This year, the Lyrids are active from April 16-25, 2025, with the peak occurring from late at night on Monday, April 21st through early dawn hours on Tuesday, April 22nd.
The Moon will be a waning crescent rising just before dawn, so moonlight will only slightly interfere with viewing the Lyrid meteor shower in 2025.
Every April around Earth Day, the Lyrid meteor shower reaches its peak with about 10 to 15 meteors streaking through the night sky every single hour. These “Lyrid fireballs” have been documented as far back as 687 B.C., making this meteor shower the oldest one on record.
Happy April, San Francisco! Whether you want to enjoy some of the city’s stellar cuisine or go see the spring flowers in Golden Gate Park, we’ve got you covered with some exciting and creative ideas this month. Read on for the lowdown about things to do in San Francisco this April, from local wildflower blooms to the Easter Hunky Jesus Contest.
1. Spend an afternoon at the NorCal Cherry Blossom Festival
The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival will be celebrating its 57th year in San Francisco. The event is set to take place at Japantown Peace Plaza and will include plenty of Japanese cultural performances, a Grand Parade, traditional art, live music, food, and much more.
🗓️ Dates: Apr. 12-13 and 19-20, 2025
2. Spot some local wildflower blooms around the Bay Area
After heavy rains throughout California this winter, we’re gearing up for a bountiful wildflower season this spring. Read our guide to California super blooms and Bay Area wildflowers, from local hiking trails to proper wildflower etiquette.
3. Enjoy classical music by candlelight at this magical concert series
The extremely popular concert series known simply as Candlelight is turning heads right now in San Francisco. Enjoy works by The Beatles, Imagine Dragons, Coldplay, and more while surrounded by soft flickering candles. The Bay Area’s top musicians perform classical music in lovely settings, including St. Ignatius Church and the Bayview Opera House. See the full schedule of upcoming Candlelight concerts here.
4. Watch Bob The Drag Queen perform at a free block party
Downtown First Thursdays, SF’s monthly free block party, is back for April 2025. Iconic drag star Bob The Drag Queen is set to perform at the free block party, so you definitely want to mark your calendars to see the incredible performer. The fun kicks off at 5 pm with local vendors and performances, and Bob The Drag Queen will take the stage from approximately 7 pm to 9 pm.
🗓️ Date: April 3, 2025
5. Celebrate 150 films from across the world at The 68thSan Francisco International Film Festival
The San Francisco International Film Festival is set to return in just a few days — April 17-27 — with films over 50 countries around the globe! The legendary celebration of cinema will see an incredible lineup of films, talks, tributes, and more. Click here for tickets & more!
🗓️ Dates: April 17-27, 2025
6. Find your new favorite meal at SF Restaurant Week
Make room in your schedule and your belly because San Francisco Restaurant Week is about to take over the city this April. Get ready for 10 days of special menu items, excellent prices, and great times. It’s the perfect time to try a new restaurant while on a budget, so we definitely recommend checking it out.
🗓️ Dates: April 4-13, 2025
7. Celebrate Easter with egg hunts and spring parties
Easter in San Francisco brings us a fun lineup of lively parties, egg hunts, festive brunches, and memorable activities. This year, consider attending events like the iconic Hunky Jesus Contest at Dolores Park to the sunrise service at Mt. Davidson Cross. Whether you’re looking for a fun-filled egg hunt for kids or a spirited gathering for adults, here’s your guide to celebrating Easter in SF.
🗓️ Dates: Easter is on April 20, 2025
8. Get tickets to a luminous ballet performance of Sleeping Beauty
Ballet of Lights reimagines the timeless tale of Sleeping Beauty using unique glow-in-the-dark costumes. See six talented local dancers light up the stage with a seamless performance that blends tradition and artistry with modern technology. You can learn more and get tickets here!
🗓️ Dates: TBC
9. Enjoy a swanky party at de Young Late Night
The de Young’s Late Night event is a fabulous party at one of SF’s most famous museums. The event serves as the after-party for the swanky FAMSF Gala, and if you want to partake in the festivities (and support SF museums) de Young Late Night is a great time. The tickets are much lower than the gala prices, and you can still party at the beautiful museum.
🗓️ Date: April 10, 2025
10. Attend the vibrant Cesar Chavez Day Parade in SF’s Mission District
San Francisco will go all-out again this year to celebrate Cesar Chavez Day, a national holiday celebrating California’s own civil rights and labor movement activist, Cesar Chavez. The official holiday is on March 31st, but SF’s Mission District parade and festival usually happen in April.
🗓️ Date: April 12, 2025
11. Find a dark sky to watch the Lyrid meteor shower
Catch the oldest meteor shower on record at its peak this Earth Day. This year, the moonlight will only slightly interfere with visibility because the moon is a waning crescent rising just before dawn. The “Lyrid fireballs” have been documented since 687 B.C.
🗓️ Date: The Lyrids are active from April 16-25, 2025, with the peak occurring from late at night on Monday, April 21st through early dawn hours on Tuesday, April 22nd.
12. Shop a vintage market at Fort Mason
West Coast Craft is known for hosting massive art fairs packed with local creators, but this month you can check out a unique marketplace specializing in vintage items. WCC Waves will feature 120 vendors selling vintage clothing, furniture, and more at Fort Mason Center. The indoor event will take place on April 12, one day only.
🗓️ Date: April 12, 2025
13. Get tickets for these must-see museum exhibitions
San Francisco has plenty of great museums with world-class art. While their permanent collections are always amazing, some really special exhibitions are only on display for a short time. See the recently unveiled showcase of Paul McCartney’s personal photographs at the de Young, or the retrospective of Ruth Asawa’s sculptures at SFMOMA, among others.
14. See thousands of daffodils and tulips in bloom at this historic Bay Area garden
April is peak bloom at Filoli, meaning that thousands of colorful flowers will cover every square inch of their gardens. The beautiful and historic estate plants over 75,000 spring bulbs, and now is the time to make the trip to see them at their best. Plus, you can have an elegant tea inside the estate’s Garden House. Learn more here.
15. Explore your creative side at Neon Brush, a unique paint-and-sip experience
Hotel Zeppelin is SF’s host venue for the popular Neon Brush experience, which has delighted attendees around the world from Paris to São Paulo. Bring your friends for a memorable paint-and-sip experience where you can lean into your creative side using colorful fluorescent paints, sip on a drink of your choice, and get tips from a professional on-site artist. Get tickets to Neon Brush here.
🗓️ Date: April 11-13, 2025
16. Attend the opening of SF’s newest park
The Great Highway is officially becoming a full time park after voters elected to close it to cars. While the park is the center of many mixed opinions, it will move forward and have an official opening on April 12, 2025. The 2-mile stretch of park is permanently closed to cars, and will receive5. new amenities to help transform it into a waterfront park.
🗓️ Date: April 12
17. Free concerts are in full swing at the Bandshell! Here’s the lineup for April
Illuminate Live presents free concerts at the Golden Gate Bandshell all the way through mid-November. These weekly 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. You can keep up with the schedule here.
18. Celebrate 420 with other like-minded merrymakers
SF’s massive 420 Hippie Hill celebration was called off last year, and 2025 plans are still up in the air. Luckily, there are still some good alternatives to make the most of what would’ve been a lively weekend. Here we’ve compiled a list of events, shows, concerts, and activities that you can refer to for your plan B.
🗓️ Date: April 20, but official city celebration is TBA for 2025
19. Celebrate Earth Day with these local celebrations
Earth Day provides a great opportunity to connect with nature, volunteer, and celebrate our beautiful city. From free screen printing to block parties, here are some ways to honor Earth Day this year.
🗓️ Date: April 22, 2025
20. Explore SFMOMA at their Annual Art Bash
SFMOMA’s Art Bash is the museum’s biggest celebration of the year. The event helps support the museum’s programs and is always a good time. There are multiple types of tickets you can buy, each at a different price point. You can join for the dinner, party, or late-night event, depending on which fits your budget and preference best.
🗓️ Date: April 23, 2025
21. Check out this free screen printing pop-up at SF parks
Heart Your Parks is a series of free screen printing pop-ups where you can pick up your own screen print depicting one of SF’s beloved parks. The event is meant to encourage fundraising for SF’s parks and public spaces, so if you pick up a screen print, be sure to also contribute to the Heart Your Parks donation page so that we can continue to enjoy our beautiful parks well into the future.
🗓️ Dates: TBA for 2025
22. The Academy of Sciences’ Spring Festival is a must for kids and families
Spring has sprung, and San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences is ready for it! Activities abound for kids and families, including a tea sampling from Cafe Ohlone, an interactive play river for kids to tinker and explore, an up-close look at a real beehive, and more.
🗓️ Dates: TBA for 2025
23. Explore a night market with local food trucks
If you’ve missed Off The Grid food trucks at Fort Mason Center, you’re in luck. West Coast Craft is hosting a monthly light market in collaboration with the popular food trucks starting this April. The outdoor night market will feature over 100 sellers, and you can try one of Off the Grid’s famous food trucks while you shop. Check it out on Friday, April 18 at Fort Mason.
🗓️ Date: April 18, 2025
24. Bonfires are back on at Ocean Beach
San Francisco’s Ocean Beach is back in business for bonfire season! As of March 1, the beach’s 16 public fire pits are available for use between Stairwells 15-20. Guests may not use them between 9:30 pm and 6 am. You can find out more here.
25. Visit one of San Francisco’s bustling open-air markets
These open-air markets in San Francisco showcase a diverse range of artists, makers, farmers, and other types of vendors. Whether you’re looking for a lovely weekend farmers market to pick up some local produce or a craft market to buy a unique gift, we’re sure these local open-air markets will put you in touch with the best SF has to offer.
26. 10 excellent SF museums with free admission days in April
We love San Francisco for its vibrant culture, history, and resources, but just about anyone in SF could benefit from finding new free things to do. Whether you’re a college student on a budget or a bargain hunter wanting to see the sights, this list of free museum days in San Francisco will certainly help you get started.
27. SF’s floating Salesforce Park hosts free activities every week
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. Get more information here.
28. Look for cherry blossoms in bloom around the Bay Area
Every year we eagerly await the return of the beautiful cherry blossoms, and they are indeed starting to bloom now at Golden Gate Park’s famous Japanese Tea Garden, which is the oldest public Japanese garden in the US. Be sure to visit soon and catch these beautiful flowers through the beginning of April.
If you’re looking for more places to spot the cherry blossoms this spring, be sure to read our article to point you in the right direction.
29. Take a look at Fort Mason Center’s event calendar
The popular art center hosts numerous exhibitions and events throughout the year, and there are some special ones coming up. We recommend their weekend farmer’s markets, or checking out one of the popular restaurants in the center. There are also always plenty of unique events, and we keep track of them here.
30. Pay a visit to the Ferry Building’s ongoing events
San Francisco’s Ferry Building is one of the city’s most iconic buildings, serving as a hotspot for tourists and locals alike. Keep an eye on their schedule of events, which often includes cooking classes, open-air markets, and seasonal attractions.
31. Check out this month’s After Dark events at the Exploratorium
The Exploratorium at Pier 15 in San Francisco is an exciting place for discovery any time of the day, but these 18+ After Dark events are a must for some epic kid-free fun at their exhibits. After Dark happens each Thursday from 6-10 pm with a different theme every week, featuring guest speakers, films, great music, and more. Get tickets here.
32. Humpback whale season is approaching! Here’s where to spot them in the Bay Area
California’s coastline is the perfect spot to catch several whale migration seasons – and humpback season is upon us between April and December. Even from land, you’re likely to see them spouting, slapping their tails (known as “lobtailing”) or even breaching. If you want to see them up close, a whale-watching tour will do the trick. Here’s everything you need to know about whale watching in the Bay Area.
33. Sip your way through these bottomless brunches
Any weekend can be massively improved by a good old bottomless brunch. We’ve rounded up the best bottomless mimosas or mimosa deals in the city, which will surely spruce up your next daytime outing with friends. Read on to discover your next favorite spot!
34. Take a walk around Golden Gate Park and look for these spring flowers
Spring flowers will be appearing in San Francisco in the coming months. Any stroll through Golden Gate Park will feature plenty of colorful blooms, but we’ve rounded up some of the most iconic ones to seek out on your next outing. Read on to discover all of the spring flower blooms coming to the park and other places in the city.
By Jamie Ferrell and Dana Flynn