There was no more iconic year for San Francisco than 1967, dubbed by historians the “Summer of Love.” It helped cement the city’s reputation for embracing creativity, individuality, and change, no matter how radical. During those summer months, thousands of travelers swept into the city’s hippie enclaves to find themselves and create a better world for everyone. Dropping by Golden Gate Park at the end of Haight Street that year, you might have bumped into a young Janis Joplin or Jerry Garcia. Harvey Milk had not yet moved to the city, but gay men and lesbians were already establishing a beachhead. Stonewall was still two years away, but gay liberation got a major boost in ’67. Love meant love, no matter the gender expression. Throughout the 60s, San Francisco played host to countless music festivals and concerts that gave life to the ideals of the summer of love. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love in 2017, we’ve come up with a list of some of the most notable music festivals of the era, including a few that continue to this very day (with tickets available for intrepid music lovers).
