RSSThings To Do | San Francisco Travel Blog - Part 36
First Fridays in Oakland
First Fridays exist throughout the country as a chance for cities to showcase unique art in a fun, relaxing, and community oriented atmosphere. Everywhere First Fridays are held, the art community of that city comes together in one brilliant evening of creativity. Oakland, a hotbed of artistic activity, is already a top destination for those trying to find the current pulse of the American creative class. It should therefore come as no surprise that Oakland’s First Fridays are some of the funkiest, most exciting, and most essential First Fridays out of them all.
10th Annual Renegade Craft Fair Market at the Fort Mason Pavilion
In keeping with our last post, we are going to continue highlighting festivals in the Bay Area that primarily feature art and crafts by local vendors instead of exploring any specific culture or unique traditions (although, one could argue that, rather than ignoring the wealth of cultural traditions and experiences permitting San Francisco, these art fairs instead offer a moment for every one of these traditions to sing together in a beautiful chorus of multiculturalism). Today, we turn our attention to another art festival happening this weekend.
Menlo Park Summerfest
Summer festivals in San Francisco are heating up. It seems that nearly every weekend you can make your way from one corner of the Bay Area to another without escaping from the thrill, the joie de vivre, of summer celebrations. For the City by the Bay, this celebration often includes a complete immersion in one or another of the numerous cultures that merge here in happy melting pot of traditions and histories. The other common theme of these festivals and fairs is art, pure and simple. This weekend, one of the city’s most popular art events will take place in the downtown’s Menlo Park: Menlo Summerfest.
San Francisco’s Free Shakespeare in the Park Returns 2017
In 1983, San Francisco hosted its first annual Shakespeare Festival. In its inaugural year, the festival featured free performances of The Tempest in Golden Gate Park.
2017 Summer Concert Series at Wente Vineyards
Over the past few decades, California’s wine industry has undergone a transformation from being a well-kept secret to containing some of the most highly regarded and sought-after wines in the world. Place-names like the Sonoma Valley and Napa Valley are synonymous with high quality vineyards, grape processing, and vinting. Among the top tiers of this wine paradise is Wente Vineyards.
33rd Annual Fillmore Jazz Festival 2017
More music floods the street of San Francisco than can possibly be fathomed; however, at this blog, we try to give you a general picture of the must-see musical happenings and festivals that will take place throughout our famous city. Especially in the summer, musicians come for the atmosphere of creativity and spirit of goodwill that has made San Francisco so legendary, and one of the most anticipated musical events of the summer, the Annual Fillmore Jazz Festival, is a showcase of this exact cocktail of feeling and energy.
SF Design Week
San Francisco Design Week 2017 is currently running across the city from June 14-22. It is a series of events being held over a week and encompassing all of the variety that San Francisco has to offer. More than 60 studio tours will be open and 200 events held from the heart of Silicon Valley to the streets of downtown. Participants will be able to interact and engage with some of the greatest design minds that San Francisco and the world has to offer.
35th SF Jazz Festival
San Francisco has a rich history in the world of jazz. The rise of Jazz led to clubs being opened in the 40’s and 50’s. Fast forward to 1983, when the first San Francisco Jazz Festival premiered. Since it’s inception, the festival has prided itself in exploring all facets and sub-cultures of Jazz. The festival runs from June 6th to June 18th. It boasts 43 concerts, 13 days, and 5 venues all within the Hayes Valley. This years venues include the Joe Henderson Lab, the Miner Auditorium, the Herbst Theatre, Davies Symphony Hall, with a Kick-off Party at the Corner of Hayes and Octavia Streets. Ticket prices vary for the different concerts on offer. If you can see all 43 concerts, by all means do so. For those of you on a limited budget or with limited time, we’re here to suggest some acts that are poised to tear down the house.
Festival Bubble?
Festivals are a staple of the California lifestyle. They’re also proving to be a rather undeniable part of the California economy. The festival economy seems to be growing at such an fast rate, there’s concern that it may overheat and burst. The Coachella Arts and Music Festival recently increased it’s capacity to a bulging 125,000 people. It still managed to sell out in just under three hours. The Stagecoach festival is the country music cousin of Coachella and it’s current capacity is 75,000. These two large festivals continue to sire spin off festivals within the golden state. These festivals only account for big ticket sales. The reality is that a Californian could literally spend their entire year at smaller festivals, regional events, and community events that the weather of California awards us. You could do this, and still not see everything on display.
40th Annual Haight-Ashbury Street Fair
The Haight-Ashbury Street Fair is returning (of course) this year for a day full of art, music, dance, costumes, laughter, and food. Taking place on Sunday, June 11th, the HASF begins at 11 in the morning and runs until 5:30 in the evening; plenty of time for you and your family/friends to fill yourselves with the magic of the neighborhood.
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