7 Things to Do in Spring in San Francisco

Sometimes the best things in life are free. And so it is with the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, which kicks off each May. Concerts, dance performances, plays and children's events are all free. That includes contemporary orchestras, Afro jazz concerts and Brazilian dancers. 

While you're here, why not take in a contemporary art exhibit at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts or consider attending one of the centre’s films, workshops, or parties.

Easter celebrations pop up all over San Francisco, but the most popular is the Union Street Spring Celebration and Easter Parade, which includes bunnies, kids' rides and even a Big Wheel tricycle race. 

On the other side of the day and the spectrum, the cross-dressing Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence hosts a noir event, but the day starts with a family-friendly event in Dolores Park.

It should surprise no one that the largest Cinco de Mayo celebration is held in the traditionally Hispanic Mission District. Various acts include Ballet Folklorico, mariachi bands, Aztec dancers and the always entertaining wrestlers, Lucha Libre. 

This free event is held annually in Dolores Park, located on Dolores Street between 18th and 20th streets. The park itself is a great vantage point from which to view the Mission District, the downtown, the San Francisco Bay and the East Bay Hills.

Although the "official" event takes place in the fall, the spring version of the San Francisco Jazz Festival is always full of old favorites and new artists. Musicians from all over the world come to grace the fine stages of the city, including the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre and the Davies Symphony Hall.