Winter into Early Spring: Lanterns, laughs, and design
Lunar New Year in Chinatown (January–February)
Festivities ramp up at the Chinese New Year Flower Market Fair, when Grant Avenue fills with blossoms, sweets, and decorations (Feb. 14–15, 2026). Expect street closures and Muni reroutes—arrive by transit if you can.
The headline event is the Chinese New Year Parade, a rare illuminated night parade featuring floats, martial arts troupes, and rolling firecrackers. In 2026, it will occur on March 7, from Market & 2nd and wound through downtown to North Beach; SFMTA’s advisory is your best friend for route and timing details.
SF Sketchfest (Jan. 15–Feb. 1, 2026)
America’s comedy capital for two weeks: podcasts taped live, improv, stand-up, and one-night-only reunions spread across a dozen-plus venues. The official schedule confirms the 2026 run of Jan. 15–Feb. 1; build in a little time for post-show snacks in North Beach or the Mission.
FOG Design + Art (Jan. 21–25, 2026)
Design meets contemporary art at Fort Mason, with galleries, talks, and a buzzy preview gala on Jan. 21. If your tastes run modern and minimalist, FOG is a January essential.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Mar. 14, 2026)
Irish heritage takes over Market Street with a midday procession from 2nd & Market to Civic Center. The 2026 edition will kick off usually around 11am; budget extra time for street closures if you’re moving around downtown.
Spring: Film, blossoms, and a citywide block party
SFFILM Festival (Apr. 23–May 3, 2026)
One of the country’s longest-running film festivals is returning for its 69th year, screening across San Francisco and Berkeley with premieres, panels, and parties. If you’re near Union Square, you’re well positioned for evening screenings downtown and quick rides to the Mission or Embarcadero.
Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival (April)
Japantown’s beloved spring tradition fills the district with cultural performances, food booths, and kimono fashion. Exact dates vary by year, but the festival typically spans two April weekends with a grand parade closing Sunday; it drew huge crowds again in 2025 amid plaza renovations.
Carnaval San Francisco (May 23–24, 2026)
The Mission District hosts the West Coast’s largest multicultural celebration each Memorial Day weekend, with a two-day festival and a Sunday grand parade. In 2025, the theme “AfroMundo” spotlighted the African diaspora with music, dance, and art along a 17-block corridor. Come hungry and take transit.
SF Jazz Festival (TBD)
Three days of concerts anchored at the SFJAZZ Center—easy to pair with Hayes Valley dining or a pre-show wander through the Civic Center arts district.
San Francisco Pride (June 27–28, 2026)
A weekend of celebration culminating in Sunday’s parade down Market Street and a massive Civic Center gathering. In 2025, Illuminate’s #WelcomeSF laser “flag” returned, painting Market Street in rainbow light through Pride weekend.
Summer: Free music Sundays and outdoor arts
Stern Grove Festival (TBD)
Pack a picnic for San Francisco’s long-running free concert series—Sundays at 2 p.m., shaded by cypress and fog. The 2025 season ran mid-June through mid-August with names from indie to symphonic; reservations are free but necessary.
Yerba Buena Gardens Festival (May–October)
Six months of free, daytime performances downtown—global dance, poetry, jazz, family shows—make this the easiest cultural add-on to a work trip. The festival’s 25th season opened May 10, 2025, and continued with weekend headliners and weekday lunchtime sets.
Neighborhood spotlights
- Castro Night Market: Pride-month pop-up with drag headliners, DJs, food vendors, and an inclusive street-party feel—great if you like local-scale celebrations. (June 21, 2025.)
- Dogpatch/Hip-Hop: Labor Day weekend saw Hiero Day’s hip-hop community gathering relocate to the city, bringing stages and vendors to the waterfront.
Fall: Book lovers, bluegrass, and a banner opera revival
San Francisco Opera (September & October)
Opera season means big nights at the War Memorial Opera House. In September 2025, SF Opera revived Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking for its 25th anniversary—an ideal entry point if you’re new to contemporary opera. Performances ran Sept. 14–28, 2025.
San Francisco Symphony (2025–26 season)
Across the street at Davies Symphony Hall, the Symphony launched its new season with an opening gala on Sept. 12, 2025 and a slate of premieres, cross-cultural programs, and visiting soloists through spring. Check the press room and monthly calendars for highlights during your dates.
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass (Oct. 3–5, 2025)
Golden Gate Park’s legendary free festival turned 25 with three days, six stages, and a genre-blurring lineup—folk, Americana, indie, and beyond. Watch the app for lineup drops and plan for mellow mornings and bustling afternoons.
Castro Street Fair (Oct. 5, 2025)
Founded by Harvey Milk in 1974, this neighborhood fair returns each first Sunday in October with music, dance, and local vendors. The 51st edition is set for Oct. 5, 2025 (11 a.m.–6 p.m.).
Litquake (Oct. 9–25, 2025)
San Francisco’s citywide literary festival packs author talks, workshops, and the beloved Lit Crawl into two bookish weeks. It’s an easy add to any itinerary—just drop in for an evening salon or a full Saturday in the Mission.
Día de los Muertos in the Mission (early November)
Community altars, marigolds, and a nighttime procession honor ancestors each year around Nov. 2. Dates and routes are announced closer to the holiday—follow the Marigold Project for the latest.
Holiday season: Lights, classics, and cozy nights
SF Ballet Nutcracker (Dec. 5–28, 2025)
San Francisco’s most enduring holiday tradition fills the War Memorial Opera House with snow, sparkle, and Tchaikovsky. Multiple matinees make it family-friendly, and Hayes Valley cafés are perfect pre- or post-show.
Illuminate SF (late November–January)
Dozens of light-art installations glow across the city each winter—from the Embarcadero to SoMa and Union Square. Dates and featured works vary, but the light-art trail typically runs from late November into January.
How to plan (and actually enjoy) a culture-packed trip
- Map your weekday vs. weekend picks. Many free festivals (Stern Grove, Yerba Buena Gardens) hit on weekends, while parades and Pride programming affect weekend transit in the core. Check official calendars and service advisories for closures and reroutes.
- Use transit first. For big parades and street fairs, BART and Muni are faster than rideshares. SFMTA event pages publish parade routes, start times, and bus changes well in advance.
- Anchor in Union Square. Staying central makes it easy to walk to Market Street parades, cable-car lines, and Powell Street transit for quick hops to SoMa, the Castro, or the Mission.
- Reserve early for free-but-ticketed events. For Stern Grove and some YBG shows, snag reservations the moment they open; they go quickly.
Dates and lineups can shift—always confirm on official sites before you go.