The Bay Area is known for both its natural beauty and vibrant multicultural arts and festivities. Forested areas, mountainous peaks, and coastal environments provide a vast array of exciting outdoor experiences. During the summer, Bay Area visitors and residents have a range of activities to engage in, such as free outdoor concerts, sports events, hiking and biking, to name a few.
Whether you have recently completed a semester marked by diligence and hard work or have just been accepted into UC Berkeley and plan to arrive this summer, it’s time to experience some fun.
Check out these ideas for great activities to do when you are not in the classroom.
Get Festive
Golden Gate Park Band (April 28 – October 6)
Golden Gate Park, 501 Stanyan St., San Francisco
www.goldengateparkband.org
Yerba Buena Gardens Festival (May 1 – October 27)
Mission St. in between 3rd St. and 4th St., San Francisco
www.ybgf.org
Bites Off Broadway (May 10-October 11)
365 45th Street, Oakland
www.bitesoffbroadway.com
San Mateo County Fair (June 8-16)
2495 S. Delaware St., San Mateo
www.sanmateocountyfair.com
Point Richmond Summer Music Festival (June 14 – September 27)
Washington Ave. and Park Place, Richmond
www.pointrichmondmusic.com
Stern Grove Festival (June 16 – August 18)
Sigmund Stern Grove, 19th Ave., San Francisco
www.sterngrove.org
Temescal Street Fair Festival (July 7)
Telegraph Avenue between 51st and 42nd
www.temescaldistrict.org
Pedalfest (July 20)
Jack London Square, Oakland
www.jacklondonsquare.com/eventDetail.php?PedalFest-313
Oakland Art and Soul (August 3-4)
14th Street & Broadway, Oakland
www.artandsouloakland.com
Eat Real Festival (September 27-29)
Jack London Square, Oakland
www.eatrealfest.com
Be a Spectator
The schedule for the America’s Cup sailing competition, three months beginning on July 4, can be found here.
The schedule for the Oakland Athletics, an American League professional baseball team, can be found here.
The schedule for the San Francisco Giants, a National League professional baseball team, can be found here.
Get Outdoors
The Bay Area Hiker website offers a guide loaded with suggestions for great places to visit. Here are just a few to begin to inspire you:
North Bay / Marin
Marin Headlands: Gerbode Valley Loop
Robert Louis Stevenson State Park
East Bay
Las Trampas Regional Wilderness
Mission Peak Regional Preserve
Mount Diablo State Park: Mary Bowerman Interpretive Trail
Mount Diablo State Park: Mitchell Canyon-Eagle Peak Loop
Peninsula and South Bay:
