Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Life > Experiences

Finals Are Over, Now How Can I Enjoy The Bay

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at San Francisco chapter.

When the last assignments are turned in, and you can finally delete the canvas and outlook app it starts to feel like summer. Then you realize, all you have done for the past two weeks is study and now you are emerging into a San Francisco summer where the average high is 67 degrees fahrenheit, so spoiler you won’t be tanning.

The city has a lot to offer in the summertime from musical festivals like Outside Lands to singing along to movies at Mission Dolores Park. There is something to do for everyone especially when there is a budget that needs to be considered. 

Here are four things you should do this summer:

Sundown Cinema 

Usually once a month from May to October this free movie going experience is a budget friendly way to explore the city and to see some of your favorite films. This summer there will be movies like Selena, Labyrinth, Barbie, The Princess and the Frog and more. Cozy up under a warm blanket, bring snacks and enjoy the glittering sunset on the bay with a fantastic movie. 

Stern Grove Festival

Another free activity in the city is the Stern Grove Festival, a music festival that takes place in Stern Grove recreation. These are not bands that would be at big festivals like Outside Lands but if you are looking to experience some live music with your friends there are bands playing from June to August. 

Ferry ride to Sausalito  

Imagine, wind in your hair, puffer jacket on and a beautiful view of the golden gate bridge for only $7.75. Taking a ferry from San Francisco’s iconic Ferry Building to the little town of Sausalito is a wonderful day trip where you can have the best Fish & Chips this side of the pond and enjoy a scoop of delicious ice cream on your way home. 

Ride the J Church Muni Line

If you want to have the best hop on hop off transit experience in San Francisco ride the J line of the muni. With breathtaking views this line goes through neighborhoods like Noe Valley, Excelsior, Glen Park, Castro, Downtown and more. Lined with cute coffee shops, parks, and stores this line is not a heavy commuter line and so enjoy the ride around the city on an underappreciated line.  

San Francisco has a lot of variety when it comes to the experiences that can be had and so checking sites like eventbrite or asking around there is always something to do. This summer explore the niche neighborhood but just remember to bring a coat.

Jessica Sheppard

San Francisco '24

Jessica Sheppard is an Associate Editor for HerCampus and has been on staff writing for just over a year. As an Associate Editor she has been in charge of managing a small team of writers bi-monthly and helping them craft, and edit their articles through the three draft processes in place. She has also written in a variety of sections from experiences and life to academics and wellness. The variety of the articles is what allows her to maintain her creativity in an effort to write relatable content. She continues to write outside of HerCampus participating in the Banned Books Weeks poetry contest and placing 3rd and participating in Earth Weeks poetry reading. While being a part of HerCampus, Jessica is pursuing her bachelors and her masters from San Francisco State University simultaneously in communications. She is able to do this because she was hand selected to participate in the SF State Scholars program that allows scholars to pursue their masters while finishing their bachelors. Outside of her academic pursuits she is the President of Rock Climbing Club on campus. In her free time, she enjoys baking, trying food all over the Bay Area, sewing, and going to the gym. Her favorite book is Whereabouts and her favorite author is Jhumpa Lahiri. Her LinkedIn is: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-sheppard-sfsu/