Parks & Beaches
SF’s Free “Sundown Cinema” Outdoor Movie Series is Back (June–Oct. 2026)
Bay Area Favorites, Outdoorsy, Parks & Beaches, San Francisco San Francisco’s free outdoor movie tradition is back with a full season for 2026. The Sundown Cinema series has just announced its lineup, bringing family-friendly films to parks across the city from June through October. After a scaled-back return in 2025, the full program is back this year. The long-running outdoor more...
Oakland to Transform Vacant Lot Into $16.9M Waterfront Park
Brand New, New Parks, Oakland, Outdoorsy, Parks & Beaches A long-vacant industrial lot along Oakland’s shoreline is getting a major transformation. The East Bay Regional Park District is turning a 7-acre site on San Leandro Bay into a brand new waterfront park, with construction set to begin this summer and a grand opening expected in summer or fall 2027. The project more...
Bay Area Oceanfront State Park Could Triple in Size
Bay Area Updates, Outdoorsy, Parks & Beaches Pescadero’s Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park could get a major expansion. The Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), a Palo Alto-based nonprofit, plans to donate 132 acres of oceanfront land just south of the lighthouse to California State Parks. The addition would increase the park from 75 acres to more...
SF’s Giant New Interactive Word Sculptures in Golden Gate Park
Artsy Fartsy, Brand New, Outdoorsy, Parks & Beaches, San Francisco San Francisco’s Golden Mile just got even more playful. Two new interactive public art sculptures, SMiLE and KiND, have been installed along Golden Gate Park’s famous Golden Mile stretch. Created by Bay Area artist Reuben Rude in collaboration with Illuminate and funded by The Big Art Loop, the oversized WordPlay sculptures more...
SF’s Annual Easter In the Park & Hunky Jesus Contest 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...
125+ Free Concerts Coming to Golden Gate Park in 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 Chinatown’s Portsmouth Square Is Getting a Major Makeover
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...
SF’s Magnificent “Peak” Magnolia Bloom is Here (2026)
Bay Area Updates, Outdoorsy, Parks & Beaches, San Francisco Thanks to San Francisco Botanical Garden for sharing the news that the first of their beautiful magnolias are at peak bloom. One of San Francisco’s most breathtaking natural marvels, the annual bloom of more than 200 rare and historic magnolias with trees reaching 80 feet, is typically at its peak from January through March at the more...
SF’s Gorgeous Magnolias are Blooming in Golden Gate Park
Bay Area Updates, Outdoorsy, Parks & Beaches, San Francisco Thanks to San Francisco Botanical Garden for sharing the news that the first of their beautiful magnolias are blooming. One of San Francisco’s most breathtaking natural marvels, the annual bloom of more than 200 rare and historic magnolias with trees reaching 80 feet, is typically at its peak from January through March at the SF Botanical more...
500+ Acres of Sonoma Coast Open for First Time in a Century
Brand New, Outdoorsy, Parks & Beaches A 547-acre stretch of undeveloped California coastline at the mouth of the Estero Americano estuary has officially opened to the public for the first time in nearly 100 years. The Estero Americano Coast Preserve is located south of Bodega Bay and west of Valley Ford. It is managed by the Wildlands more...
400+ National Parks Are Free on These 10 Days in 2026
Get Out: Events, Outdoorsy, Parks & Beaches Sometimes you’ve just got to get away from it all and clear your head with the peace and serenity of a national park. On certain “fee-free” days throughout the year, enjoy free entry to all national parks and monuments, including Muir Woods and Yosemite National Park, and free admission aboard all of the more...
Huge New Lighted Garden Trail Coming to SF (Winter 2025)
Artsy Fartsy, Brand New, Get Out: Events, Holiday Lights, Outdoorsy, Parks & Beaches, San Francisco, Wow San Francisco Botanical Garden will transform into a glowing after-dark wonderland this winter with Lightscape, an immersive holiday light and music trail that has wowed crowds in London, Chicago, Melbourne, and New York. From November 21, 2025 through January 4, 2026, visitors can wander a one-mile path with more than one more...
SF’s New $4.1 Million Treehouse-Inspired Playground
Bay Area Updates, Outdoorsy, Parks & Beaches, San Francisco Families in San Francisco’s Sunset District have a brand new playground to check out with the reopening of Stern Grove Playground. Set among the grove’s tall trees just off Sloat Boulevard, the renovated play space has been redesigned with a woodland theme. The new features include tree-like towers, climbing nets, log more...
Big Sur’s Scenic Waterfall Trail Finally Reopens
Outdoorsy, Parks & Beaches, Reopening, Road Trip One of Big Sur’s most beloved hikes is finally back. California State Parks just reopened the Pfeiffer Falls Trail in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park after more than a year-long closure caused by storm damage. The short but scenic .75-mile trail winds through a shady redwood canyon and ends at a more...
Brand New Waterfront Park Coming to Treasure Island (Sept. 13)
Brand New, New Parks, Outdoorsy, Parks & Beaches, San Francisco San Francisco is about to get a brand new waterfront park with jaw-dropping views you won’t find anywhere else in the city. Cityside Park, planned as a sprawling 24-acre green space, officially opens on Saturday, September 13, 2025, with an Opening Celebration featuring food trucks, live music, and more. For now, more...
