10 Best Festivals in San Francisco

The best festivals in San Francisco serve a crowd that always loves a good party. San Franciscans find many ways to celebrate throughout each year. From the dozens of annual festivals, street fairs and parades, there’s one to suit your preference of a good time.

Want to experience a festival unique to the destination? Or would you rather attend a festival based around arts, music, holidays or causes that you already know and love? Check the calendar to see if you can catch any of these uniquely San Francisco celebrations.

1. Chinese New Year Festival

Celebrate with one of the top parades in the world

Ideal para: Famílias, Foto, Alimentação

San Francisco’s Chinese New Year Festival started in the mid-1800s with only a historic parade. While many Chinese New Year festivals around the country include parades nowadays, such celebrations back then were unheard of for any holiday that wasn’t strictly “American”.

The procession is now known as among the world’s largest, as well as one of its top-rated spectacles. It’s also considered the highlight event of the entire festival. Other festivities include a beauty pageant, street fair and a marathon.

Abre: January or February

2. North Beach Festival

Dine and shop your way around this large street fair

Ideal para: Compras, Alimentação

The North Beach Festival kicks off every summer in San Francisco’s Little Italy. It’s been running for over half a century and is held over 2 days. Often taking over several city blocks, the festival fills the streets with vendors selling gourmet food, arts and crafts as well as featuring live music performances.

The festival is a must-do if you happen to be in the city on the same weekend. It’s also a great spot to snag some delicious eats and a unique San Franciscan souvenir (or a few). Unique cultural highlights that take place during the festival include Italian street painting and the blessing of animals.

Abre: June

3. San Francisco Fringe Festival

Two weeks of performing arts

Ideal para: Vida noturna, Grupos

The San Francisco Fringe Festival takes place over nearly 2 weeks each autumn and it’s one of the oldest, longest-running theatre festivals in the United States. The festival brings together more than 20 independent theatres for a variety of performances spread across the city. More than a hundred total performances are featured.

Don’t just expect to find performances occurring in small indie theatres, either. Performances pop up in just about any public or private space, from restaurants to buses to public parks.

Abre: September

4. San Francisco Pride

A mammoth event drawing thousands of LGBT community members and allies

Ideal para: Grupos

San Francisco Pride may be the most iconic – and largest – Pride event in the United States. With more than 200 exhibitors and more than 20 event venues, it draws thousands from around the country – and the globe – for a full weekend of LGBT celebration, commemoration and education.

Each year’s event features a different theme. Past themes have included All in This Together (2021), In Pride We Trust (2011) and Proud Heritage, Powerful Future (1999). Besides the colourful parade, entertainment highlights and street fair, the Pride also includes an annual charity golf tournament.

Abre: June

5. Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival

A floral festival to welcome spring

Ideal para: Foto, Alimentação

The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival has been a San Francisco springtime tradition for more than half a century. As the largest cherry blossom festival on the West Coast and a beautiful celebration of Japanese culture and traditions, it’s easy to see why over 200,000 attendees regularly flock to this event every year.

The festival is timed to coincide with peak cherry blossom blooming around the city. But even if the dates don’t quite line up with Mother Nature, you’ll still find plenty to enjoy at the event. Highlight festivities include a parade in Japantown, a taiko drum festival, cultural performances and a street fair with food and art vendors.

Abre: April

6. Outside Lands Music Festival

A giant, fun-filled party

Ideal para: Alimentação, Grupos

Outside Lands Music Festival is the largest independent music fest in the country, held each summer in Golden Gate Park. The music is set against the gorgeous background of the park’s surroundings.

Beyond famous headliners (past appearing acts have included Lizzo, Tame Impala, Tyler The Creator and more), the festival features various food vendors and watering holes to get your wine or beer fix. If music’s not your thing, other entertainment on the roster ranges from comedy sets to cooking demos and drag shows.

Abre: August

7. Union Street Festival

A family-friendly fest with free entry

Ideal para: Famílias, Alimentação, Econômico

The Union Street Festival is the kick-off to San Francisco’s summer festival season each year. The festival is set across 6 city blocks, with each block featuring a certain theme – be it crafts, tech, fashion or food. The variety means you can sample some of the city’s best eats and drinks, enjoy live music, or watch fashion shows and cooking demos.

The event is always slightly different each year, but you can always expect free entry and a family-friendly atmosphere that even includes kid-friendly amusement rides.

Abre: 1st weekend in June

8. San Francisco Chinatown Autumn Moon Festival

A tradition spanning a millennia

Ideal para: Famílias, Alimentação, Grupos

Each fall, festivalgoers swarm Chinatown to celebrate the ancient Moon Festival tradition (sometimes called the Mid-Autumn Festival or Mooncake Festival). The event historically caps off the summer harvest season. Learn more about this culturally-significant holiday of sorts through educational exhibits, entertainment and children’s activities.

Most of all, you’ll also have plenty of opportunities to get your fill of the delicious traditional mooncakes. The delicate pastry is filled with red beans or lotus seed paste.

Abre: September

9. Carnaval San Francisco

Celebrate the Latin carnival season, without ever leaving the States

Ideal para: Famílias, Foto, Grupos

Carnaval San Francisco brings all the fun and extravagance of Latin American Carnaval celebrations to the West Coast. The free 2-day family-friendly festival has been offering a taste of Latin culture to San Franciscan residents and visitors for more than 4 decades.

Highlights during the event include a huge parade (with more than 3,000 artists and over a dozen countries represented). It takes place every Fat Tuesday in the city’s Mission District and runs through the Latino Cultural District and the parklet crawl.

Abre: May

10. San Francisco International Arts Festival

World-class entertainment with a meaningful message

Ideal para: Grupos

The San Francisco International Arts Festival is a bit newer compared to some of the city’s other annual events. Founded in the early 2000s, it brings together international artists to present their groundbreaking, thought-provoking artworks. It’s brought together more than 400 art ensembles. More than 50 countries are represented through the array of art forms, ranging from spoken-word performances to dance.

Event dates have varied in the past, but it typically occurs either in the spring or fall. Each year’s festival features a theme that reflects current issues, from race to democracy.

Abre: May

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