Summer of Discovery: San Francisco’s New Art, Flavors, Festivals, and Experiences Await | San Francisco Travel
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Summer of Discovery: San Francisco’s New Art, Flavors, Festivals, and Experiences Await

SAN FRANCISCO (May 5, 2025) — San Francisco’s summer season brings a fresh wave of groundbreaking exhibitions, vibrant new attractions, boundary-pushing cuisine, and one of the country's most dynamic festival calendars. From May through the city’s famed “second summer” in September and October, visitors and locals can enjoy crisp mornings, coastal breezes, and endless new ways to experience the City by the Bay.

“This summer, San Francisco is alive with possibility — and every street leads to something unforgettable," said Anna Marie Presutti, President and CEO of San Francisco Travel Association. "Whether you're seeing a classic landmark in a new light or discovering a neighborhood for the first time, every corner of the city offers something fresh, from amazing art and exciting culinary adventures to vibrant outdoor experiences.”

Fresh Spaces

Sunset Dunes: A two-mile stretch of the Upper Great Highway running parallel to Ocean Beach from Lincoln Way (Golden Gate Park) to Sloat Boulevard (San Francisco Zoo) has been reborn as a 43-acre park. The largest pedestrianization project in California debuted in April, with interactive art installations, murals celebrating coastal ecology, a learn-to-bike zone, skate space, hammocks, lounge areas and stunning views.

The Counterculture Museum: Opening in spring 2025 at the famous corner of Haight and Ashbury streets, this new museum explores San Francisco’s legacy as the heart of cultural movements, from the Beat Generation and Summer of Love to LGBTQ+ rights.

Outpost Meadow: Debuting in July, this gathering space, a new addition to the popular Presidio Tunnel Tops, offers shaded picnic areas, gardens, bike parking, food trucks, and family-friendly seating overlooking the Bay.

Art Across the City

Creativity is championed across the city, from major retrospectives and outdoor installations to immersive playgrounds and skate culture celebrations.

  • The Balloon Museum’s EmotionAir: Art You Can Feel at the Palace of Fine Arts: An immersive, sensory playground of large-scale inflatables, projections, and installations makes its U.S. debut in San Francisco. 
  • Ruth Asawa Retrospective at SFMOMA: The artist’s first posthumous retrospective showcases the full range of Asawa’s work over six decades. More than 300 works illuminate her groundbreaking practice and ceaseless exploration of materials and forms. 
  • Skateboarding in the spotlight: Two exhibitions at 111 Minna Gallery and the San Francisco Public Library celebrate decades of skate art and the city’s skate culture.
  • Art of Manga at the De Young: This is the first major (and massive) museum show in the Americas dedicated to the art of Japanese manga.
  • Massive works like R-Evolution at Embarcadero Plaza, the light-reactive SPECTRA at Civic Center, and Leviathan at Moscone Center transform San Francisco’s outdoor spaces into art stages. 
  • FOR-SITE’s Black Gold: Stories Untoldat Fort Point: A moving collection of contemporary Black artists’ reflections on African American resilience and history in California from the Gold Rush through post-Civil War Reconstruction. 
  • All Eyes On Us at Edge on the Square: This exhibition gives voice to Chinatown’s “hidden dragons”—artists whose work was shaped by immigration, assimilation and survival. It brings to light the hidden stories of Chinatown’s immigrant artists.
  • Captivating science at the California Academy of Sciences: Dino Days features 13 animatronic dinosaurs, and Unseen Oceans plunges visitors into glowing depths filled with biofluorescent creatures, fossil casts, and a submersible pilot experience.

For more exhibitions and details, see SF Travel’s Summer Arts release.

The Sound of Summer

San Francisco offers one of the country's most dynamic and eclectic event calendars, from free porch-front jams and monthly hoedowns to electrifying Pride stages and jazz in the Fillmore District. 

For dates and a full events calendar, see SF Travel’s “Ultimate Lineup of Music Festivals and Summer and Fall Events” release.

On the Menu: New Flavors, Big Openings, and Iconic Returns

San Francisco’s culinary scene features bold newcomers, innovative fusion concepts, and fresh takes on timeless favorites.

  • New fusion: Creative flavors and global influences shine at the new Meski (Afro-Latin cuisine), Morella (Argentinian-Italian), and on Outta Sight Pizza II’s slices in Chinatown. 
  • Foodie favorites: Tyler Florence’s Wayfare Tavern debuted its highly anticipated and expansive new location in late April, and Foreign Cinema is hosting a five-night OG guest chef series with San Francisco culinary icons like chefs Bruce Hill (Bix, Zero Zero) and Jeremiah Tower (Stars).
  • On tap: Newcomers include Fifty Vara, a cozy brewpub; Big Finish, a wallet-friendly wine tavern; Bar Amaro, an amaro distillery and restaurant; and Gigi’s, a Vietnamese wine bar.
  • Old favorites, new chapters: Institutions like Izzy’s Steaks & Chops, Park Tavern, andTurtle Tower have reemerged, refreshed for a new generation while honoring their storied pasts.

See SF Travel's latest culinary release for detailed information on what's new and noteworthy on San Francisco's ever-evolving menu.

Sports on Center State

San Francisco’s summer and fall sports calendar offers major moments on the field and court, from Major League Baseball to elite tennis.

  • The San Francisco Giants’ new season has former Giants legend Buster Posey at the helm as president of baseball operations.

  • The Golden State Valkyries, San Francisco’s new WNBA team, tip off their inaugural season at Chase Center on May 16, 2025.

  • The Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon attracts World Champions, Olympic Medalists, and the best amateur triathletes from 50 states and over 50 countries from May 31 to June 1. 

  • The San Francisco Marathon runs through the city on July 27, 2025.

  • The world’s best in men’s tennis converge at the Chase Center in San Francisco for the Laver Cup from Sept. 19 to 21.

  • The Show at Oracle Park: The legendary ballpark is hosting its first-ever professional women's soccer contest. On August 23, see Bay FC, San Francisco's National Women's Soccer League club, take on the Washington Spirit. 

New Shops in Union Square

Union Square's latest round of store openings offers everything from games to fashion and state-of-the-art identity technology.

  • Nintendo San Francisco: The second official store in the U.S. opens May 15 in Union Square. 

  • World Network Store: Tech meets identity at this new Union Square flagship, which features the World’s eye-scanning “orb” technology. Reservations are required.

  • Taylor Jay, an Oakland-based fashion brand specializing in sustainable, inclusive, and elevated comfort apparel for women, opened a second location in Union Square. 

  • Nooworks is expanding its footprint from the Mission to Union Square with a new pop-up location opening early summer on Powell Street. The retailer is known for its vibrant, artist-designed textiles and size-inclusive, California-made garments.

  • Trendy sneaker purveyor Shoe Palace opened a 16,000-square-foot store in Union Square.

Hotel Updates

This spring, Taj Campton Place revealed its redesign, which reflects the hotel’s unique blend of neoclassical California charm and subtle Indian-inspired expressions. In addition to renovating the hotel’s lobby and meeting rooms, the Campton Bar + Bistro unveiled a refreshed look, joining Bombay Brasserie, the dining destination helmed by South Indian native Chef Thomas George.

For an Insta-worthy stay, visitors can book The Westin St. Francis’s “In Bloom Suite” through July 31. The suite features thousands of silk flowers spilling from the ceiling and along the walls, immersing guests in a lush, otherworldly garden. Beneath the soft glow of chandeliers, cherry trees blossom with a cascade of pale pink petals, bringing a touch of nature's beauty indoors and offering a tranquil escape. 

Hotel Zeppelin is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the legendary Grateful Dead with a Dead-icated Stay package. The offer includes a suite equipped with a vintage record player, a handpicked selection of vinyl albums, a copy of The ABCs of The Grateful Dead, a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream, and a 10% discount on food and beverage from the hotel’s restaurants, including PLS on Post, which serves Jerry Garcia’s favorite meal: a special gourmet hot dog paired with a Cherry Garcia milkshake.

SAN FRANCISCO TRAVEL 

San Francisco Travel is the official destination marketing organization for the City and County of San Francisco. The city is one of the top tourism and meetings destinations in the U.S., attracting over 23 million visitors annually. In 2024, total visitor-related spending contributed $9.26 billion into the San Francisco economy and supported nearly 62,000 jobs.

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For up-to-the-minute departure and arrival information, airport maps and details on shopping, dining, cultural exhibitions, ground transportation and more, visit www.flysfo.com. Follow us on x.com/flysfo and facebook.com/flysfo.

United Airlines is the preferred airline of the San Francisco Travel Association. 

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