting a summer 2026 groundbreaking. Often called “Chinatown’s living room,” the historic plaza hasn’t had a full renovation in more than 50 years, and the project has been years in the making with extensive more...

San Francisco October Festivals & Street Fairs 2026San Francisco October Festivals & Street Fairs 2026
By - posted 2/11/2026
Fairs & Festivals, Festival Updates, Get Out: Events

Here’s a round-up of fun and fabulous October festivals, street fairs, and events including Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, San Francisco Fleet Week, Sunday Streets “Phoenix Day” massive city-wide block party, and much more you can look forward to this October 2026. >  We’ll be updating this guide with more October events soon! Hardly more...

Lunar New Year 2026: A Bay Area GuideLunar New Year 2026: A Bay Area Guide
By - posted 2/11/2026
Fairs & Festivals, Lunar New Year

This is how the Bay Area celebrates Lunar New Year. Celebrate the Year of the Horse with fairs, festivals, parades, and celebrations, leading up the crème de la crème, the massive San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade on Saturday, March 7, 2026. Named one of the world’s top ten parades, the Chinese New Year Parade in San more...

The Castro Night Market Is Back March 20 for a New 2026 SeasonThe Castro Night Market Is Back March 20 for a New 2026 Season
By - posted 2/10/2026
Night Market, San Francisco

One of the Castro’s biggest street events is coming back for another season. The Castro Night Market returns for season two on Friday, March 20, 2026, taking over two blocks of 18th Street and turning them into a pedestrian-friendly night market filled with food, music, drag, and local vendors. The market will more...

SF's Free Immersive Pop-Up Music Museum for Super Bowl Weekend (Feb. 5-7)SF’s Free Immersive Pop-Up Music Museum for Super Bowl Weekend (Feb. 5-7)
By - posted 2/6/2026
Downtown San Francisco, Museums / Cultural Institutions, Super Bowl, Things to Do

EMPIRE Records opens a free immersive music museum pop-up in downtown San Francisco for Super Bowl weekend, February 5-7, 2026. If you’re looking for a free Super Bowl weekend activity in San Francisco, Bay Area record label EMPIRE is opening a pop-up museum in the Financial District to celebrate its 15-year anniversary. The more...