February in San Francisco brings plenty of special events and activities, including Lunar New Year, Black History Month, Valentine’s Day, and the Super Bowl. Not sure how you’ll keep track of it all? Read on to discover some awesome activities for a fun and refreshing February in the Bay Area.
1. These exquisite Candlelight concerts are happening now in SF
The immensely popular Candlelight concert series is turning heads right now in San Francisco! Hear your favorite songs on strings, including Cold Play and romantic classics for Valentine’s Day. The Bay Area’s top musicians perform in an intimate setting surrounded by thousands of flickering candles, making for an unforgettable musical experience. Get tickets now!
2. See hundreds of dazzling magnolias in bloom at SF Botanical Garden
Every year, the San Francisco Botanical Garden explodes into a beautiful spectrum of deep magentas and bright pinks. The “Magnificent Magnolias” event occurs in late January through March, so be sure to find a day soon to see these spectacular blossoms at their best.
Magnolias are ancient flowering trees native to Asia and the New World. The SF Botanical Garden cultivates species from dozens of different climates, including the forests of the Himalayas and Mesoamerica. Find hundreds of blossoms, many of them rare and exotic, in the Great Meadow and the Camellia Garden.
🗓️ Dates: Late January through March
3. Ring in the Year of the Snake with these fun Lunar New Year festivities
The Lunar New Year Festivities are some of the most iconic events on San Francisco’s cultural calendar. The iconic parade has been happening since the 1850s, making it the oldest and largest celebration of this kind outside of Asia.
The festival normally includes two street fairs, a beauty pageant, a YMCA run, children’s basketball games, and, of course, the grand finale: the Chinese New Year Parade.
🗓️ Dates: SF’s Chinese New Year Parade is on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, at 5 pm and usually lasts around 2.5 hours. The Community Street Fair will happen on both Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 15-16.
4. Attend an event during NBA All-Star Weekend
NBA All-Star Weekend is in San Francisco this year, and we can look forward to a weekend packed with exciting events. From the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday to an exciting concert series featuring Zedd, the Chainsmokers, and Noah Kahan, there are tons of exciting events worth checking out.
🗓️ Dates: Feb 14-16
5. Honor Black History Month with these fantastic activities
Explore the Museum of the African Diaspora
San Francisco’s extraordinary Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) has served as a vital Bay Area institution since 2005. Be sure to visit the current exhibition, Liberatory Living: Protecting Interiors & Radical Black Joy. Other events include the following:
🗓️ Dates:
- Feb. 7 – Panel Discussion: Throwback to the Future: Dance Artists in Dialogue
- Feb. 8 – Thrive@MoAD
- Feb. 8 – Performance: Healing Intimacy
- Feb. 13 – Artist Talk & Reception: Love + Reception: My Freedom Got a Rim On It
- Feb. 22 – Liberatory Living: Re-Mapping Home: Reflecting on and Reshaping the Cartographic Practice
Check out More Than a Month at SF Public Library
Each year, the San Francisco Public Library hosts More Than A Month, a celebration of Black history that spotlights Black creators. This year, the library will emphasize the work and contributions of Black people to our societies with free meditation, film screenings, musical performances, panels, craft programs, and more.
Walk beneath a waterfall at the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial
Yerba Buena Gardens is home to the country’s second-largest memorial to Martin Luther King Jr., an enormous sculptural waterfall fountain. Water cascades over a granite walkway, blocking out the city sounds and creating a tunnel in which visitors can contemplate inscribed quotations from Dr. King’s speeches. When was the last time you visited this profound monument?
Attend the Black Joy Parade
This massive parade and festival will celebrate the Black experience in epic form. With tons of fantastic vendors, plenty of performances, and a lively parade route, this is the largest free event of its kind in California.
🗓️ Date: Feb. 23, 2025
6. Listen to great music at Noise Pop Festival
Noise Pop is back for another year, bringing music to venues across the city. The festival kicks off on February 20 and runs for two weeks until March 2. Major acts include Soccer Mommy, Danny Brown, and American Football. The festival is held in some of the most popular venues throughout the city, hosting music from across all genres.
🗓️ Date: Feb. 20- Mar. 2, 2025
7. Don’t miss out on February free admission days at SF museums
This list shows the SF museums and gardens that are currently offering free admission days to the general public. Many museums, including the Exploratorium and Academy of Sciences, also take part in Museums for All, which gives free or reduced admission to low-income visitors, or Discover and Go, which gives free admission to visitors with an SF Public Library card.
8. Attend an incredible cabaret show
AfterDark by Pink Puma is an exciting cabaret show that includes acrobatics, burlesque, and aerial art to create a captivating adult-only performance. AfterDark features World Champion pole athlete Pink Puma to create a dazzling experience. The show is known to sell out, so we recommend getting tickets early to secure your spot.
9. Watch the Super Bowl at an SF sports bar
The Super Bowl is coming up, and there are plenty of fun ways to celebrate. Check out these sports bars around the city, which will surely be hosting watch parties.
🗓️ Date: The Super Bowl is on Feb. 9, 2025
10. See the Hearts in SF on Display in the Ferry Building
Every year, a group of beautifully painted heart sculptures are commissioned to raise money for healthcare in San Francisco. Bay Area artists paint the hearts in their own unique styles, and you can frequently spot the large heart sculptures throughout the city. If you want to see this year’s hearts on display, you can find them in the Ferry Building until Feb. 3.
🗓️ Date: Now- Feb. 3
11. Spend a romantic Valentine’s Day in the city
Happy Valentine’s Day, San Francisco! Make it a day to remember with these memorable activities, concerts, events, and restaurants in the Bay Area. Read on to get inspired, whether you’re spending the day with your partner, friends, family, or yourself.
🗓️ Date: Feb. 14, 2025
12. …or skip the romance and lean into anti-Valentine’s Day
Who said Valentine’s Day had to be romantic? Read on for the best anti-Valentine’s Day activities to get you through the corniest time of year.
🗓️ Dates:
- TBA for 2025 – Anti-Valentine’s Day Power Ballad Sing-Along at the Roxie Theater
- Feb. 1, 2025 – Cupid’s Undie Run at Woodbury
- And more
13. Search for elephant seals and gray whales along the California coast
Elephant seal viewing
It’s elephant seal breeding season on the coast of California, an exciting natural phenomenon that’s iconic to our state. Northern elephant seals inhabit the waters from Baja, California, Mexico to the Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. They generally breed from December to March at Point Reyes, Año Nuevo, the Channel Islands, and Piedras Blancas.
Whale watching
15,000 gray whales are currently migrating along the California coast through April, and NorCal is full of countless epic viewing spots where you can see this phenomenon for yourself. 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.
14. See an incredible acrobatic show at Club Fugazi
Dear San Francisco is a beautiful tribute to the city, exploring the history and culture of SF with a captivating performance that includes aerialists, acrobatics, and more. Plus, you can get food and drinks during the 90-minute show in one of SF’s most historic venues.
15. Take stock of the latest must-see SF museum exhibitions
As we enter a new month in San Francisco, many local museums are refreshing and replacing their temporary exhibitions. Now’s a great time to take stock and plan ahead to see some of these wonderful displays before they’re gone, such as the de Young’s Tamara de Lempicka closing on Feb. 9 and SFMOMA’s Get in the Game closing on Feb. 18.
16. Find your new favorite brewery at SF Beer Week
San Francisco Beer Week arrives this month, and it’s a special opportunity to explore some of the best craft beers the Bay Area has to offer. Plenty of local breweries will be putting on special promotions and events, including tap takeovers, blind-tasting challenges, parties, games, and beer releases.
🗓️ Dates: Feb. 21 – Mar. 2, 2025
17. Take a day trip to Calla Lily Valley in Big Sur
Big Sur is one of California’s most spectacular natural wonders, and any drive down that stretch of Highway 1 is truly a sight to behold. One of its lesser-known elements is Calla Lily Valley at Garrapata Beach, which is overtaken by hundreds of blooming white calla lilies every year. If you can manage to catch them in bloom between January and April, you’re in for a real treat.
🗓️ Dates: Now through April
18. Keep an eye out for even more early spring flower blooms around the Bay Area
As we head into February, it’s time to keep our eyes peeled for the beginnings of even more spring flower blooms! In addition to the magnolias and calla lilies, this month may also bring us almond blossoms in Tracy, wild mustard in Half Moon Bay, and perhaps a few cherry blossoms in the Japanese Tea Garden.
It’s always exciting in the spring with the possibility of seeing superblooms, and now’s a time to take stock of prime wildflower viewing in the Bay Area so you can catch them at the right time.
19. This rare glowing “Firefall” will happen soon in Yosemite
Every year from mid to late February, for a few fleeting moments, if the conditions are exactly right, Yosemite’s Horsetail waterfalls illuminate into a spectacular orange spectrum as the water reflects the setting sun. For this to happen, though, the temperatures need to be within a certain range so that there’s a sufficient amount of snow and water flowing.
🗓️ Dates: Prime glow time this year is from Feb. 8-23, 2025, just before sunset.
20. Check out these special events at the Ferry Building
San Francisco’s Ferry Building is one of the city’s most iconic buildings, serving as a hotspot for tourists and locals alike. It’s a center for events, pop-ups, a farmers’ market, and countless excellent merchants who sell their wares daily in the building’s many stalls.
🗓️ Dates:
- Jan. 6 – Feb. 3, 2025 – Hearts in San Francisco displays
- Feb. 13, 2025 – Love Bites! Valentine’s Food & Wine Event
- Monday Wellness – Free Vinyasa yoga classes
- Mahjong Wednesdays
21. Grab tickets to NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences
NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences is one of our favorite ongoing events, and we’re thrilled to see more of these awesome themed soirees on the calendar! The popular Thursday night festivities feature live DJs, outdoor bars, ambiance lighting, and more alongside the Academy’s nearly 40,000 animal residents.
🗓️ Dates: Recurring Thursdays
22. Learn about the naughty side of nature at the Exploratorium’s popular “Sexplorations” After Dark event
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, and great music.
🗓️ Dates: Recurring Thursdays. “Sexplorations” event is TBA.
23. Take a road trip to the Napa Lighted Art Festival
The annual Napa Lighted Art Festival features beautiful glowing sculptures throughout Downtown Napa. You can experience the glowing sculptures made by various artists every night, with a total of 10 installations. The festival is free, and you can easily see the art on foot while exploring Downtown Napa.
🗓️ Dates: Jan. 18 – Feb. 16, 2025
24. Watch adorable penguins get heartfelt Valentine’s Day cards
Perhaps the cutest Valentine’s tradition in SF, the California Academy of Sciences is hosting its annual Penguin Valentine’s event. You can watch adorable penguins get Valentine’s cards. The event takes place during the penguins’ feeding time, and you can even watch from a live stream if you’re not able to make it in person.
🗓️ Dates: TBA
25. Go to the 3rd stop of the FanFest Tour in Napa
The SF Giants FanFest Tour began in January and will continue onto its third stop in Napa on February 1. The event celebrates dedicated Giants fans, with coaches and players attending. Fans can look forward to photo opportunities, autographs, Q&As, and more at the exciting event.
🗓️ Dates: The third stop is in Napa on Feb. 1, 2025.
26. Have a dazzling snow day near the Bay
San Francisco is a magical, beautiful, exciting place, with one caveat – there’s never any snow. Lucky for us, California is home to dozens of different climates, and it’s not so difficult to pack up the car for a drive out to the snowy mountains in the distance. Just make sure to check the weather and snow conditions before heading out. Here are some places to go. Enjoy this fluffy white stuff before it’s gone!
27. Get cozy with a cocktail around the best restaurant fireplace in SF
A homey, roaring fire is a hot commodity during winter (and basically any other season) in SF’s characteristic foggy weather. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite fireplaces in San Francisco, ranging from outdoor patios to neighborhood bars to fine dining restaurants. Read on to discover your next cozy haunt.
28. Plan a relaxing day at these local spas and saunas
San Francisco is known for its famously chilly weather but is luckily also home to some world-class saunas and spas. Enjoy an intimate and romantic day at these popular saunas in and around the city.
29. Try out these first-date ideas recommended by SF locals
With Valentine’s Day in February, many people have dating on the mind. If you’re single and running out of fun date ideas, check out what SF locals recommended for first dates. The ideas range from simple and classic park days to dancing at a swanky bar.