Spring has sprung—and with it, some mighty interesting events.
Whether you choose to be doused in colors with your friends, see rollerblading cows on Easter, hit up a '70s-inspired street fair or take an art walk in the Tenderloin, here's how to have some fun in the city over the next few months.
March 31: Holi Festival
Kick off the season with the Indian and Nepali spring festival of colors. The event signifies the end of winter, arrival of a new season and the victory of good over evil. It's a time to meet others, forget and forgive, and play; and there's no better way to celebrate than with the annual color fight, now in its 11th year. Douse yourself and your friends in multihued dust and dance and nosh at local food trucks. // Noon to 3pm, California College of the Arts, 1111 8th St. (SoMa), tickets ($0-$20) are available at sfholi.com.
March 31: Molten Glass, Metal Ice Casting & Fire Eating
Head to the annual spring open house at Oakland's The Crucible to delve into fire eating, optics in glass frame working, the role of physics and chemistry in mold-making techniques, casting metal into ice, creating your own copper charms, and more. There will also be an art show on display in a curated gallery with pieces from the Crucible's community. //12pm to 5pm, the Crucible, 1260 7th St. (Oakland), thecrucible.org
April 1: StreetBeats Hip Hop Fest
The Asian Art Museum opens for free today with an event exploring hip hop culture. There will be DJ workshops to learn to mix songs and make beats with instructors, live painters, an interactive hip hop dance lesson, and freestyle cyphers. When you need a pick-me-up, SF Coffee Cruiser will be on site with your caffeine fix at the ready. // 11am to 2pm, Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St. (Civic Center), asianart.org
April 1: Union Street Easter Parade & Festival
From wacky to fabulous, you can see everything from rollerblading cows to self-propelled mini floats, classic and art cars to chic fashions. There will even be an Easter bonnet contest, and lots of things to do for the kiddos like a bounce house, climbing wall, and petting zoo. // 10 am to 5 pm (Parade at 2 pm) Union Street, Gough to Fillmore, sresproductions.com
April 5: Castro Art Walk
Every first Thursday, Castro's galleries and shops stay open through the evening for special events like workshops and new exhibits. For this one, there will be some beauty pop ups, major discounts (up to 40% off!), and some seriously can't miss installations like a permanent piece at Brewcade by Kate Wakeman and a group of artists led by Don Fluitt. // 6pm to 9pm, castroartwalk.com
April 5: Trendyloin
Head to the Lower Polk / Tenderloin art walk to peruse 15-20 traditional galleries and retail spaces open late. Take in fine art and independent artists, while noshing on tasty eats from food trucks. // 6pm to 10pm, Polk & Larkin between Geary and Bush, lowerpolkcbd.com
(Courtesy of How Weird Street Faire)
April 7: Dog Fest
Dog lovers, this is for you. Watch cute pups compete for best trick, best costume, best ears, and more. There will also be a rescue zone for adoptions and lots of food from local vendors. // 11am to 4pm, Duboce Park (Duboce Triangle), mckinleyschool.org
April 7: Macy's Aromatherapy & Tea Party
For its 72nd annual flower show, Macy's fills its space with flowers, food, art and music. The first floor will be swathed in over 130 varieties of flowers, trees, and plants as well as a castle entrance complete with drawbridge, tower, and dragon. There will be a slew of free workshops including an essential oils course and DIY candle making. // 12 pm to 2 pm, Macy's, 170 O'Farrell St. (Union Square), macys.com
April 14: Sidewalk Arts & Crafts Show
Head to West Portal's 30th annual fine arts and crafts show to wander the neighborhood and take in work from over 40 artists ranging from photography to painting, ceramics to jewelry, and more. // 10am to 5pm, 32 West Portal Ave. (West Portal), pacificfinearts.com
April 14: Bouquet Market
Think the best of flea markets and maker fairs coming together in a single event. The Bouquet Market curates local vendors in a collection of handmade apparel, home goods, jewelry, art and gorg vintage pieces all at affordable prices. Best of all, it's in the heart of Fourth Street, so after perusing all the booths, you can pop into any of the other cute shops and tasty restaurants for a snack or dinner. // 4th St. (Berkeley),bouquetmarketplace.com
April 14-15: Cherry Blossom Festival
See the blooming cherry blossoms at one of the three remaining Japantowns in the United States, and take in traditional drumming and dance performances like classical Buyo and Minyo, as well as a slew of delicious eats. The grand parade will be held on April 22, beginning at 1pm starting from City Hall and concluding in Japantown. // 11am to 5pm, Japantown Peace Plaza (Japantown), sfcherryblossom.org
April 15: Irish-American Crossroads Festival
A literary, musical, and cultural fest, the annual Irish-American Crossroads will have a plethora of things to do from listening to virtuoso Irish fiddle player Tony DeMarco play some sweet tunes to hearing tales from the Peig Sayers, queen of Irish Storytelling. There will also be a mini film festival and more. // United Irish Cultural Center, 2700 45th Ave. (Outer Sunset), irishamericancrossroads.org
May 5: Cinco de Mayo Urban Dance Festival
See a number multitude of latino performances including turfing, traditional folkloric, Quebradita dancers, and banda as well as Chicano lowrider cars. There will also be tasty local eats and vendors.// 12pm to 9pm, Jack London Square (Oakland), facebook.com
May 6: Block Fest
The TL arts festival sources artist activators to provide free art making. See Adam Herbst creating sculptures assembled from found objects; and construct your own to add your piece. The unit block of Turk Street will be covered with free arts activities, cultural offerings, community info and discussion. // 3pm to 5 pm, CounterPULSE, 80 Turk St. (Tenderloin), facebook.com
May 6: How Weird Street Faire
Picture thousands of people in colorful costumes. In a celebration of peace for the disco ball, How Weird this year will be a parody of the 1970s—hello, bellbottoms, big collars and big hair. There will be dancing on 10 stages bumping electronic music, performances, tasty eats, visionary art, and unique vendors. // 12pm to 8pm, Howard St. and Main St. (SoMa), tickets ($15 advance tickets, $20 day of) are available at howweird.org
May 6: Sunday Streets
This is SF's official block party. On the 6th, the roving neighborhood celebration will take over the Tenderloin for a five-hour shindig, where streets are closed to vehicles. Get a banh mi and peruse the TL Museum or Larkin's Street's Tenderloin Community Garden to see the area in a new light. // 11am to 4pm, Larkin St., Ellis St., Jones St, and Golden Gate Ave., sundaystreetssf.com
