San Francisco summers are famously foggy!  The city’s natural air-conditioning kicks on for the months of June, July, and August.  The cold ocean waters of the San Francisco Bay suck the wind and fog right into the city making for unseasonably cool temperatures.  Summer days are typically somewhere between 53 degrees Fahrenheit to 70 degrees Fahrenheit…with the odd 80 degree days cropping up in July.

Summers San Francisco-Style

However, that news shouldn’t throw a wet blanket on your San Francisco fun.  While the rest of the country sweats it out, grab a sweater and do summer like an SF local.

Things to do This Summer in San Francisco 2018

Summer in San Francisco is all about food, music festivals, and events.  Check out the SF tourism tips site, and the San Francisco Events Calendar for a complete run-down but make sure to do these MUSTS for each of the summer months.

JUNE

• The Beer Festival at Pier 48—live music, food trucks, and craft brews galore make for a super fun time.
• The “Best of San Francisco” Party at Pier 27—food, cocktails, and dancing for the 21-and-over crowd.
• Public Day at the Yacht Club on June 23^rd and 24^th—free boat rides for the summer solstice!
• And, of course…the epic San Francisco Jazz Festival—5 venues hosting 40+ artists, kicked off by an awesome block party.

JULY

• See a 4^th of July parade and fireworks display, they are all over, one of the advantages of so much water to fire off explosives over.
• Picnic in the park while watching a movie on a giant outdoor screen as part of the city’s free “Film Night in the Park” series.
• Do the 10K AIDS walk on July 15^th—feel good, do good. The walk starts at the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge.
• And, slurp up oysters at the Oyster Fest in Golden Gate Park—raw and cooked oysters, beer, wine, and live music.

AUGUST

• Go to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” outdoors for free in one of the city’s parks during the Shakespeare in the Park Festival.
• Pretend you’re Italian at the “Festa Coloniale Italiana”—the free Italian Fest that stretches from Union to Filbert Streets.
• Celebrate Asian culture at the “Nihonmachi Street Fair” in Japantown on Aug. 5^th and 6^th. One of the largest street fairs San Francisco hosts all summer, the “Nihonmachi Street Fair” has food, music, local artisans, a car show, a basketball tourney, and dog parade!
• And, make sure to attend the “Outside Lands” on Aug. 10^th-12^th in Golden Gate Park. Though the performers haven’t been named yet you can be certain it’s a festival you don’t want to miss!  70 bands will be scheduled for slots, last year Lourde, The Who, Gorillaz, A Tribe Called Quest, Metallica, and Foxygen are just 6 from last year’s line up!

Summers in San Francisco are ‘HOT’ despite the cool temps.  Something is happening every day and night and in every corner of the city.