MAY 2 (FIRST TUESDAY)
FREE ADMISSION DAY, VARIOUS MUSEUMS
Conservatory of Flowers, Contemporary Jewish Museum, DeYoung Museum, Legion of Honor Museum, Museum of Craft and Design, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (please confirm with the museum calendar, as free days may vary).
MAY 3 (FIRST WEDNESDAY)
SF ZOO FREE ADMISSION DAY FOR SAN FRANCISCO RESIDENTS
A free day for all San Francisco residents. Proof of San Francisco residency is required and can be established by providing: a valid driver’s license, a valid identification card, or a utility, phone, or another local bill with your name and address, along with a current valid photo I.D. First free admission at 10:00 am. Last free admission at 3:00 pm.
1 Zoo Road, SF www.sfzoo.org/visit/tickets-hours.htm
MAY 6
CINCO DE MAYO
This celebration will showcase Mexican and Latin American cultures with a diverse array of food, music, dance, and artistry suitable for the entire family. Activities focus on retaining cultural traditions in the community. Artists will perform throughout the day, featuring traditional Mexican songs as well as salsa, Latin Jazz, Latin Rock, Pop, and other Latin styles. Over 65 vendors are expected to participate. This year will also see a Beer Garden for all attendees 21 and over. The festival is attended by an average of 6,000 people every year.
Hip and trendy Valencia Street between 21 and 24th Streets, 10 am-6 pm www.mncsf.org and www.sfcincodemayo.com
MAY 7 (FIRST SUNDAY)
FREE ADMISSION DAY, ASIAN ART MUSEUM
MAY 7
HOW WEIRD STREET FAIRE
Billed as a “Street Fair for the 21st Century,” this event includes nine stages of music spread over seven city blocks, food and merchandise vendors from around the world, and educational booths. This year’s focal points are the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love as well as the 18th ongoing historic countercultural gathering of How Weird.
Centered on Howard and Second Streets, noon-8 pm www.howweird.org
MAY 7 – OCTOBER 29
YERBA BUENA GARDENS FESTIVAL
This festival encompasses nearly 100 artistic, cultural, and community events from May through October in Yerba Buena Gardens. Events include popular and operatic music series, cultural festivals, dance performances, international music concerts, visual art exhibits, theater, and spoken-word performances.
415-543-1718 www.ybgf.org
UNTIL MAY 29
SAN FRANCISCO DECORATOR SHOWCASE
With 40 years of excellence in design and the decorative arts and 20,000 visitors annually, this event is nationally recognized as one of the premier showcase houses in the country. All the funds raised through the Decorator Showcase go directly to support the San Francisco University High School Financial Aid Program.
415-447-5830 www.decoratorshowcase.org
MAY 8-14
SFMade WEEK
SFMade presents a week-long celebration of San Francisco’s vibrant manufacturing sector. Discover locally made products, the people who make them, and where to buy them. The event features factory tours, demos, shopping events, and Ramp it Up!—a benefit for SFMade at Barebottle Brewing Company. SFMade is a non-profit that helps local manufacturers and their workers to make it in San Francisco.
Various locations throughout the City 415-408-5605 www.sfmade.org
MAY 11–JUNE 18
BEST of PlayGround
PlayGround, San Francisco’s incubator for a new generation of playwrights, caps off its season with the Bay Area’s largest celebration of new works for the stage: the annual PlayGround Festival of New Works.
Potrero Stage, 1695 18th St., 415-992-6677 www.playground-sf.org
MAY 19–21
2017 CROSSROADS FILM FESTIVAL
Founded by filmmaker Bruce Baillie in 1961, San Francisco Cinematheque is the Bay Area’s premier venue for avant-garde/experimental, underground, and personally expressive film and video work. In our steadfast dedication to exhibiting works of aesthetically radical cinema from all historical eras and geopolitical locales, San Francisco Cinematheque celebrates the breadth and depth of this vibrant art form.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art—Phyllis Wattis Theater www.sfcinematheque.org
MAY 21
BAY TO BREAKERS 12K RACE
Since 1912, tens of thousands of people have gathered in San Francisco to see the world’s largest footrace unfold as more than 70,000 (mostly) costume-clad runners, walkers, and colorful personalities make their way from San Francisco Bay, near the Embarcadero, to the Great Highway on the Pacific Coast’s Ocean Beach. Participants run up the brutal (when running) Hayes Street Hill, along the Panhandle, and through Golden Gate Park, while the city of San Francisco wildly cheers.
Starts at 8:00 am sharp, The Embarcadero to the Great Highway, 415-231-3130 www.baytobreakers.com
MAY 25–JUNE 11
SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL
Performances by more than 70 theater, dance, and music ensembles from the Bay Area and 10 countries unfold in the space of three weeks. The festival features a major art exhibition as well as multiple educational, residency, outreach, and family events.
Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture www.sfiaf.org
MAY 27–28
CARNAVAL SAN FRANCISCO
Celebrating its 39th anniversary, this is San Francisco’s version of Mardi Gras and one of the largest annual public events in the city. It features exotic Carnaval dancers with a mixture of Latino, jazz, samba, and Caribbean influences. An exciting parade on Sunday morning draws upon a broad cultural pageantry.
Watch a brilliant procession of contingents, most of which will feature beautifully adorned floats depicting rich multicultural themes and featuring performers. Experience global cuisine, international music, dance, arts & crafts, and other fun activities and entertainment on every street corner for the entire family.
Harrison Street between 16th and 24th Streets in the Mission
The Grand Parade will start on Sunday, May 28, at 9:30 am 415-206-0577 www.carnavalsanfrancisco.org