San Francisco Events

The city’s calendar is dominated by one event that it effectively invented the modern form of.

San Francisco Pride — last weekend of June

One of the oldest and largest Pride celebrations in the world, and in a city with this particular history it carries a weight that the party atmosphere does not disguise. The first march here was in 1970, a year after Stonewall; Harvey Milk commissioned the rainbow flag for the 1978 parade from Gilbert Baker, and it was first flown at United Nations Plaza here before becoming the global symbol. The modern event fills Market Street with several hundred contingents — community groups, unions, churches, corporations whose presence is itself argued about — led by the Dykes on Bikes, and spills into two days of stages and stalls around the Civic Center. Attendance runs to several hundred thousand. Hotels book out, Muni runs extra service, and the Castro is closed to traffic for the weekend.

Chinese New Year parade — January or February

The largest celebration of its kind outside Asia, running since the 1860s, with a 200-foot golden dragon carried through the streets after dark.

Outside Lands — August

Three days of music in Golden Gate Park, with a substantial food and wine programme attached.

Bay to Breakers — third Sunday in May

A twelve-kilometre run from the bay to the ocean that has been held since 1912 and long ago stopped being primarily a race: tens of thousands take part in costume, in groups, pushing floats, and a substantial number do not run at all.

Dia de los Muertos — 2 November

A procession through the Mission with altars and face paint, community-run rather than commercial.