Frommer's San Francisco 2012 - Matthew Poole [23]
JUNE
Union Street Art Festival, Pacific Heights, along Union Street from Steiner to Gough streets. This outdoor fair celebrates San Francisco with themes, gourmet food booths, music, entertainment, and a juried art show featuring works by more than 250 artists. It’s a great time and a chance to see the city’s young well-to-dos partying it up. Call the Union Street Association ( 415/441-7055) for more information or see www.unionstreetfestival.com. First weekend of June.
Haight-Ashbury Street Fair, Haight-Ashbury. A far cry from the froufrou Union Street Fair, this grittier fair features alternative crafts, ethnic foods, rock bands, and a healthy number of hippies and street kids whooping it up and slamming beers in front of the blaring rock-’n’-roll stage. The fair usually extends along Haight Street between Stanyan and Ashbury streets. For details and the exact date, call 415/863-3489 or visit www.haightashburystreetfair.org.
North Beach Festival, Grant Avenue, North Beach. In 2009, this party celebrated its 55th anniversary; organizers claim it’s the oldest urban street fair in the country. Close to 100,000 city folk meander along Grant Avenue, between Vallejo and Union streets, to eat, drink, and browse the arts-and-crafts booths, poetry readings, swing-dancing venue, and arte di gesso (sidewalk chalk art). But the most enjoyable parts of the event are listening to music and people-watching. Call 415/989-2220 for details. Usually Father’s Day weekend, but call to confirm.
Stern Grove Music Festival, Sunset District. Pack a picnic and head out early to join the thousands who come here to lie in the grass and enjoy classical, jazz, and ethnic music and dance in the grove, at 19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard. The free concerts take place every Sunday at 2pm between mid-June and August. Show up with a lawn chair or blanket. There are food booths if you forget snacks, but you’ll be dying to leave if you don’t bring warm clothes—the Sunset District can be one of the coldest parts of the city. Call 415/252-6252 for listings or go to www.sterngrove.org. Sundays, mid-June through August.
San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Parade & Celebration, downtown’s Market Street. This prideful event draws up to one million participants who celebrate all of the above—and then some. The parade proceeds west on Market Street until it gets to the Civic Center, where hundreds of food, art, and information booths are set up around several soundstages. Call 415/864-3733 or visit www.sfpride.org for information. Usually the third or last weekend of June.
JULY
Fillmore Jazz Festival, Pacific Heights. July starts with a bang, when the upscale portion of Fillmore closes to traffic and the blocks between Jackson and Eddy streets are filled with arts and crafts, gourmet food, and live jazz from 10am to 6pm. Call 510/970-3217 for more information or visit www.fillmorejazzfestival.com. First weekend in July.
Fourth of July Celebration & Fireworks, Fisherman’s Wharf. This event can be something of a joke—more often than not, fog comes into the city, like everyone else, to join in the festivities. Sometimes it’s almost impossible to view the million-dollar pyrotechnics from Pier 39 on the northern waterfront. Still, it’s a party, and if the skies are clear, it’s a darn good show.
San Francisco Marathon, San Francisco and beyond. This is one of the largest marathons in the world. It starts and ends at the Ferry Building at the base of Market Street, winds 26-plus miles through virtually every neighborhood in the city, and crosses the Golden Gate Bridge. For entry information, visit www.thesfmarathon.com. Usually the last weekend in July.
SEPTEMBER
Sausalito Art