“San Francisco in the Spring” may not quite have the ring of “Paris in the Spring”, but it is a great time of the year to be in the Bay Area. The weather’s getting warmer and a little more predictable, days are longer, which means San Franciscans want to get out and do something. And there are – as you might expect – a lot of things to do here. We could have listed 20 or 30 events but, as usual, we limit ourselves to what we think of as the 10 best things to do in SF in April, so that you can make the most of this month’s opportunities without going completely crazy.

Events & Activities in San Francisco This Month

1. GO TO A CONCERT (VARIOUS DATES)

Going to a concert can often be a great experience, particularly if you really like the band or artist. Every month we get some big acts coming to perform in the Bay Area and April is no different. In the early part of the month Tokyo Tea Room are playing the Rickshaw Stop and the Strokes are playing the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Then later in the month Bruce Springsteen plays the Chase Center. Finally, Lily Allen will take to the stage at the Masonic Auditorium at the end of the month for a set that is not to me missed.

Obviously, if these artists aren’t your thing, there are dozens of others to choose from.

More information here.

2. CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL (APRIL 11-12 AND 18-19)

San Francisco stages a massive binational, bicultural celebration every year to coincide with the blooming of the beautiful cherry blossom and it’s always one of the best things to do in SF in April.

There are hundreds of artists from the Bay Area and Japan, gathering here for the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival, sharing their passion and craft. What does that mean? Sword displays, origami workshops, music and calligraphy classes and cherry blossoms of course, amongst many other fun stuff. This year organizers are expecting about a quarter of a million visitors over the two weekends.

More information here.

3. SAN FRANCISCO ART FAIR (APRIL 16-19)

Art Market SF has partnered with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco to invite you to view – and potentially buy – some great new art. The market, based on the waterfront opposite Alcatraz at Fort Mason, features a hugely impressive selection of contemporary and modern pieces, from more than seventy-five contemporary art galleries. If you’re an art lover this is definitely one of the best things to do in SF in April.

More information here.

4. SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (APRIL 24-MAY 4)

Perhaps surprisingly this is the longest-running film festival in all the Americas. It’s a fantastic showcase of cinematic discovery, usually held in the Castro District, and a major cultural event in the Bay Area. It features documentaries, narrative shorts and feature films from all over the U.S. and around the world. A must do if you’re a cinephile and you’re in town!

More information here.

5. VISIT AN AMAZING MUSEUM FOR FREE (VARIOUS DATES)

For several days of the month – and for certain people on every day of the month – some SF museums are free. We have great museums – you should make the most of these opportunities.

Exploratorium: free admission for EBT cardholders and San Francisco Medi-Cal or CalFresh recipients. Also free for California public school teachers.

SF Botanical Gardens: free admission second Tuesday of every month.

Japanese Tea Gardens: free Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9-10 am.

De Young Museum: free first Tuesday of every month, also free every Saturday for Bay Area residents.

SFMOMA: free first Thursday of the month for Bay Area residents.

Legion of Honor: free Saturdays for Bay Area residents and free Tuesday’s for all.

Cable Car Museum: free every day, and one of the most interesting museums in all of San Francisco.

Other museums well worth visiting:

The Walt Disney Family Museum

California Academy of Sciences

Museum of the African Diaspora

6. CESAR CHAVEZ PARADE & FESTIVAL (APRIL 11)

Join thousands of Bay Area residents, families, schools, religious groups, labor unions and community organizations in celebration of Cesar Chavez’s huge legacy. Over the years the SF parade and festival has become one of the largest events honoring Chavez in California.

The Mission District is always a great place to visit, but that’s especially true on this day, since the neighborhood is the spiritual heart of the Latino community in the city. Every year this is one of the best things to do in SF in April.

More information here.

If you want to explore the Mission District, learn about its long history AND try some of the neighborhood’s delicious food, we have a Sunday lunch-time tour of the neighborhood, the SF Food + History + Art tour, that runs every week. The tour encompasses all the best elements of this fascinating neighborhood in one fun afternoon.

7. GO TO THE BALLET (VARIOUS DATES)

The San Francisco Ballet is presenting their 2025-6 season, with productions La Sylphide and Mere Mortals taking the stage. Ballet (and Opera) has been in the news recently (thanks to Timothee Chalomet), so why not see a show and show you care :-) .

The program encompasses Artistic Director Tamara Rojo’s ongoing aspiration to define the future of ballet, with a nod to innovation and a reverence for tradition. Expect the best in classical and contemporary ballet, with high drama and heartbreaking narratives, Company premieres, and international collaborations at the intersection of fashion, music, and visual art. This season celebrates the legacies of ballet’s visionaries, fosters the voices of today’s most inventive dancemakers, and expands on SF Ballet’s classical lexicon.

San Francisco Ballet

More information here.

8. STAND-UP COMEDY SHOWS (VARIOUS DATES)

One of San Francisco’s best known underground stand-up comedy shows is back. Mr. Bing’s, in the North Beach neighborhood, has some of the best comedians in the Bay Area (and it’s a region known for its comedic talent). More information here.

For another North Beach comedy Club, try Cobb’s Comedy Club (website).

9. ENJOY JAZZ AT A HIDDEN TEAHOUSE (VARIOUS DATES)

Jazz is a true American art form. It was developed by African Americans in the Old South at the end of the nineteenth century, and now you can enjoy it here in San Francisco at a beautiful venue.

Experience the thrill of the unknown with our secret concert series, featuring new bands every Friday and Saturday. Discover a wide range of jazz styles, from 1920s swing to latin, funk, fusion, hip-hop, bossa, and original compositions. 

A little more about the location:

Located in the heart of SF’s famous Golden Gate Park, there’s a lovely boathouse known only to a few locals. Every Friday we transform this space into a non-conventional intimate music venue. Nearby you can start off your evening by visiting the best the Golden Gate Park has to offer.

More information here.

Golden Gate Park abuts the Haight Ashbury neighborhood, so why not use this opportunity to explore the area?

10. EXPLORE THE DARK SIDE OF SF (EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT)

San Francisco has a fascinating and unique criminal history. On this tour we begin by transporting guests back to the Gold Rush era, when Vigilance Committee’s took over “policing” of the city (which is where the term vigilante originates). Then we stroll through back alleys that were once red light districts in the nineteenth century to Chinatown, which was full of opium dens, brothels and gambling hellholes during that period.

Finally, we walk the streets of the infamous Barbary Coast, where sailors had to be wary of what they drank in the bars and dance halls, in case crimps would drug and shanghai them onto a ship leaving San Francisco for the East  (which is how the term was invented). And we haven’t even mentioned the Fatty Arbuckle Affair, the original Hollywood sex scandal (which is where the so-called ‘morality clause’ originated).

During the tour there are a couple of opportunities to visit some historic bars and speakeasies from those eras.

More information here.

If you have any feedback on the 10 Best Things to Do in SF in April please email us or reach out on social media, we’d love to hear from you.

– By Damien Blackshaw (Twitter)