Free events in San Francisco, CA

This free outdoor children’s program from the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival features Eddie Madril, a dancer, singer, teacher, playwright, and filmmaker who focuses on the dance and culture of Plains Indian communities across southern Canada as well as North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. A co-founder of the Four Winds Native American Dance Company from 1983 to 2009 and a member of the Pascua Yaqui tribe of southern Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico, he has spent decades sharing Native traditions with audiences of all backgrounds. His engaging presentation introduces young attendees to the richness of American Indian dance, music, religion, history, art, and sign language in a way that is both captivating and informative. The program is offered in two sessions, with the second repeating the first, and is part of the festival’s Children’s Garden series.

Trixie Rasputin takes the stage at The Halfway Club in the Excelsior with a live set of rock and pop favorites from across the decades, accompanying herself on the house piano. Enjoy a rotating hot dog special with a cold Temescal Pilsner, or try options like Miso Maple Brussels and a Steakhouse Martini. Admission is free, and tips are appreciated.

Taking place each month, this event relies on volunteers. Those lending a hand are asked to arrive early.

An SFUR trail and habitat work party at the Laguna Honda Community Trail System brings people together to care for the pathways and surrounding habitat. The gathering begins at the SFUR container, then heads into the field for roughly two to three hours of hands-on maintenance. After the work session, participants return for pizza, beverages, and friendly conversation to recognize the progress made.

Excelsior Community Food Pantry offers free groceries to families in need every Saturday, regardless of weather. Volunteers are always appreciated, and people of all ages are welcome, including supervised children. Individuals or small groups can stop by without advance sign ups, while groups of about seven or more should coordinate a date with the organizers. The pantry sets up outdoors in the parking lot of the San Francisco Campus for Jewish Living, so dressing for the conditions is recommended, and drivers should park on the street since on site lots cannot accommodate volunteer parking. Arriving a little early leaves time for brief introductions and orientation. Anyone tracking service hours can bring a paper form to be signed by a Captain after clean up, or use a pilot volunteer platform to record hours digitally.

Celebrate Filipino and Filipino American arts and culture at the 33rd annual Pistahan, a free outdoor program presented as part of Yerba Buena Gardens Festival’s Weekend Sessions. Over two days, pavilions and stages showcase both traditional and contemporary expressions, including music, dance, visual art, crafts, cuisine and cultural artifacts. The festivities open with the annual Pistahan Parade, known as the largest Filipino parade on the West Coast. Entertainment spans cultural dance, hip hop, jazz and martial arts. A pop up food court features dishes from many of the region’s notable Filipino restaurants, and a trade expo highlights goods from the Philippines. Co presented by Pistahan Parade and Festival. For the full schedule, please check the event website.

Pistahan, now in its 33rd year, is a free outdoor celebration of Filipino and Filipino American arts and culture presented as part of Yerba Buena Gardens Festival's Weekend Sessions. Across two days, a mix of stages and pavilions features both traditional and contemporary expressions through music, dance, hip hop, jazz, martial arts, art, crafts, cuisine and artifacts. The festivities open with the annual Pistahan Parade, the West Coast's largest Filipino parade. A food court pop up serves dishes from many Filipino restaurants in the region, and an expo highlights products from the Philippines. Co-presented with Pistahan Parade and Festival.

Experience a fresh staging of Melinda Lopez’s Goddess DA From The Planet Yuronit as part of the PlayGround Free Play Festival at Potrero Stage. This new iteration builds on the 2024 Free Play Festival presentation and now incorporates live jazz and musicians from around the world to enrich the storytelling. The music aims to draw the audience into the narrative, creating a shared rhythm that heightens each moment. Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $10 to $30.

A free, outdoor celebration from Yerba Buena Gardens Festival turns the midday hour into a rich literary experience. Jessie Square comes alive with a carefully selected mix of poets and musicians, offering a refreshing break for neighborhood groups, students, people stepping out from nearby offices, and visitors eager for a calm pause from the city’s bustle. Curated by Nia Pearl, a poet, writer, and environmental justice advocate whose work connects art, activism, and public engagement. Her writing has appeared in Radicle magazine, the journal Meridians: feminism, race, transnationalism, The Town: An Anthology of Oakland Poets, and Painting the Streets: Oakland Uprising in the Time of Rebellion. She received the 2023 Nomadic Press/San Francisco Foundation Literary Awards. Presented in partnership with Museum of African Diaspora (MoAD). This program is part of the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Poetic Tuesdays series.

Challenge your knowledge at a free trivia night at Barebottle Brewing in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights. Teams can include up to six players, and prizes are up for grabs. Enjoy a drink, put your heads together, and aim for the win.

Enjoy a free weekly open mic in a cozy SOMA art studio where all kinds of creative voices are welcome. Hosted by the community arts nonprofit Decentered Arts, the evening features poetry, music, comedy, stories, visual art, theater, and more. Performers have up to three minutes, with in-person signups available and open throughout the night. A guitar, piano, projector, and a full PA with inputs for multiple instruments, phones, and laptops are provided, and supportive hosts are on hand. Select sets may be recorded for the Decentered Arts YouTube channel. The event takes place at Decentered Studio, a cozy space in the heart of SOMA that also showcases rotating art exhibits and other community gatherings during the week. Accessibility note: the studio is up a flight of stairs.

This free outdoor concert from the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival spotlights Brazilian choro, led by clarinetist and composer Alexandre Ribeiro with seven-string guitarist and composer Alessandro Penezzi. Originating in late 19th century Rio de Janeiro, choro blends African and European musical currents and has shaped styles from samba to Brazilian jazz through repeated revivals. Frequent collaborators on stage and in the studio, Penezzi and Ribeiro helped ignite the choro resurgence of the 1990s, maintain close ties with Bay Area admirers of Brazilian music, and will perform with several colleagues in a program rich in instrumental interplay. The event grows out of the community around California Brazil Camp, where leading Brazilian artists gather each summer and faculty often share their artistry at the Gardens. Previous seasons have featured acclaimed performers including Monica Salmaso, Teco Cardoso, Guinga, and Fabiana Cozza. Co-presented with California Brazil Summer Camp.

Part of the returning Summer Concert Series, this outdoor concert features Carnaval on the lawn at the Colma Community Center. Bring lawn chairs, blankets, and a picnic to relax on the grass and enjoy live music with neighbors. Free admission and welcoming to all ages.