In San Francisco this spring and having a hard time figuring out what there is to do? Luckily, you’re in the perfect spot! The Bay Area is known for having a large variety of both city-based activities and many options for those who would prefer the outdoors.
With Saint Patrick’s Day coming up, many bars and other venues will be celebrating and offering great deals on both food and drinks – and, some have live music! If you’re really into getting into the Irish culture however, The United Irish Cultural Center will be hosting a night filled with live folk balladeers called Green Road, alongside soprano Clodagh Kinsella, on March 12th, at 7 p.m. Alternatively, that same day at 11 a.m., The South End Rowing Club will hold a St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon – a traditional corned beef and cabbage, with fiddlers and singers, and a quartet to accompany the meal.
Into hiking and the ocean? Go to Kirby Cove, a campground on the beach that will give you a stunning view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Or, go to Sutro Tower, a historic TV and Radio lattice tower in between Twin Peaks and Mount Sutro, for a mini hike that will give you a different yet distinctively unique San Francisco panorama. Further down the coast, if you come to Half Moon Bay, Cameron’s, a local pub, has a couple of old classic London Double Decker Buses outside that guests can explore and sit in!
Haight and Ashbury is a touristy and perhaps cliché spot, but it is a place that should be visited once for the stores alone. You will find anything from vintage stores, to stores selling witchy knick-knacks, great food and coffee places, tattoo shops, and of course, Amoeba music – the holy grail for any vinyl lover.
On May Day, Golden Gate Park will have a celebration, that will give you a chance to dance around the maypole! While you’re there, walk around the park and visit the Japanese Tea Garden, the Conservatory of Flowers, the Academy of Sciences, or if you’re wanting to see some new exhibits, the de Young Museum always has installations that are fresh and compelling, or the Legion of Honor, which is in close proximity. Both museums have some interesting exhibits coming up this spring – Sargent and Spain at the Legion of Honor through May 14th, 2023, and Lhola Amira: Facing the Future through December 3rd, 2023.
If you are in Japantown on a weekend in April, you might catch a glimpse of the Cherry Blossom Festival! Enjoy traditional food and music while watching the festivities and walking around the local shops.
Whether you want to do all of the touristy things and walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, or have a hot chocolate to die for at Ghirardelli, explore Alcatraz, or do something a little different and go to the San Francisco Film Festival and go to a show, San Francisco never disappoints. Both historic and artistic, it is the city of love in every way, and we can’t get enough.