One of the nation’s longest-running street festivals is coming back for its 70th rendition! The historic North Beach Festival will take over the North Beach neighborhood from 11 am to 6 pm on June 15 and 16, 2024. It’s an opportunity to enjoy live music at an impressive five different stages, dozens of vendors selling gourmet food and arts and crafts, thrilling acrobatic performances, and exciting activities for kids and adults.
The event will have five different stages with live music all day long, plus a poetry hour at 1:10 pm. You don’t want to miss enthralling shows from iconic Club Fugazi Acrobats at 11 am on Sunday.
Leave plenty of time to wander around tasting food and buying artisanal items from hundreds of vendors lining the streets, and settle into a beer garden for a cold drink. Plus, guests can take their pets to a Blessing of the Animals ceremony at the National Shrine of Saint Francis of Assisi at 1 pm on each day.
Attendees will also have the chance to watch artists create gorgeous Italian street paintings called Madonnari, which are painted on the sidewalk using chalk as a medium. There will also be silk screening and jewelry making. Plus, visitors are even welcome to make a medallion out of aluminum.
The North Beach Festival began in 1954, making it one of the longest-running outdoor festivals in the United States. It takes place in the historically Italian neighborhood of North Beach in San Francisco, which is also known for major players of the Beat Generation including Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Jack Kerouac, and Allen Ginsberg. Some iconic landmarks in the neighborhood include City Lights Bookstore, Coit Tower, Saints Peter and Paul Church, and Washington Square.
Save the date for the 70th annual North Beach Festival, happening from 11 am to 6 pm on June 15-16 at Grant Avenue and Columbus.