June marks the official beginning of Summer and it’s also LGBTQ+ month, so SF Pride has to take (ahem) pride of place in our line-up of the best things to do in SF in June. Nevertheless, there are plenty of other good options for events and activities in the Bay Area. From street festivals, to true crime tours, via concerts and night tours of Alcatraz, with a quick detour for some star-gazing and sport-watching, we’ve got a lot of great ideas for things you can do in San Francisco this month

Events & Activities in San Francisco This Month

1. SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE (JUNE 24 AND 25)

SF Pride, as you might expect, is a key event for the city every year. It may be fifty years old – but it does look fabulous for its age. The Rainbow Flag was designed by Gilbert Baker for the 1978 Pride, as an example of the role SF has played in the development of LGBTQ+ rights, as well as making society just a little more tolerant than previously. This is one hell of a party too!

More information here.

2. NORTH BEACH FESTIVAL (JUNE 17 AND 18)

This San Francisco festival takes place in one of our nicest neighborhoods. North Beach is our Little Italy and has some of the city’s best restaurants, as well as being the spiritual home of the Beat Generation literary movement in the 1950’s (from which we get the terms “hippie” and “hipster”). Many of the streets are closed for the event and street markets and concerts stages take over the sidewalks and parks. Definitely one of the best things to do in SF in June.

More information here.

3. NOTORIOUS SF: SCANDAL & CRIME TOUR (EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT)

San Francisco has some fascinating criminal history and we’ll take you on a journey back in time to investigate it. Much of SF’s shady reputation dates from the Gold Rush era, when Vigilance Committees held public hangings on Portsmouth Square (which is where the term ‘vigilante’ originates). At that time much of the neighborhood around Union Square was a red-light district and Chinatown was known for opium dens, gambling hell-holes and parlor houses. And that’s before we even mention the infamous Barbary Coast, where sailors would be shanghaied to waiting merchant ships headed for the East often by the dozens.

Join us as we go on a cold-case investigation into San Francisco’s ghostly and ghastly past – and get cocktails in a couple of historic bars – every Saturday night at 6pm.

More information here.

4. SUNDAY STREETS (JUNE 4)

Sunday Streets is back this year with six events in SF. It’s a fantastic program that organizes traffic-free days in various neighborhoods around San Francisco, reclaiming the streets for residents and visitors so everyone can enjoy them, with fun and free activities. This month the event lands in the historic – and infamous – Tenderloin district, near Union Square.

More information here.

5. NIGHT TOUR OF ALCATRAZ (ALL MONTH)

The famous prison is an icon of San Francisco and a great place to visit, nowadays, but is night time maybe better than day? Sure, during the day you have the views across the Bay, but night is so much more atmospheric. The other advantage of going then is that the crowds aren’t so overwhelming as they can be during the day.

More information here.

6. FREE MUSEUM DAYS (ALL MONTH)

For several days of the month – and for certain people on every day of the month – many 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 everyday and one of the most interesting museums in San Francisco.

7. GO TO A CONCERT (VARIOUS DATES)

Seeing an artist that you really like perform live can be a really rewarding experience and San Francisco usually has all kinds of artists appearing, both stadium-friendly, niche and up-and-coming. Over the month of June John Legend, Blink 182, Jill Scott and Seal are all appearing in the Bay Area. Not to mention Elvis Costello and Erykah Badu and many others. You can even see a Beatle live in action, Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band are appearing at the Masonic on June 11.

8. VISIT THE CHABOT SPACE & SCIENCE CENTER (VARIOUS DATES)

As Oscar Wilde said, “we are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars”. The Cabot Space and Science Center in Oakland has all kinds of interesting events going on to help you keep looking up. There are free telescope viewings (weather permitting) on Friday and Saturday nights, from 7.30-10.30 pm. Believe it or not, but the three historic observatory domes are fully 1,500 feet above the bay and the micro-climate in Joaquin Miller Park is quite unique, often affording fantastic views of the cosmos.

More information here.

9. ENJOY SOME LIVE COMEDY (VARIOUS DATES)

It’s been scientifically proven that there’s nothing better for easing tension than a good belly laugh. It’s the secret to a long and healthy life. This month Margaret Cho is doing a couple of sets at the Palace of Fine Arts and Cobb’s Comedy Club’s Showcase always has some great stand-ups.

10. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (VARIOUS DATES)

The Giants home ground, right by the Bay at Oracle Park, has to be one of the most photogenic in the entire MLB and as recently as 2014 they won the World Series, so they must play some good baseball too. Why not enjoy a game while you’re in San Francisco?

More information here.

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

Also, for more general info on things to do in the Bay Area and California be sure to check SF Info, right here on our website.

– By Damien Blackshaw (Twitter)