Huntington Falls hits your ears before your eyes as you make your way up, its gentle gargling drowning out any remaining distant car horns. McLaren, Golden Gate Park’s architect, was apparently inspired to build two waterfalls in the park (the second being Rainbow Falls) after hiking around Yosemite with John Muir. The manmade waterfall is fed by a pond atop the hill filled via an electric (and quiet) pump.
For more hikes in the Bay Area and around California, check out SFGATE Outdoors.
At over 400 feet, Strawberry Hill is the highest point in the 1,000-acre park. From the crest, the view takes in the Golden Gate Bridge and Mount Tamalpais and stretches over the bay to Mount Diablo in the east.
While the hill is not huge, there are numerous trails that circle it, together making up a 2-plus-mile route for runners.
Beach bonfire season returns to SF for the first time in four months: March 1 – October 31
For the first time in four months, it’s finally legal again to have a bonfire at Ocean Beach. During the “No Burn” Season (which runs from November 1 to the end of February), bonfires are not allowed, but starting March 1, 2025 bonfires are back through the end of October with a few conditions.
Ocean Beach Bonfire Season 2025 March 1 to October 31 | Allowed between 6 am and 9:30 pm only Ocean Beach fire rings between Stairwells 15 and 20 – Generally opposite Beach Chalet
FREE – first come, first serv
The National Park Service provides 16 fire rings/pits for Ocean Beach fires between Stairwells 15 and 20. The curfew each night is 9:30 pm.
Flower Bulb Day is coming to America. We will return on March 22, 2025, with a colorful display of more than 80,000 tulips that will cover Union Square in San Francisco. And you are invited to visit the square and pick your own bunch of tulips (there will be a maximum number of tulips per person; in 2024, it was 6 tulips).
80,000 Free Tulips Come to Union Square Saturday, March 22, 2025 | 1 pm to 4:30 pm* (expected time frame; 2025 times TBA) Union Square, San Francisco FREE (there is limited number of tulips per person)
Save the Date: March 22, 2025
Where: San Francisco’s Union Square (conveniently located near the Powell Street BART station). A large turnout is expected; attendees are encouraged to use public transportation.
Access to the garden is free and so are the tulips. However, a large crowd is expected, so be prepared to wait in line.
The 174th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Celebration hosted by the United Irish Societies is one of the city’s most popular parades & events. Join us on Saturday, March 15, 2025, for fun and celebration.
The Parade begins at the corner of 2nd & Market Street, marches down Market Street, and will make its way to Civic Center Plaza.
The St. Patrick’s Day Parade celebrates and showcases our Irish community, Irish culture, and character in all its forms. Featured groups from throughout the Bay Area’s Irish community including schools, youth organizations, labor unions, and cultural groups, as well as the San Francisco Police and Fire Departments, will march down Market Street.
Grab your puppy love and celebrate the paw-fect Valentine’s with us on February 23rd, 2025, from 11AM-5PM! Cupid’s Bow is ready, with pet-centric vendors to pamper your furry friend, Valentine’s activities everyone (pup included) will “dig,” and a chance to vote for San Francisco’s Ultimate Pup Contest to find the Pawsitively Cutest Pet in San Francisco!
Come have a barking good time and fall in love!
Local Pet-centric Vendors! Kissing Booth and Photo Ops DIY Valentines Pup Cup Race Small Dogs (20lbs or less): Race Begins at 12PM Big Dogs (21lbs or more): Race Begins at 1PM San Francisco’s Ultimate Pup Contest – Vote for the Pawsitively Cutest Pet in San Francisco and win a special prize sponsored by The Healthy Spot!
Pet-tastic Vendors Include:
Resilient Rover | Cody’s Cookies and Treats | Fozzie’s Kitchen Pezzy Pets | Jak + Phil | Woof Baked Goods Fiesta Paws | Disco Dog | Le Pawdrobe | BIBIM Paws What the Fur | Diamond Dogs Treatery | Spot N Knot Willis Dog Treats | Buds Bowl | RescueHaus The Pawzitive Company Healthy Spot | San Francisco SPCA Enter the San Francisco’s Ultimate Pup Contest on Instagram! Want your pup to compete for the title of Pawsitively Cutest Pet in San Francisco? Here’s how to enter San
Francisco’s Ultimate Pup Contest:
Follow @SPARKSocialSF on Instagram. Post a pic of your pup rocking their cutest outfit to your Instagram feed and stories. Tag @SPARKSocialSF in both your post and story. Comment on SPARK Social SF’s story saying: “Vote for me to be the Pawsitively Cutest Pet in San Francisco!” Contest Deadline: Enter by Thursday, February 20th, to be eligible. On the day of the event, guests can vote for their favorite pet by purchasing from any Pet-Centric Vendor! After making a purchase, they will receive a voting sticker to cast their vote for the Pawsitively Cutest Pet.
The San Francisco’s Ultimate Pup Contest voting will take place starting at 2:00pm on February 23rd, with the winner announced at 4:00pm. Contestants must be present to win.
San Francisco’s Esprit Park in the Dogpatch neighborhood has reopened following its first major renovation in 43 years. The $8.5 million renovationproject, led by the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department in partnership with UCSF and local organizations, modernized the park while maintaining its natural atmosphere.
The two-acre park now features two distinct meadows: a north meadow designated as an off-leash dog play area and a south meadow as a dog-free space for general recreation. An accessible concrete path now encircles and bisects the park, improving accessibility for walking and jogging. Picnic areas with new seating and tables have been added to each corner, along with more trees and plantings throughout the park.
Other upgrades include modernized adult exercise stations, with an additional fifth station installed to accommodate more users. A steel plaque has been placed at the park’s entrance at 19th and Minnesota streets to recognize donors and supporters of the project.
The renovation was funded through a combination of grants and development impact fees, including contributions from UCSF, the Dogpatch & NW Potrero Hill Green Benefit District, and city funds. Planning for the renovation began in 2017, incorporating community input, and construction started in early 2023.
Originally established in 1982 as a private park for employees of the Esprit clothing company, the space became a public park in 2001. Minor upgrades were made in 2005, but the recent renovation represents the most significant investment in the park to date.
With the Dogpatch neighborhood experiencing rapid growth in recent years (226% population boom between 2010 and 2020), the updated Esprit Park aims to provide an accessible and welcoming green space for residents, visitors, and their pets.
Welcome All-Star Weekend to the Bay with our official All-Star Tip-Off Party! Join family and friends at Thrive City as we celebrate the biggest names in the game and watch the Warriors play the Rockets on the big screen. Witness an immersive projection mapping light show that highlights NBA All-Stars past and present.
Don’t miss a live performance from P-Lo, snap All-Star photos at one of our themed photo opportunities, then grab a bite to eat at one of our many Thrive City retailers. It’s all happening on February 13 from 5PM to 9PM!
Entertainment Zone at Thrive City:
The Entertainment Zone at Thrive City, the district surrounding Chase Center, offers a vibrant experience for this event. Guests ages 21 and over may purchase to-go alcoholic beverages from participating Thrive City businesses to enjoy within the Entertainment Zone. Thrive City will activate the Entertainment Zone during the All-Star Tip-Off Party on February 13, 2025 from 5PM – 9PM. Click here to learn more.
Space is limited to first-come, first-served. Eventbrite registration is highly recommended. If the event is sold out, limited walkups may be available on the day of the event.
Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of San Francisco’s exhilarating Chinatown during one of the community’s most exciting times of the year. The Chinatown Community Street Fair takes place the weekend of the Chinese New Year Parade. At the fair, experience Chinese cultural arts such as Chinese folk dancing, opera, drumming and much more at the entertainment stage on Pacific St. below Grant Ave.
You will find over 120 booths and concessions making this a shopper’s paradise. The SF Chinese Chamber of Commerce has activities and entertainment for all ages. Make sure to get a family photo with the giant puppets, dragon and other memorable artifacts from the Parade!
Attendance at the two-day fair in the past has typically been around 500,000.
San Francisco’s Chinese New Year Parade on February 15, 2025 will feature a choreographed drone light show for the first time as part of its grand finale. The display will include 500 LED-lit drones flying above the Embarcadero, forming images related to Lunar New Year traditions and the Year of the Snake. The 10-minute show, scheduled to begin around 8:00 p.m. after the fireworks display, will be operated by a team of eight and launched from Pier 32. The drones will soar up to 600 feet and create formations up to 600 feet wide. Organized by Good Works Drone Shows, the display will be visible within a 5-mile radius, allowing views from high-rises and even the Bay Bridge
