Yes, Mark Twain’s famous assertion, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco,” rings true every year… but that doesn’t mean we can’t get into the same summery feels as the rest of the state. If you’re looking at your weekends and wondering what to do with them, scroll through this list to plan your best San Francisco summer yet.
What’s summer weather like in San Francisco?
June, July, and August are generally quite foggy with average temps hovering in the 60s and 70s, but you’ll enjoy long days with sunsets as late as 8:35pm. If you’re looking for SF’s “real summer,” the warmest months of the year tend to be September and October. Learn more about the best time to visit San Francisco here.Â
1. Stern Grove Festival
Who’s ready to see some live music?! Stern Grove Festival, a free outdoor concert series featuring a wide variety of genres, is about to launch its 88th season. As always, the concerts will remain completely free, but attendees must reserve a spot in advance using a brand-new ticketing system.
🗓️ Dates: Sundays from June 15-August 17
2. Candlelight Concerts
Calm your mind and experience classical music in a new light with these sensational concerts in some of the Bay Area’s most magical outdoor locations. This concert series known simply as “Candlelight” invites everyone to relive the greatest works of classical music in an intimate atmosphere.
🎟️ Tickets: See the schedule and get tickets for San Francisco Candlelight Concerts here.
3. Strawberry picking
One of the best parts of living in California is the year-round fresh produce, especially during strawberry season from April to August. Local fields are bursting with sweet, ripe berries, perfect for picking. If you’ve never picked strawberries straight from the plant, these Bay Area farms offer a delicious experience.
4. Major League Cricket matches
The iconic Oakland Coliseum will host professional cricket for the first time during the 2025 Major League Cricket (MLC) season, marking a significant milestone for the sport’s growth in the U.S. From June 12-18, nine matches will be played at the venue, including three home games for our home team, the San Francisco Unicorns. Get tickets starting at just $20 and watch the world’s second-biggest sport here in the Bay.
🗓️ Dates: June 12-18, 2025
5. Noise Pop Summer of Music concerts
Noise Pop’s Summer of Music is back for another year after a successful debut last summer. The program brings in local musicians to play in neighborhoods throughout the city. The program aims to enliven neighborhoods, bringing more foot traffic to stores while paying local musicians for their performances.
🗓️ Dates: TBA
6. We Call It Jazz
San Francisco’s new show We Call It Jazz builds on the city’s jazz legacy with a one-hour musical journey celebrating the genre’s origins. Enjoy a blend of classic jazz, swing, and blues hits with improvised solos, all set in a cabaret-style atmosphere at the Palace Theater.
🎟️ Tickets: Get tickets for We Call It Jazz in San Francisco here.
7. Summer bike rides
When thinking about bikeable cities, San Francisco isn’t necessarily the first place that comes to mind. It might be that street with a 41% grade (Bradford above Tompkins, anyone?) or some of the sharp turns… but it turns out that there are some stunning spots to take your bike for a spin, and the city has some stellar infrastructure for cyclists! Especially if you’re a first-time cyclist in the city, consider planning your next outing at these beautiful routes.
🚲 Don’t have a bike? Read our guide to the best San Francisco bike rental shops here.
8. Free museum days
We love San Francisco for its vibrant culture, history, and resources, but it’s no secret that living here costs a pretty penny. Whether you’re a college student on a budget, or a bargain hunter wanting to see the sights, this list will certainly help you get started! Even though admission is free, don’t forget you still need to reserve your spot in advance on the museum’s website.
9. Ice cream shops
Summer is almost here and we’re stoked to round up our favorite ice cream shops around the city. Listen, for a true ice cream fan, it doesn’t matter what season it is. But summertime sure gives us a good excuse to try out a new spot. Did your favorite ice cream shop make the list?
- Swensen’s
- Mitchell’s
- Humphry Slocombe
- And more
10. We Call It Ballet
Experience a captivating retelling of Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty in San Francisco, taken to another level with the addition of glowing LED costumes, drama, and narration. Get tickets to a performance this summer at SF’s Brava Theater Center.
🎟️ Tickets: Get tickets to We Call It Ballet in San Francisco
11. Bay area tide pools
If you’re a California native lucky enough to live on the coast, then you know that tide pooling is an awesome way to enjoy the beach! We’ve put together a list of great tide pools to visit around the Bay Area, so put on your best waterproof shoes and get ready to explore. Tidepooling is a fun activity for kids and adults alike, but remember: you’re a guest in these critters’ habitat, so try not to disturb whatever you find and always watch your step. Be sure to visit at low tide and watch out for sneaker waves.
12. Local hikes
In the Bay Area, a beautiful view is always right around the corner. Whether you’re looking for a quick stroll in the city or a more strenuous day hike in Marin, you’ll love these incredible local hikes for a chance to stretch your legs.
- Land’s End Trail
- Mount Davidson Trail Loop
- Point Bonita Lighthouse Trail
- And more
13. Giant water lilies at the Conservatory of Flowers
These enormous Victoria Water Lilies are a prominent fixture in the Conservatory of Flowers’ Aquatic Plants Gallery every summer in San Francisco. These impressive plants produce massive white and pink flowers that typically stick around for just 2 days. The gigantic leaves float on top of the water, and they will soon grow to their largest size between 4 and 6 feet across!
14. Beer gardens
The Bay Area is home to some of the best craft beer in the country, meaning that it’s cultivated an entire generation of beer lovers and aficionados. When it comes to breweries, we’re hard to beat, but SF’s beer gardens are also excellent places to kick back and try out a flight or sip on your favorite pils and watch the game.
- SPARK Social SF
- Harmonic Brewing Thrive City
- And more
15. Romantic restaurants
The perfect romantic date spot can take a variety of forms, but a night of upscale dining al fresco is a classic go-to. These 10 restaurants have magical outdoor patios to enjoy a variety of delicious food options, creative cocktails, and much more.
- La Mar Cebicheria Peruana
- Foreign Cinema
- Zazie
- And more
16. Picnic spots
San Francisco is home to some of the best parks and gardens in the world, so there’s no shortage of awesome picnic spots for you to enjoy an outdoor meal with friends. Whether you want to support a local cafe and get some amazing food to go, or you prefer to pack your own delicious recipe to enjoy out in the sunshine, you’ll love all of these great options. Some are SF staples, and some are a little less well-known.
- Old Speedway Meadow
- Crissy Field
- Mission Dolores Park
- And more
17. Day trips
18. Parklab Gardens
We love this spot for the great environment and food options, but what’s really caught our eye are the giant tipis available to rent by the hour, complete with comfy couches and TVs! Parklab Gardens and SPARK Social SF are 2 different parks that have joined forces, just across the street from each other.
There’s a variety of spaces you may rent at this enormous park, including lawn areas, fire pits, Adirondack chairs, cabanas, and bungalows. There are also prices for renting larger sections of the park (i.e. 1 bungalow and 2 cabanas), or even the whole park in its entirety.
19. Sundown Cinema free film screenings
San Francisco Parks Alliance has brought back the popular Sundown Cinema series, which presents awesome FREE movies on a giant screen in various parks around the city. The 2025 lineup is still TBA, but stay tuned.
20. Summer music festivals
It’s hard to beat the SF arts and culture scene, especially when it comes to Bay Area music festivals. The summer season brings some highly-anticipated events including Outside Lands, Jerry Day, the Half Moon Bay Wine & Jazz Festival, Country Summer, and many more.
21. Free activities at Salesforce Park
San Francisco’s Salesforce Park is an amazing modern marvel in the Financial District. The verdant oasis rests 70 feet above the street atop the Salesforce Transit Center, and it’s completely free and open for the public to visit at any time. It also hosts a collection of free events every week, including yoga classes, bootcamps, live music, bird walks, garden tours, drum circles, and much more.
22. Free concerts at the Golden Gate Park Bandshell
The Golden Gate Park Bandshell is in the midst of its 2024 season of Illuminate Live, which runs all the way through mid-November. These weekly free and family-friendly concerts are some of the most beloved events in the park. Catch over 100 performances in a variety of genres including R&B, soul, jazz, funk, big band, strings, indie, rock, reggae, salsa, electronic, and EDM.
23. …and the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival
The Yerba Buena Gardens Festival is back in action for 2024! The independent nonprofit organization is dedicated to presenting accessible cultural events from May-October, including world-class music, theater, dance, and more. Every week, guests can enjoy a series of free recurring performances and events.
24. Free movie nights and concerts in Santa Cruz
No summer is complete without a day trip down to Santa Cruz, and we’re partial to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk as a quintessentially Californian destination. This summer, they’ve released a lively lineup of free entertainment every single night, including free concerts, movie nights, musicians, acrobats, and DJ sets. See the full schedule here.
25. Summer flower blooms
Did you know that “America’s Best Rose Garden” is here in the Bay Area? Thousands of visitors flock to the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden, which explodes into a vibrant spectrum of pinks, reds, oranges, and yellows during the summer. The expansive 5.5-acre garden has over 3,500 plantings in 189 different varieties, and it’s completely free to visit.
You’ll also want to keep an eye on the Dahlia Garden in Golden Gate Park, which begins blooming in June and reaches peak bloom in August and September. The vibrant blooms are especially prominent here because they thrive in the cool San Francisco summers. In fact, the dahlia was established as the Official Flower of San Francisco back in 1926.
26. Rooftop bars and restaurants
Everyone knows that rooftop restaurants and bars in San Francisco are few and far between, but we managed to round up some stellar spots to try out when you’re looking to grab dinner or drinks with a view.
- El Techo
- Dirty Habit
- Rooftop 25
- And more
27. Free Circus Bella performances
When’s the last time you went to the circus? Let Circus Bella come to you with a lineup of exciting free pop-up performances at Bay Area parks. The one-ring show will come to outdoor locations in San Francisco, Oakland, Reno, and Laguna Beach. It’s a captivating performance that’s great for kids and will surely add some excitement to any afternoon in the Bay Area.
28. Summer road trip destinations
San Francisco is well-located for some of best road trips in California. We’re lucky to live near countless beautiful small towns and natural wonders, whether you’re just going for a short day trip or an extended vacation. Read on for some of our favorite road trip destinations from San Francisco.
- Big Sur
- Napa Valley
- Lake Tahoe
- And more
29. SF’s best margaritas
An ice-cold margarita is just about the best drink we can think of on a summer day. Here are some of our favorite bars and restaurants for margaritas in San Francisco.
- Nopalito
- Puerto Alegre
- LolĂł
- And more
30. Tiki bars
Tiki bars take us out of our foggy city, to a far-flung tropical paradise–for the simple cost of a Mai Tai or Piña Colada. At its best tiki offers a brief reprieve from reality, dropping you into an imagined vacationland with extravagant drinks and good vibes. Here are a few terrific tiki bars in San Francisco.
- Last Rites
- Smuggler’s Cove
- Zombie Village
- And more
31. Local beaches
San Francisco is known for it’s beautiful coast line, and there’s nothing that says summer like a beach day. While we all know the fog can make SF chilly during the summer, when we do get a sunny day, we highly recommend spending it at the beach. From Ocean Beach to smaller, hidden beaches you can hike to, it’s the perfect way to spend a warm day.
With dozens of free concerts, open-air movie nights, delicious food, and nature getaways to explore, the Bay Area is a great place to spend the summer months. How will you make the most of this summer in San Francisco?Â