Is it worth spending spring in
San Francisco? For a city that largely stays sunny all year round, it's almost as if there's no major difference between the different seasons here, right? Well, not exactly! Springtime in San Francisco still comes with several events you won't see anywhere else. Check out the Cherry Blossom Festival in Japantown, for example, where you can truly immerse yourself in authentic Japanese culture surrounded by beautiful cherry blossoms. Restaurant Week is not to be missed too, especially if you're a foodie because this event lets you eat in many hotspots in the Bay Area at discounted prices. What's not to love?
See The Tulips at Union Square
What's the best part about spring in San Francisco (or anywhere else, for that matter)? The flowers blooming. Despite how big and busy a metropolis it is, San Francisco still has several spots filled with botanical bliss. One that's pretty famous is Union Square. Yes,
that Union Square, which is better known as a central cluster of department stores, luxury boutiques, and the like. It doesn't sound like a place where flowers blossom, does it? Well, come springtime, beautiful tulips color this concrete conclave of hotspots, practically turning it into a mini version of The Netherlands.
Don't Miss The Cherry Blossom Festival
Japantown isn't just one of the most popular
neighborhoods in San Francisco, but it's also one of the best places to spend springtime in the city. Well, it's a beautiful district no matter the time of year, but it's the liveliest every spring. Why? Because this is when Japantown holds its annual Cherry Blossom Festival. It's a two-weekend event where the locals show off their amazing culture, from fascinating arts & crafts to delicious cuisine. Don't forget about the cherry blossoms too! This is what the festival is all about, after all, and they're some of the most beautiful on the West Coast.
Enjoy Spring Restaurant Week
If you want to unleash your inner foodie in the Bay Area, you'll want to spend spring in San Francisco. Forget your vacation to Paris, Tokyo, or New York City. Those cities may be known as some of the world's finest food capitals, but San Francisco is one of the best places to eat come springtime. This is when the city hosts its Restaurant Week, an exciting event where some of the
finest restaurants in San Francisco offer the best deals and discounts. This is your best bet to discover the city's unique and diverse culinary scene at a more affordable price.
Run Like The Wind in Bay to Breakers
It's a shame that San Francisco's annual Bay to Breakers marathon isn't as famous as those in Boston, Paris, and the like. For over a century, locals and tourists alike have participated in this famous May event, which is also one of the most unique races in the world. Bay to Breakers doesn't just let people run on a seven-mile route throughout the city in spring in San Francisco. It also allows participants to run in their kookiest costumes, finest fashions, and some, even in the nude. You've likely never seen a marathon quite like it!
Have Fun at Carnaval
Held every last weekend of May, San Francisco's Carnaval is a smaller but equally colorful version of the famous festival from Brazil and the
Caribbean. Bombastic music and fantastic costumes dominate the streets of the city, livening up the entire metropolis and making everyone dance and sing. Unfortunately, this Bay Area bonanza doesn't have the lavish floats that make other Carnavals around the world more extravagant, but it's fun and exciting just the same. Even if you don't fancy yourself a dancer, you won't help but move to the groove when the parade passes by!
Check Out The City's Famous Film Festivals
Any cinephiles
moving to San Francisco ought to know that the city has a couple of film festivals worth checking out! They just so happen to be held every spring too. The first is the International Ocean Film Festival (IOFF), which mainly serves as a platform for marine enthusiasts to share more about what they love through film. Held every early April at the Fort Mason Center, the event mostly features movies that raise awareness of environmental issues surrounding marine ecosystems. Naturally, there's also the annual San Francisco International Film Festival, one of the longest-running events of its kind. From full-length features to short documentaries, the films shown here are worth checking out.
See an SF Giants Game
Whether you've lived in the city all your life or you just relocated here and the signature on the lease of your new
luxury apartment in San Francisco is as fresh as a daisy, living in this city means becoming a fan of the San Francisco Giants. And as a fan, you should know that spring in San Francisco always means going to the SF Giants' first game! The hometown team opens its season every April at Oracle Park, a waterfront stadium with some breathtaking views to boot. Even if you're not a baseball fan yourself, the ocean views alone are worth going to the game!
Party on St. Patrick's Day
The rest of the world, especially Ireland, celebrates or at least knows about St. Patrick's Day. It's not exactly a specifically
American national holiday, so why is it a notable event in San Francisco every spring? Well, because there's no other city that celebrates it quite like this one! From the parades to the pub crawls, locals go all out in celebrating St. Patrick's Day. It helps that the United Irish Societies of San Francisco also work hard to ensure that the parade, parties, and other events go off without a hitch every year.
From its own version of Carnaval to fascinating film festivals, there's a lot to look forward to in spring in San Francisco. You'd be surprised at how lively the city gets at this time of year, perhaps even more so than any other season.
