Bernal Heights Event Calendar: Family-Friendly Fun

Bernal Heights Event Calendar: Family-Friendly Fun

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Bernal Heights, a beloved neighborhood in San Francisco, offers various family-friendly activities and events throughout the year. Whether you’re a resident or a visitor exploring the city with kids, Bernal provides unique experiences for all ages. Here’s a Family Event Calendar for Bernal and Beyond designed to guide you through various SF happenings and gatherings that are perfect for the whole family.

From seasonal festivals and neighborhood park days to children’s reading hours at the local library and community picnics, Bernal Heights creates welcoming spaces for families to connect and create lasting memories. The neighborhood’s playgrounds, recreational areas, and local businesses regularly host events specifically designed with children in mind, ensuring that even the youngest visitors can enjoy what this charming district has to offer.

Throughout the year, families can look forward to puppet shows, arts and crafts workshops, outdoor movie nights, and educational walking tours that showcase Bernal’s rich history in age-appropriate ways. Local farmers’ markets feature kid-friendly activities alongside fresh produce, and the neighborhood’s annual street fairs include dedicated children’s zones with face painting, bounce houses, and interactive performances.

Bernal Heights takes pride in creating inclusive community events where families from all backgrounds can gather, celebrate, and experience the unique charm of this beloved San Francisco neighborhood.

Bernal Heights Event Calendar: Family-Friendly Fun

Bernal Heights Event Calendar: Family-Friendly Fun

Jan

Feb

  • Bernal Heights Valentine’s Day Stroll – a festive evening of music, shopping, and dining along Cortland Avenue! Feb 14, 2025
  • Chinese New Year’s Parade & Festival – Named one of the top ten Parades in the world by the International Festivals & Events Association, the Southwest Airlines Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco is one of the few remaining nights illuminated Parades in North America and the biggest Parade celebrating the lunar new year outside of Asia. Started in the 1860s by the Chinese in San Francisco to educate the community about their culture, the Parade and Festival has become the largest celebration of Asian culture outside Asia. Since 1958, the Parade has been under the direction of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. Feb 15, 2025
  • Annual Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam—Youth Speaks works with 45,000 teens annually and presents local and national youth poetry slams, festivals, reading series, and more, including the Grand Slam Finals in April after the preliminaries in March and the semi-finals.

Mar

  • Ocean Beach Bonfires – Fires permitted Mar 1 – Oct 31 (NO FIRES permitted Nov 1 – end of February). The No-Burn Season avoids burning during the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s (BAAQMD) Winter Spare the Air season.
  • KNBR/Giants FanFest – Meet members of the Giants team and participate in interactive games and displays on the Field, Promenade, and Club levels at the KNBR/Giants FanFest, free and open to the public at Oracle Park. Mar 8, 2025
  • ST PATRICK’S DAY PARADE AND FESTIVAL – This is one of San Francisco’s (and indeed California’s) largest annual parades and one of the longest-running parades in the USA. The feast of Saint Patrick (Pádraig)—Apostle of Ireland and its patron saint―is celebrated with live music, dance, traditional Irish cuisine, and a beverage or two. The Parade will feature pipe and fife bands, civilian, college, and school bands, Irish dancers, antique cars, drum and bell bands, drum and bugle bands, drill teams, color guards, floats galore, decorated cars/trucks/cable cars, and baton corps. Wear green. You’ll blend right in. The Parade, led by pipers, starts at 11:30 am at 2nd and Market St. and ends at Civic Center Plaza, where the Festival continues from 10 am to 5 pm. Mar 15, 2025
  • “FOG Holi” Festival of Colors – Holi is a grand and unique festival of colors, friendship, and harmony. Holi is a spring festival, also known as the festival of colors. It is an ancient Hindu religious festival that has become popular with non-Hindus in many parts of South Asia, as well as people of other communities outside Asia. Hosted by FIA in March every year, the event is attended by over 5000 attendees. Mar 15, 2025
  • 80,000 Free Tulips Are Coming to SF’s Union Square – Tulip Day is coming to America! We will be back on Mar 9. A colorful display of over 80,000 tulips will cover Union Square in San Francisco. And you are invited to visit the square and pick your tulips. Mar 22, 2025

Apr

  • Giants Opening Day – It’s finally here, Bay Area baseball fans: San Francisco Giants Opening Day 2023! The Giants are hosting the Kansas City Royals on Apr 7, and they’ll need some help getting the summer off to a great start — help you can give them by rooting and rooting for the home team this Opening Day. Apr 4, 2025
  • SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL CHOCOLATE SALON – Those with a penchant for chocolate can indulge in artisanal, gourmet, and premium chocolate from over 50 chocolatiers and confectioners. Non-chalcophile exhibitors and artisans will also be on hand, including reps from wineries participating in the San Francisco Invitational Wine Salon. Herbst Pavilion, Fort Mason Center. Apr 6, 2025
  • Cherry Blossom Festival – Over its two-weekend festivities, the Festival also offers the opportunity to look back at the history of Japanese and Japanese Americans in Northern California and enjoy the culture and customs that have survived thanks to the hardships of multiple generations. The highlight of the Cherry Blossom Festival is the Grand Parade, which stretches over a mile from Civic Center Plaza to Japantown. It showcases many cultural and community organizations contributing to the Festival’s continued success. April 12-13 & 19-20, 2025
  • Cesar Chavez Festival – Join thousands of Bay Area residents, families, schools, religious groups, labor unions, and community organizations to celebrate Cesar’s legacy in the heart of San Francisco’s Latino community. The SF parade has become among California’s largest events honoring Cesar Chavez. Apr 13, 2024
  • Free National Parks Day – Apr 20, 2025
  • SF’s Easter In the Park & Hunky Jesus Contest – The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to host their Annual Easter in the Park and celebrate their 46th Anniversary ON EASTER SUNDAY! Apr 20, 2025
  • Earth Day 2025– Earth Day’s 2025 theme: OUR POWER, OUR PLANET™ – commit to harnessing renewable energy to build a healthy, sustainable, equitable, and prosperous future for us all; let us commit to Renewable Energy Now. Apr 22, 2025
  • Opening Day On The Bay Boat Parade & Blessing of the Fleet – the annual Opening Day on the Bay typically shows off over 100 historic workboats, fireboats, towboats, and classic and contemporary craft. Some boats will be decorated to this year’s theme, “Rockin’ on the Bay.” This theme is open to many interpretations of anything associated with music. Apr 27, 2025
  • Dutch “King’s Day” Windmill Festival in Golden Gate Park –  The Dutch community in San Francisco celebrates the annual celebration that traditionally colors the Netherlands orange: King’s Day! Dutch King’s Day San Francisco is a day where we celebrate the birthday of the Dutch King, Willem Alexander van Oranje. You can call it a phenomenal street party where a crowd of over 3,000 young and old has “range fever.”” Here is music, multiple “y ” pical DDutch’activities, and food trucks that offer “y “pical “Dutch delicacies. Dutch King’s Day San Francisco is a day not just for Dutch expats or Americans but a celebration to share with the Dutch San Francisco Bay Area community and beyond. TBD

May

  • Taiwanese American Cultural Festival – Since 1993, the Taiwanese American Cultural Festival has grown into an annual landmark event for the Bay Area community, drawing thousands of visitors worldwide to experience Taiwan’s unique cultural heritage and recognize the contributions of Taiwanese Americans today. May 10, 2025
  • Carnaval Festival – Carnaval San Francisco is an annual event that celebrates the rich cultural diversity of the Mission District. The festival was founded in 1978 by artists who shared a love for Latin, Caribbean, and Afro-Diasporic music. Since then, it has become a vibrant celebration showcasing the community’s music, dance, and art. The festival features a grand parade and a festival with live music, dance performances, food, and arts and crafts. The sounds of salsa, samba, soca, mariachi, merengue, cumbia, and reggae music, among others, are heard throughout the event. In recent years, modern sounds such as funk, bachata, dancehall, hip-hop, Afro-beats, and reggaeton have also been added to the mix. May 24-25, 2025
  • Union Square in Bloom – See the Union Square neighborhood bloom in front of your eyes with larger-than-life floral arrangements exploding with color and cheer. This is a perfect photo opportunity for the gram. The event starts on Sunday, just before Mother’s Day.

Jun

  • Union Street Festival – Union Street Festival in the historic Cow Hollow District has a long-standing tradition of connecting the community and, more than ever, looks to build back the neighborhood atmosphere of San Francisco. We believe in creating a space for diversity, unity, and inclusion to allow for a safe gathering of local artists, musicians, and families while charting a path forward of sustainability and reducing the event’s overall carbon footprint. TBD
  • Yerba Buena Gardens Festival – Nearly 100 artistic, cultural, and community events occur from May through October at the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival. Events include popular and operatic music series, cultural festivals, dance performances, international music concerts, visual art exhibits, theater, and spoken word performances.
  • Juneteenth Festival – Juneteenth celebrates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States when African Americans in Texas were told of their freedom over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. The San Francisco festival is the largest gathering of African Americans in Northern California, which began in the early 1950s when Wesley F. Johnson Sr., once owner of the Texas Playhouse on Fillmore Street, invited all Bay Area African Americans to celebrate Jun 19 in his lounge. Jun 15, 2025
  • North Beach Festival – The North Beach Festival is held in the historic North Beach District, known to locals and visitors alike as San Francisco’s Little Italy and the home of the famed beat generation, including notable figures like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg and the poet and publisher behind City Lights Bookstore, Lawrence Ferlinghetti. The North Beach Festival spans numerous quaint streets in the heart of the district, including Grant Avenue, Green Street, Vallejo Street, and Columbus Avenue. TBD
  • Bernal Heights Summer Solstice Stroll – The Bernal Business and Artist Alliance is thrilled to announce its highly anticipated Summer Solstice Stroll, a vibrant event showcasing talented musicians and local merchants along Precita Park and Cortland Avenue. As part of this exciting occasion, the Summer of Music will officially kick off, presenting a series of musical performances in collaboration with the Civic Joy Fund and Noise Pop. Get ready to immerse yourself in the enchanting melodies of San Francisco’s vibrant music scene! TBD
  • Stern Grove Festival—The Stern Grove Festival opens in a new window. It celebrates the season of free Sunday concerts featuring renowned music and dance groups in a beautiful outdoor theater in the heart of San Francisco. Jun 15– Aug 17, 2025

Jul

  • Fourth of July Celebration at The Pier—Join the annual waterfront party at PIER 39 for dazzling fireworks, local bands, food, and arts and crafts, perfect for the entire family. Don’t forget to bring a jacket; the fireworks begin around 9:30 pm, weather permitting.
  • Free Shakespeare in the Park: Every summer, the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival presents a series of free outdoor performances of one of Bard’s plays in various parks throughout the city. TBD
  • Orchids in the Park – San Francisco Orchid SSociety’s Orchids in the Park will be at the County Fair Building in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. TBD

Aug

Sept

  • Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema – Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema presents free screenings of diverse local filmmakers’ works in neighborhood parks, playgrounds, and other community-friendly spaces to increase the exposure and recognition of local artists and to heighten appreciation by neighborhood and citywide residents while bringing the community together. Sept 4-6, 2025
  • Haight Ashbury Street Fair – the annual event has endured for over 40 years. During its existence, HASF has been awarded numerous “Certificates of Honor” from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the California Senate & the Bay Guardian’s “Best of…” citations. TBD
  • A Taste of Greece – San Francisco’s Original Greek Festival “Taste of Greece” returns with aromas of freshly made Spanakopita, Moussaka, Gyros, and other Greek specialties filling the vibrant Mission district. Enjoy live Greek music, dancing, delectable treats, wine tasting, shopping, and a kids’zone. The event is easily accessible via public transportation, and parking is available. Admission is free! We hope to see you celebrate Greek culture at San Francisco’s original Greek festival. TBD
  • Annual Chinatown Lion Dance Festival – Vibrant lion dance parades take place on Grant Ave.. (between Sacramento and Jackson Sts.), bringing luck and cultural spectacle. TBD
  • Free National Parks Day – National Public Lands Day,y Sept 27, 2025
  • Fiesta on the Hill – BBHNC’sannual street fair and fundraiser that gets amazing…even after 30 years. Join us for a fulfilled day with local vendors and artisans, great food, bands, a costume parade with a marching band, fun rides for the children, and so much more. This is a great way to meet your neighbors and enjoy a day in the special community we call Bernal Heights. TBD

Oct

  • Castro Street Fair – Founded in 1974 by Harvey Milk, Join Us on the First Sunday of October at the Intersection of Castro and Market Streets. TBD
  • Fleet Week – Get Ready for an Action-Packed San Francisco Fleet Week: Two Weekends of Thrilling Sights and Sounds Await! Experience the Spectacular Waterfront Show featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, and Keep Your Eyes Peeled for SSF’s Very Own Blue Angel Flying High Above Their Hometown. Oct 5-13, 2025
  • Italian Heritage Parade – The San Francisco Italian Heritage Parade is an annual event celebrating Columbus Day: It’s the city’s oldest civic event and the nation’s oldest Italian American Parade, dating back to 1868. The parade starts at 12:30 pm at the foot of Jefferson and Powell Streets in Fisherman’s Wharf. It proceeds south through North Beach on Columbus Avenue and ends in Washington Square before Saints Peter and Paul Church. Parade viewing is available throughout the entire route. The first wave of Italian immigrants arrived in San Francisco in the 1850s during the Gold Rush. By 1850, there were 229 Italians living in San Francisco. Those who came for the Gold Rush quickly moved to buy land or work in service industries rather than stay in the mines. Oct 12, 2025
  • Indigenous Peoples Day – A celebration of San Francisco Indigenous Peoples Day at Yerba Buena Gardens with Native American art, music, and vendors. The program highlights the vastly diverse and talented community of Indigenous artists in the Bay Area, California, and beyond. TBD
  • Potrero Hill Festival – The Potrero Hill Festival is a one-day street fair in San Francisco, California. A fundraiser for the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, a local community center. TBD
  • Sunday Streets “Phoenix Day” Block Party Day – The 4th Annual Sunday Streets Phoenix Day, with over a dozen community-led block parties and activities happening across the city. TBD
  • SSF’s Annual Sandcastle Classic – Leap Sandcastle Classic: Giant sand sculptures, music, and food at Ocean Beach. Oct 25, 2025
  • Wharf Fest – Wharf Fest is a free, annual festival held in San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood. The festival features maritime-themed activities, a chowder competition, and other events. TBA

Nov

  • DAY OF THE DEAD (DIA DE LOS MUERTOS) – The Day of the Dead includes a 7 pm procession starting at Bryant & 22nd St., plus candle-lit altars in Garfield Park (26th and Harrison, 4–11 pm) to honor the departed. TBD
  • THE GREAT DICKENS CHRISTMAS FAIR – This fair revives the traditions of an old English Victorian Christmas with theaters, a music hall, dance parties, taverns, shops, stalls, food, street vendors, and period costumes. Weekends TBD
  • San Francisco International Auto Show – San Francisco Chronicle International Auto Show presented by Golden 1 Credit Union. TBD
  • ILLUMINATE SF – More than a dozen permanent and temporary eco-friendly light art installations transform San Francisco nights into a citywide light gallery. Tours and events based on these public art installations invite visitors to “embrace the power of light.” TBA
  • TREE LIGHTING CELEBRATION: UNION SQUARE – Expect crowds at Macy’s Union Square tree lighting, which begins with a ceremony and singers. Free. The entertainment starts at 6 pm. The tree will be adorned with over 1500 ornaments and lit at 6:40 pm. TBA

Dec

  • Bernal Heights Holiday Stroll – from 5:00 to 7:00 (BBAA hosting) with festive tree lighting and caroling. TBD
  • Ogden Tree Lighting – Support Ogden Avenue Gardens. TBD
  • SantaCon SF – Your favorite holiday bacchanal celebration. Dress up as Santa, Mrs. Claus, or your favorite holiday character, and join us at Union Square in San Francisco!!! Dec 13, 2025

Calendar – Bernal Heights and Beyond