San Francisco
“The Bay Lights” Returns After 3 Years Dark
Artsy Fartsy, Bay Area Favorites, Bay Area Updates, Reopening, San Francisco After nearly three years of darkness, The Bay Lights are officially set to return to the western span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge with a Grand Lighting scheduled for Friday, March 20, 2026. Arts nonprofit Illuminate just announced that the 1.8-mile installation by light artist Leo Villareal has been fully more...
Massive Free Downtown SF Festival Returns for 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...
SF Finally Getting a “Sprouts” Grocery Store in 2028
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 Closures
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 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...
The Castro Night Market Is Back March 20 for a New 2026 Season
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 Venue ‘Thee Parkside’ Closing After 25 Years
Bars, Goodbye, San Francisco Another long-running San Francisco music venue is preparing to shut its doors. Thee Parkside, a Potrero Hill live music staple for roughly 25 years, announced this week that it will stop hosting live shows at the end of March and transition into a bar-only operation for a few months before 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...
SFO Now Has Fully Self-Driving Waymo Rides
Brand New, San Francisco, Transportation Waymo is officially rolling out autonomous passenger rides to and from San Francisco International Airport. As of January 29, 2026, SFO has approved Waymo’s fully driverless ride service as the final phase of a pilot program that launched in September 2025. The service begins with access for a select group of more...
SF Waterfront to Host Brand New EDM Concert Series
Brand New, San Francisco, Things to Do A brand new seasonal electronic music series, Club Darc, is coming to San Francisco’s Pier 48 Shed A, a warehouse in the Mission Rock neighborhood near Oracle Park that will be converted into a concert venue. The series runs select weekends from Friday, February 27 through Saturday, May 16, 2026 more...
SF Getting a Wild “Red Bull” F1 Race Car Street Show
Fun & Games, San Francisco, Wow San Francisco is getting a rare dose of Formula 1 energy (thankfully without the ticket price). Red Bull Showrun is bringing real F1 show cars and pro drivers to Marina Boulevard for a free, one day public event on Saturday, February 21, 2026. The event will turn Marina Blvd in front 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...
200+ California State Parks Are Now Free for MLK Day 2026
Bay Area Updates, Brand New, San Francisco Governor Newsom announces free entry to California State Parks on MLK Day (Monday, January 19, 2026) as Trump swaps the “free day” for his birthday and whitewashes civil rights history from National Parks. Ahead of the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Friday, January 16, 2026 more...
SF Gets New Free Art Fair in 10,000-Sq-Ft Warehouse (Jan 22-25)
Artsy Fartsy, Brand New, San Francisco San Francisco’s art scene gets a new showcase this January with ATRIUM, a free alternative art fair at Minnesota Street Project. The 10,000-square-foot fair brings together more than 20 Bay Area galleries, including established spaces and smaller, experimental programs. Timed with SF Art Week, ATRIUM transforms MSP’s warehouse at 1275 Minnesota more...
SF Just Got A Colorful New Archway on the Embarcadero
Artsy Fartsy, Brand New, San Francisco San Francisco just added a stunning new public art piece along the Embarcadero. Mareas, by artist Ana Teresa Fernández, is now permanently installed at the James R. Herman Cruise Terminal Plaza at Pier 27. Named Mareas, Spanish for “tides,” the archway mirrors the movement of light and water across the Bay more...
