Pride Festival

Civic Center Plaza
200 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Last weekend of June annually
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Celebrating 40 years in the city, this annual weekend long event draws an estimated crowd of over one million people, all there to show support for tolerance and pride. The festivities include a parade down Market Street, culminating with a massive festival in Civic Center Plaza. The event features live music, food and beverage concessions, a diverse crowd, and plenty of colorful costumes. Admission is free and is open to all ages. |SF Pride|

North Beach Festival

Washington Square
1635 Stockton Street
San Francisco, CA 94133
3rd weekend of June annually
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Right in the heart of North Beach, participants at this Summertime festival in Washington Square will find live bands and vendors selling food and beverages, all in a nice park setting. Unlike the street fairs in other districts, it’s great to be able to sit down on the grass and bask in the sun while watching the performances. On the streets around the park, open only to pedestrian traffic, you’ll find various arts & crafts booths and beer gardens. Admission is free and the festival runs both Saturday and Sunday. Parking is impossible, using public transit is highly recommended. |Event Site|

Cherry Blossom Festival

1706 Post Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
Mid April, Annually
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For over forty years, San Francisco has celebrated the arrival of flowering cherry blossoms with a two weekend long celebration in the middle of |Japantown|. Originally a tradition in Japan called |Hanami| (flower viewing), celebrations there consist of outdoor parties and feasts amongst the blooming trees that can go on until the wee hours. Since the flowers typically only last a week or two on the tree, the cherry blossom is said to symbolize the fleeting beauty of life.

The parade on the last day of the festival begins at the Civic Center, travels down Post Street and ends at Fillmore Street. This year’s parade had its share of taiko drummers, Japanese Animation costume contest winners, and beauty pageant winners, not to mention some impressive |Matoi| twirling. At the tail of the parade, scores of people carrying large barrels of sake make offers of rice wine in anticipation of the staple crop planting season. The festival also features local merchants selling their wares and numerous food venders serving everything from BBQ to ramen noodles. |Nor Cal Cherry Blossom Festival|

Fleet Week

Marina Green,
San Francisco, CA 94123
Annual Event that begins 2nd weekend of October
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Celebrated in conjunction with the Columbus Day festivities since 1981, Fleet Week draws over one million visitors to the city for its various exhibits, parades, air shows, roof deck parties, and beer gardens at the Marina Green. The beer garden is often packed, drawing crowds for their cold brews, various prepared foods, and unobstructed views of the bay. Festivities run pretty much all weekend, starting with the parade of Naval ships at 11:30 am on Saturday and concluding with a live concert series at Pier 39 that goes from 1 pm until 7 pm Sunday. Other notable activities include the air show and Blue Angels aerial performances that start at 12:30 pm and finish at 4 pm on both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday night, pick a nice vantage point, grab a blanket, and watch the fireworks show at Pier 3 that begins at 9:30 pm. When Sunday comes around, the |Italian Heritage Parade| is another event worth seeing. The parade starts at 12:30 pm and moves right down Columbus Street, through the North Beach District. So dust off that old bomber jacket, don some aviators, and prepare yourself for Highway through the Danger Zone on repeat. |Fleet Week|