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A City for All Seasons

No matter what the time or season in San Francisco, there are unique annual events. Combine them with an assortment of tours, attractions, restaurants and even hotels and clients will have some unforgettable experiences. Nearly all the themes and months are interchangeable, which means you can implement these itineraries any month of the year.

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No matter what the time or season in San Francisco, there are unique annual events. Combine them with an assortment of tours, attractions, restaurants and even hotels and clients will have some unforgettable experiences. Nearly all the themes and months are interchangeable, which means you can implement these itineraries any month of the year.

January. The Art of Food and Wine.

San Francisco has more restaurants per capita than any major city in the U.S. And whether you’re craving a just-baked loaf of San Francisco’s famous sourdough French bread or ready to experiment with a kimchi burrito at a neighborhood café, there are lots of options. Bring your group and create a feast for their senses.

  • Cooking classes
  • Private wine tasting or some insider tips from noted mixologists
  • Behind the scenes at the Ferry Building and farmers market
  • Culinary walking tours
  • Ghirardelli Chocolate Company’s chocolatier program from “bean to bar”
  • Off the Grid food truck sampling

February. Chinese New Year

Named one of the world's top 10 parades, the Chinese New Year Parade is the largest event of its kind outside of Asia. Nowhere in the world will you see a lunar new year parade with more gorgeous floats, elaborate costumes, ferocious lions, exploding firecrackers, and, of course, the newly crowned Miss Chinatown U.S.A. We will help you secure grandstand seats to the one of the most exciting events in San Francisco.

March. Flower Power

Take a deep breath and plunge into a wealth of beauty and color, a respite from the outside world, a place to make you dream of paradise. Don't miss the annual Macy's Flower Show (usually close to Easter).

April. Spring Break.

From just-for-fun attractions to culturally enriching experiences, San Francisco is an ideal spot for a family vacation. Start your Spring Break with a visit to AT&T Park and watch the San Francisco Giants begin the baseball season.

May. Carnaval

City blocks bursting with music, color, dance and exotic food of the many countries which celebrate Carnaval at the two-day outdoor cultural Festival. The highlight is the Grand Parade of lavish floats, costumed dancers, international musicians, colorful paraders, contingents of local school children and youth - a splashy, exciting parade of cultures. And almost as colorful: the annual Bay to Breakers race held on the second Sunday of every May.

June. Pride.

Natural beauty notwithstanding, it’s the city's attitude more than latitude that has made San Francisco the "world's gay and lesbian capital." Diversity is celebrated year around, but in June the party heats up with special event, exhibits, and an unforgettable Pride Parade.

  • A walking tour of the Castro
  • San Francisco International Gay And Lesbian Film Festival
  • Museum of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender History
  • The Gay Men's Chorus at The Castro Theater
  • James C. Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center at the Main library

July. Bread and Cheese and Chocolate

Boudin, a San Francisco institution that baked its first sourdough loaf in 1849 and has since expanded to more than 30 bakery-cafés, offers a 25,000 square feet museum that is a fully interactive demonstration bakery with a walkthrough history of San Francisco sourdough. Too many carbs? Plan to run the San Francisco Marathon.

  • Micro-brewing with maximum tast
  • Cheese tasting at the Ferry Building
  • Wine tasting in and around San Francisco, especially the urban wine country in South of Market and Treasure Island
  • Pescadero goat farm - see award-winning cheese being made

August. Music, Muses and Muscles.

The inside thing to do is the Outside Lands Concert in Golden Gate Park. Combine that with some alfresco music in Stern Grove, a one-day salute to the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia, two racing events and San Francisco’s natural inclinations.

September. Arias, Architecture and Critics' Choice

The season begins for San Francisco’s world-famous San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Symphony, celebrating its centennial year. Stagestruck? You should be. There’s plenty onstage from classic revivals to avant garde. More civic treasures are on display during a month-long architecture festival.

October. Books, Blue Angels and Blue Jeans.

Literary luminaries get their due for the annual Litquake festival just as the jet stream fades from the Blue Angel air show during Fleet Week. And don’t forget to check out Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and pick up a new pair of blue jeans at Levi’s flagship store on Market Street.

November. The Great Indoors and a Little DIY.

Craft fairs are plentiful and check out the programming at local museums for DIY workshops and celebrations of local artisans. Artists-in-residence programs forge a special relationship between old masters and a new generation.

December. A Winter Wonderland Without the Winter

Temperatures may be mild, but there’s still ice skaters gliding around city squares and the occasional snow flurry on cue. “The Nutcracker,” considered one of the best in the U.S., and the return of “A Christmas Carol” add a note of the traditional to an events calendar that also includes a Dance-Along Nutcracker, Kung Pao Kosher Comedy and a major collegiate bowl game.

  • ‘Tis the Season at the California Academy of Sciences
  • Embarcadero Center building lighting
  • Illuminate SF
  • Great Dickens Christmas Fair (weekends only)
  • Beach Blanket Babylon seasonal extravaganza
  • Tree lighting ceremonies
  • San Francisco Bowl at Levi’s Stadium
  • SFMade Holiday Gift Fair