Posted on February 9, 2026 by jeffgarcia
The Japanese Tea Garden provides visitors from around the world with an opportunity to experience the natural beauty, tranquility, and harmony of a Japanese-style garden in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.
Originally created as a “Japanese Village” exhibit for the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition, the Japanese Tea Garden endures as one of the most popular attractions in San Francisco, featuring classic elements such as an arched drum bridge, pagodas, stone lanterns, stepping stone paths, native Japanese plants, serene koi ponds, and a zen garden. Cherry blossom trees bloom throughout the garden in March and April.
Admission to the Japanese Tea Garden is free for San Francisco residents with valid ID. Free hours for everyone (even non-residents) are 9-10 am every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
For more information, please visit the following link
https://sf.funcheap.com/japanese-tea-gardens-free-admission-hour-golden-gate-park-349/
Posted on February 5, 2026 by jeffgarcia
Named one of the world’s top ten parades, the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco is the largest celebration of its kind outside of Asia. It was started in the 1860s and takes place the weekend of the Chinese New Year Community Street Fair (March 7-8, 2026).
2026 Chinese New Year Parade
Saturday, March 7, 2026 | 5:15 – 8 pm – rain or shine
Chinatown, San Francisco
FREE standing room (bleacher seats start at $48 for 2026)
Parade is approximately 1.3 miles in length and lasts about 2 1/2 hours.
A crowd favorite will be the new and spectacular 288-foot Golden Dragon (“Gum Lung”). It takes a team of over 180 men and women from the martial arts group White Crane to carry this dragon throughout the streets of San Francisco.
2026 Parade Route
The parade starts off at 2nd and Market Streets, goes around Union Square, and ends at Kearny Street & Columbus Ave. The distance of the parade route is approximately 1.3 miles. The parade is a free event for all to attend and you may stand anywhere on the parade route, behind the barricades, to watch the parade.
The entire parade route is an excellent place to view the parade but it does get more crowded as you get closer to Chinatown. If you purchased bleacher tickets, we strongly encourage you to check-in to your assigned section by 4:00 PM. Please note that SFPD will begin closing streets around 3pm and we are not responsible for any delays this may cause you to arrive to your assigned bleacher section on time.
Posted on January 26, 2026 by jeffgarcia
The former Bloomingdale’s on Mission Street is getting a major makeover with a massive public mural, This Burning World, by Mississippi Choctaw/Cherokee artist Jeffrey Gibson. Stretching 433 feet long and 66 feet high, the vinyl installation covers the building’s windows and brings a bold, colorful presence to SoMa. The mural will be unveiled February 2, 2026 and will remain on view for at least a year.
The work builds on Gibson’s 2022 video installation This Burning World, which featured footage from upstate New York and the Bay Area. Stills from the original piece are reimagined into a city-block-long tapestry that blends modernist abstraction with Indigenous patterns, creating a vibrant celebration of nature and humanity’s connection to the environment.
Installation is already underway with a team using lifts and scaffolds, turning the former retail facade into a dynamic public artwork. The mural is part of ICA San Francisco’s push to operate as a nomadic institution, adding another colorful stop to the city’s growing collection of large-scale public art.
For more information, please visit the following link
https://sf.funcheap.com/city-guide/sfs-brand-massive-cityblocksized-mural/
