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The Presidio of San Francisco is a giant park with great views of the Golden Gate Bridge that locals know as a great outdoor hangout spot. And in the summer of 2023, it has several events and happenings that add even more to its natural allure.
Free Community Events Including Live Music & The First-Ever Brewfest
All summer, there are community and cultural events featuring live music, dance, hands-on activities, art, performances at Presidio Tunnel Tops and the Main Parade Lawn and its first brewfest.
The season kicks off Memorial Day weekend with Music Makers: Bands Behind Barbed Wire on Saturday, May 27, 1-3 p.m. This afternoon concert features jazz drummer Akira Tana, along with renowned vocalist and bassist, Bruce Hamada and taiko master, Jimi Nakagawa. Inspired by the music and life of interned Japanese American musician George Yoshida the concert is presented by the National Japanese American Historical Society at Presidio Tunnel Tops’ East Meadow.
The San Francisco Amateur Astronomers offer stargazing parties on the Main Parade Lawn on May 27 and June 24 (check their website for times). In celebration of Pride month, contemporary dance company FACT/SF brings site-based, Queer Athletic Futurity (QAF) dance performances on to Presidio Tunnel Tops on June 4 and June 11.
The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and Headlands Brewing presents the first ever Parks4All: Brewfest on Saturday, July 29 at the Civil War Parade Ground, with all proceeds benefitting the parks.
The annual Chuseok (Korean Harvest) Festival presented by the Korean Center, Inc. returns to the Main Parade Lawn on September 30. National Park Rangers offer drop-in campfire talks at the Presidio Tunnel Tops campfire circle, daily from 4-4:30 pm through Labor Day.
Every second Sunday from June through October there is live music, dance, performances, and hands-on activities curated by it community partners in an event called Sunday Afternoons. The season kicks off with FACT/SF’s “Fantastic Field Day” on June 11, a radically queer, intentionally inclusive and accessible sports gathering. The event will include a performance by CHEER SF and a fun opportunity to learn various sports skills.
The second iteration of Ancestral Futurism: Looking Back to Repair the Future showcases the work of a new emerging Bay Area artist with a launch event on August 13. On September 10, World Arts West, the producers of San Francisco’s Ethnic Dance Festival, will curate a day of multicultural dance performances.
And on October 8 during Fleet Week a veteran’s band will greet visitors with live music as they arrive to enjoy the airshow. More information about these events will be released at a later date.
Presidio Pop Up Food
Presidio Pop Up features daily mobile food vendors serving the diverse cultures and cuisines of the Bay Area seven days a week. Presidio Pop Up is located in and around the Presidio Tunnel Tops and Main Parade Lawn. Hours extend to 9 am to 4 pm weekdays and 9 am – 5:30 pm on weekends starting June 1.
New vendors will join the rotating roster of more than 35 vendors, with creative and tasty cuisine from Mexico, Algeria, Bulgaria, Indonesia, El Salvador, Pakistan, and so many more points around the globe.
Picnic areas in the Presidio abound, including Picnic Place with group tables and grills reservable via recreation.gov. The tables range in length from 16 to 23 feet, are wheelchair accessible, and are shaded by Torrey pines. There are many other free, first-come-first-served picnic areas at Presidio Tunnel Tops and around the park, including tables by the Presidio Transit Center, and other picnic tables, benches, grassy lawns, and moveable seating throughout the site – all featuring views of the Golden Gate and Bay. If Karl the Fog rolls in, not to worry there is free indoor seating at the Pavilion at the Transit Center (open daily 9am-5pm).
Presidio Park Attractions – Tunnel Tops & Battery Bluff
The national park site is 1,491 acres of popular attractions like the Presidio Tunnel Tops, enjoying its one-year anniversary this July 16, and plenty of areas that offer a more secluded and natural feel—especially during a mid-week visit.
A visit to Battery Bluff, completed one year ago, reveals surprising views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Crissy Field, and the waterfront, as well as restored gun batteries that illustrate the history of the Presidio’s role in the U.S.’s turn-of-the-century western coastal defense. Picnic tables, paths, overlooks, benches, and gardens make this a prime area for relaxation.
Download the self-guided map and follow the Tennessee Hollow Watershed all the way from its origin at Inspiration Point, through El Polín Spring to the Bay at Quartermaster Reach, on a boardwalk and trail through native plant communities that draw hundreds of bird species to the Presidio each year. San Francisco’s only freshwater lake, Mountain Lake, features dog-friendly trails, spacious lawns, and a playground.
The Presidio’s website is: The Presidio | San Francisco National Park at the Golden Gate
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