Manager’s Messages

Calvin Jeng via SFCMA

Get ready for the 35th Annual Autumn Moon Festival. This highly anticipated event will take place on Saturday, September 27, and Sunday, September 28, 2025, from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. The festival will take place on Grant Avenue, between California and Broadway, where attendees will see a variety of exciting activities, including arts and crafts vendors, delicious food stalls, live music, local contemporary entertainment, mooncakes, lion dancing, and more. 

The festivities will kick off on Saturday (9/27/25) with a grand parade at 11:00 am, led by Mayor Daniel Lurie, beauty queens, cultural performers, and lion dancers. Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the Yau Kung Moon Association will present a lion dance and martial arts performance, setting the stage for a day filled with diverse and exciting entertainment. 

The 2025 theme is Monkey King to celebrate this mythical character known as Sun Wukong. The Monkey King will make a special appearance at this year’s Autumn Moon Festival along with acrobatic followers of the Shaolin monks on both Saturday and Sunday. The Monkey King, a central character in the 16th Century Chinese novel Journey to the West, is a powerful, mischievous, and rebellious figure. Born from a magical stone, he possesses supernatural abilities, including immense strength, shapeshifting, and the ability to travel vast distances in a single bound. His presence at the Autumn Moon Festival is a celebration of this rich cultural heritage. 

For more information please visit the link below:

https://sf.funcheap.com/sfs-chinatown-autumn-moon-festival-2025-sept-27-28-2/

Imagine a bright, open waterfront space at the heart of San Francisco’s most visited neighborhood. The new 5,000-square-foot plaza at Fisherman’s Wharf will feature sweeping, wave-shaped seating, picnic tables, and benches that look out over the colorful fleet of Monterey fishing boats in the inner lagoon. String lights will hang overhead, and new signage will celebrate the Wharf’s rich history and the city’s fishing heritage, creating a spot that is as vibrant as it is welcoming.

The project, part of a $10 million initiative called Fisherman’s Wharf Forward, aims to revitalize Taylor Street, Jefferson Street, and the inner lagoon, reconnect visitors to the working fishing waterfront, and give locals and tourists a fresh reason to enjoy the area. The upgrades also come as the city prepares to host World Cup games in the summer of 2026, giving visitors an even bigger reason to explore the Wharf.

The new plaza and nearby improvements will include:

• Picnic tables, bay-facing seating, and wave-like sculptures
• Pop-up space for food, drinks, or retail
• String lights, landscaping, and wind screens
• Signage highlighting the Wharf’s fishing history
• A new inner lagoon overlook along Al Scoma Way with lighting to showcase the historic Monterey fishing fleet
• Ice machines and harbor upgrades for local fishers
• New entertainment zones nearby, including one at Pier 39
• Long-term resilience projects including seawall strengthening, flood-proofing, and sea level rise protections
• Reactivation of nearby shuttered restaurants including Fisherman’s Grotto #9, Everett & Jones BBQ, Chasca Rio, and Castagnola’s

Alioto’s Restaurant is slated to be demolished in late 2025, with construction on the plaza scheduled to begin in early 2026. The Port hopes to have the space open and welcoming to the public by summer 2026.

City leaders say the upgrades will not only boost tourism but also bring life back to one of San Francisco’s most iconic neighborhoods. For local fishermen and businesses, it is about reconnecting visitors to the working waterfront, a place where you can see the boats, meet the fleet, and enjoy fresh seafood right at the source.

By summer 2026, Fisherman’s Wharf will hopefully look brighter, more welcoming, and better connected to its roots as the heart of San Francisco’s waterfront just in time for the World Cup.

For more information please visit the following link

https://sf.funcheap.com/city-guide/fishermans-wharf-10-million-makeover/

The annual Haight Ashbury Street Fair brings thousands of people to Haight Street between Stanyan and Masonic to shop over 200 outdoor vendors including food, green businesses, local artists, clothing, crafts, non-profits and more.

2025 Haight Ashbury Street Fair

Sunday, September 7, 2025 | 11 am to 5:30 pm

Haight Street (Stanyan to Masonic), SF
FREE

Music & Performer Schedule – TBD

HAIGHT STREET SKATE JAM – BELVEDERE ST.

Children’s Alley – with San Francisco Rock Project Stage, Mobile Library & Jumpy House

All generations are welcome.

MUSIC • ARTS • FOOD • CRAFTS  BEER • WINE • COCKTAILS

For more information please visit the link below:

https://sf.funcheap.com/haight-ashbury-street-fair/

A huge win for Moscone and Chase Center – SF lands “Pokémon XP” and the World Championships finals coming August 2026

San Francisco will host Pokémon XP, a new official fan event running alongside the 2026 Pokémon World Championships, at the Moscone Center from Aug. 28-30, 2026.

The event will offer panels, workshops, special guests, and a pop-up Pokémon Center store with exclusive merchandise. Pokémon XP will replace some of the typical fan attractions at the World Championships, including art exhibits and meet-and-greets.

Championship Sunday: For the first time, the finals will take place at the Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors.

Tickets:

• Multi-day passes: $120-$150 for adults, $70-$100 for kids under 18
• Multi-day + arena experience passes: $150-$180 for adults, $90-$120 for kids under 18
• Single-day passes: $90 / 120 adults (with arena experience), $70 / $100 kids (with arena experience)

Tickets go on sale Sept. 17, 2025, with a second wave the following day.  Single-Day Passes will be available in Spring 2026.

Read more at Pokemon . H/t: Polygon and SF Chronicle

For more information please visit the following link

https://sf.funcheap.com/city-guide/official-pokmon-convention-coming-sf/

The San Francisco Zoo, Northern California’s largest zoological park and conservation center, periodically offers free admission for San Francisco residents.

When is the next free zoo day for SF residents?

– Next verified free day – Tuesday, August 19, 2025 

The free days are often the first or second Wednesday of the month. However, dates often announced on VERY short notice with as little as 24 hours in advance and sometimes months are skipped altogether.

This urban oasis, nestled against the Pacific Ocean, provides a comfortable climate all year round.  You’ll enjoy seeing the 250 different animal species in naturalistic surroundings, along with their many zoo activities and events.

San Francisco Zoo Free Day
Hours 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. – Last Entry 4 pm (time changes seasonally)
Great Highway, between Skyline and Sloat Boulevards, next to the Pacific Ocean.
FREE for SF residents only (valid ID required)

> Arrive Early: Last admission to the Zoo on a free day is typically one hour before closing time

You must be a resident of San Francisco and bring one of the following:

• A valid driver’s license
• A valid identification card
• A utility, phone or other local bill that has your name and address, along with a current, valid photo I.D.

Parking in the main lot is $11. Free street parking is available along Sloat Blvd. A pedestrian drop-off area is located on Sloat Blvd. and 47th Avenue with a grand walkway leading directly to the main entrance.

Cost: FREE*

*Free admission offer only valid to San Francisco residents with valid ID, subject to capacity. Admission into the zoo ends one hour before closing time for non-members. (For members admission ends 30 minutes before closing time.)

For more information please visit the following link

https://sf.funcheap.com/sf-zoo-free-admission-day-august-2025/

For more information please visit the following link https://missionrock.com/events/