Every weekend, we search for the best activities and fun things to do in San Francisco and the Bay Area. Whether you’re looking for unique events, new restaurants, or free activities, there are always plenty of events in San Francisco. For more things to do, check out our April guide and free things to do guide.
Celebrate Japanese culture in San Francisco’s Japantown this April.
The NorCal Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual spring celebration in San Francisco’s Japantown, returning April 11–12, 2026, featuring cultural programming, performances, and family-friendly activities.
Ryan Gosling’s latest movie, Project Hail Mary, has been a major hit already after opening this March. The film has been praised by critics and audiences alike, and many San Francisco theaters are screening the movie. Plus, there are always plenty of new movies showing in SF theaters every weekend.
Experience Monet’s luminous Venetian paintings and iconic Water Lilies at the de Young.
Monet and Venice opened March 21, 2026, at the de Young Museum in San Francisco and runs through July 26, 2026. The exhibition highlights Claude Monet’s Venetian paintings alongside works from across his career, including his iconic Water Lilies series.
Walk through massive red-thread installations that explore living between places, histories, and identities. If you’re looking for a thought-provoking museum stop this weekend, the Asian Art Museum opens Chiharu Shiota’s Two Home Countries on April 3, 2026—a large-scale installation of red-thread networks and related works exploring memory, identity, and absence. The temporary exhibition runs through July 20, 2026, in the museum’s Yang Yamazaki Pavilion.
The historic Golden Gate Park Band is hosting a free concert this Friday, from 4:30 to 7 pm. The free concert will take place at the Golden Gate Park Bandshell, featuring numerous musicians in the classic band.
Catch Filoli’s weeping Higan cherry reaching peak bloom this spring. If you’re up for a springtime escape just outside the city, Filoli House & Garden in Woodside is entering spring bloom; the weeping Higan cherry is beginning to flower and is expected to reach peak bloom within days, while April typically offers the best range of spring flowers. The estate is open daily and features tulip fields, daffodils, irises, peonies and multiple flowering tree varieties.
Illuminate LIVE, a free concert series at the Golden Gate Bandshell in Golden Gate Park, offers more than 125 free performances between March and November. Concerts are held primarily on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, with select Saturdays added throughout the season.
Grace Cathedral has been transformed with a dazzling light show called Aura. The show uses large-scale light projects incorporated with the architecture of the cathedral, and is accompanied by original music. Tickets sell fast, so we recommend getting yours soon.
Cheer on your favorite Bay Area sports team
The Bay Area is one of the best sports cities in the country, and most weekends there’s something worth getting out for.
This weekend:
- Bay FC hosts Denver Summit FC at PayPal Park in San Jose on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
- The Warriors are at home Saturday night at Chase Center against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Dear San Francisco is an ode to San Francisco featuring music, acrobats, dancers, and more. The show takes viewers through San Francisco’s history with talented performers doing impressive acrobatics. Tickets sell out, so we recommend getting yours soon.
San Francisco has plenty of neighborhoods with great shops, from small, local boutiques to larger brands. There are plenty of places to explore if you need to do some shopping, including Haight Street with numerous vintage stores, or Fillmore, packed with boutiques and restaurants.
Fresh, sustainably sourced fish tacos steps from the beach.
Hook Fish Co. offers sustainably sourced seafood a few blocks from the beach and Golden Gate Park. Order at the counter for grilled fish tacos, seafood burritos, beer-battered fish and chips, or fresh albacore poke, and enjoy the bright patio even on foggy afternoons.
There’s never a bad weekend for live music in the Bay Area.
This Saturday, Oakland’s own Kamaiyah takes the stage at the Fox Theater, a hometown show worth catching. Across the Bay, Sam Smith will close out their Castro Theatre residency this Saturday night.
Gamble Garden is a historic, free-to-visit public garden in Old Palo Alto. If you’re up for a quick, peaceful day trip outside San Francisco this weekend, Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden is a historic public garden in Old Palo Alto, open daily during daylight hours and free to visit. The estate features manicured gardens, seasonal spring blooms, a tea house and gazebo, plus regular classes and events.