Spring has sprung and it’s that spring festival time of year once again.
Here at SFhotlist, we’re sharing the best of the best spring festivals from the North Beach Festival (San Francisco’s first festival) to newer kids on the block like the How Weird Street Fair and the Asian Heritage Street Celebration.
If you’re anything but new to San Francisco, you’ll know these SF events are local favorites. The spring festival season offers live music, street vendors, a fun and casual chance to enjoy your friends, delicious local foods, and the opportunity to hang out in a new neighborhood or meet people from San Francisco’s diverse communities.
Each celebration offers a unique point of view and its own twist on how to have fun in the sun (or fog).
So get out your calendars and find out which festivals are right for you.
Cherry Blossom Festival {photo credit: Mark}
When: April 11-12 and April 18-19
Where: Japantown Peace Plaza
Why: The second largest festival of its kind (Washington, D.C., beats us out), it features live music, martial arts, food booths, and a parade. This festival celebrates 110 years of Japanese culture in San Francisco.
How Weird Street Fair {photo credit: Wikimedia}
When: April 26
Where: SOMA
Why: This fair is quite the party. Popular local DJs are featured, so it’s perfect for those of us who enjoy dancing, art, and music. This is a project of the nonprofit World Peace Through Technology Project.
More: http://howweird.org/
When: May 16
Where: Little Saigon
Why: Celebrate San Francisco’s Asian American culture throughout this weekend festival. Watch “The Faces of Asia” procession that highlights Asian fashion along with performances, games, art, and food.
More: http://asianfairsf.com/
San Francisco Carnaval {photo credit: Wikimedia}
When: May 23-24
Where: The Mission District
Why: Have a blast while celebrating the Mission District’s rich history during the Carnaval parade and fair. Music and dance performers fill several stages throughout the event, and the parade on Sunday includes samba dancers, along with plenty of food and family.
When: June 6-7
Where: Cow Hollow
Why: The Union Street Festival is giving each of its six blocks a unique theme - Fashion World, Culinary World, Tech World, Local World, Craft World, and Health & Fitness World.
Haight Ashbury Street Fair {photo credit: Wikimedia}
Where: The Haight
Why: Come out to the Upper Haight and get psychedelic, or just enjoy the friendly folks who are. Fun activities for families with children abound along with food, arts and crafts, and live entertainment.
When: June 9-21
Where: SF Jazz Center
Why: Jazz lovers will choose from over 30 performances during this must-attend musical event. At this world class event, tickets go fast.
When: June 13-14
Where: North Beach
Why: San Francisco’s oldest festival takes place in North Beach. Italian street painting and an animal blessing at the National Shrine of Saint Francis of Assisi along with plenty of vendors, food and entertainment make this festival one no one wants to miss.
More: https://www.sresproductions.com/north_beach_festival.html
When: June 27-28
Where: Market Street/Civic Center
Why: LGBTQ culture is celebrated with the biggest gathering of this kind in the country -- or anywhere else for that matter. The Pride Parade and party in the Civic Center feature over 300 exhibitors as well as pre parties and after parties.
More: http://www.sfpride.org/
Get together with family, friends, or out of town guests and explore the culture and diversity the beautiful city of San Francisco offers. No reason for boredom this spring -- or any spring -- in San Francisco!
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