February is a surprisingly good month in SF for events, there’s the Lunar New Year, Valentine’s Day, Sexplorations, beer and comedy festivals for God’s sake, NightLife AND numerous other things going on. It may only be the second month of the year, but we’re not hanging around in San Francisco, we aren’t wasting time – we’re creating amazing events. If you’re looking for guidance on what to do this month then check the list below, in our opinion these are the 10 best things to do in SF in February.

1. VISIT CHINATOWN FOR LUNAR NEW YEAR (FEBRUARY 4)

Take the opportunity of the Lunar New Year to visit one of the oldest, biggest and most vibrant Chinatowns in the U.S. The centerpiece Grand Parade is on February 4, celebrating the beginning of the year of Rabbit in 2023, and it’s one of the largest such events outside of Asia.

More information here.

2. CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH (ALL MONTH)

Black history is all around us here, but we often don’t see it. This is a great month to change that. San Francisco’s Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) is a wonderful place to visit to learn more about this very important topic. Be sure to visit the current exhibition The New Black Vanguard: Photography Between Art and Fashion, which showcases the work of fifteen contemporary Black fashion photographers from around the globe. There are lots of other events too, including documentary screenings, poetry readings, symposiums and talks. More information here.

Also check out More Than a Month at San Francisco Public Library, a celebration of Black history highlighting Black creators. The current exhibition emphasizes the theme of resistance, and includes film screenings, musical performances, panels and more. More information here.

3. GO TO A COMEDY FESTIVAL (TO FEBRUARY 5)

The popular annual comedy festival, SF Sketchfest, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month with two weeks of performances in venues across San Francisco. The festival is far from being purely sketch-comedy though, it’s a celebration of comedy in all of its forms including improv and stand-up performances, movie screenings, podcasts, special tributes, retrospectives, panel discussions and much more.

More information here.

4. GO TO A BEER FESTIVAL (FEBRUARY 10-19)

San Francisco Beer Week drops this month and it’s a special opportunity to explore some of the best craft beers the Bay Area has to offer. A myriad of large and small local breweries are putting on special promotions and events, including tap takeovers (whatever that may be), blind tasting challenges, parties and games. Best thing to do in SF in February? It’s up there.

More information here.

5. VISIT THE FERRY BUILDING (ALL MONTH)

The Ferry Building is one of the city’s most iconic buildings, serving as a hotspot for tourists and locals alike. It’s also a center for fun events too, including all sorts of nteresting pop-ups, a thrice-weekly farmers’ market, cooking demonstrations, yoga and food and wine events, amongst other things. 

More information here.

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

San Francisco has a fascinating and unique criminal history. On this tour we start off 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 red light districts in the nineteenth century. After that we explore Chinatown, hich 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 why ‘the morality clause’ was inserted into contracts).

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

More information here.

7. DISCOVER NATURE’S NAUGHTY SIDE WITH ‘SEXPLORATIONS’ (FEBRUARY 9)

San Francisco’s Exploratorium, on the waterfront at Pier 15, is always an exciting place to visit, but thisadults-only After Dark series is a must for the scientifically-curious. The events take place on Thursday evenings from 6-10 pm, with a different theme every week, featuring expert guest speakers, films and music. In addition to Sexplorations other episodes in the series include Wondrous Fungus (February 2), Science of Cocktails (February 9), Black Excellence, Black Invention (February 16) and Points of View (February 23).

More information here.

8. GET A NIGHTLIFE (FEBRUARY 2, 9, 16 AND 23)

NightLifeat the California Academy of Sciences is a popular ongoing event series. The Thursday night festivities feature DJ sets, live music, food, interesting cocktails, ambient lighting and a lot of culture and learning – alongside the institutions forty thousand animal residents. On February 2 Cafe Ohlone are creating a night of Ohlone culture (the Ohlone people were the original residents of the Bay Area), including food, teas and cocktails using traditional ingredients. 

More information here.

9. VISIT ONE OF OUR AMAZING MUSEUMS (ALL MONTH)

For several days of the month (and for some special people on every day of the month) many SF museums are free. We have great museums (partly because of all the rich people that have lived here) – 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.

10. GO TO A CABARET SHOW IN CHINATOWN (FEBRUARY 9 – MARCH 4)

The Great Star Theatre in Chinatown is hosting this cabaret, which is clearly adults-only (notice a theme here this month?) through March. It’s a show like no other – dancers, musicians, aerialists and others perform and share their most intimate fantasies in performances that will make you blush. Definitely one of the best things to do in SF in February – at least for Valentine’s Day!

More information here.

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

– By Damien Blackshaw (Twitter)