Golden Gate Park has been nominated for Best City Park in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Cast your vote by Monday, April 6 at 8:59 a.m. PT at the link below.

Need convincing? Discover the Gardens of Golden Gate Park, catch an Illuminate LIVE concert at the Golden Gate Bandshell, stroll the JFK Promenade, and more. See all the park has to offer at this link.

Not convinced Golden Gate Park is the Best City Park? Head to the JFK Promenade to check out the newest interactive installations, SMiLE and KiND, near 8th Avenue.

Created by Illuminate in partnership with Bay Area resident Reuben Rude, Big Art Loop and Building 180, the oversized WordPlay installations invite visitors to step into the missing letter “I” to complete the words, creating a playful photo opportunity and sense of connection. Learn more at the link below.

In honor of Women’s History Month and the start of baseball season, Rec and Park celebrates the 10 San Francisco Bay Sox girls baseball players competing on their high school baseball teams this season. This is the highest number in the program's history. Their dedication to their craft and trailblazing spirit reflect the progress being made for girls in the sport. 

The Bay Sox Girls Baseball Program has grown to provide year-long developmental activities and teams, including higher-level travel teams, for girls ages 6 to 18. Since its inception in 2015, the Bay Sox have expanded from one team of 12 girls to serving nearly 200 girls annually through clinics and its teams. Learn more about the program at the link below.

On International Women’s Day, Wake the Water, a women-led community gathering hosted by Athleta and the Ocean Beach Plunge Club, took place at Sunset Dunes and Ocean Beach.

The morning began with a shoreline walk, followed by a cold plunge into the Pacific. A beachside gathering followed with music, along with refreshments and gifts from female-founded businesses.

For each woman who took the plunge, Athleta made a donation to Girls on the Run Bay Area to empower the next generation through access to sports. Learn more about this special celebration at the link below.

(Photo Credit: Sarah Davis)

Thank you to Mayor Daniel Lurie for taking the time to meet with our Peace Parks team last week to discuss youth violence prevention and hear how his office can support this program and the community.

Launched in 2015, Peace Parks is a year-round youth program led by Rec and Park that creates safe, welcoming park spaces in neighborhoods most impacted by violence through free recreational activities, mentorship and consistent community presence.

We're grateful for Mayor Lurie's support of this program and youth in San Francisco. Learn more about our Peace Parks program at the link below. 

We’re excited to share that the children’s play areas at West Sunset Playground and Mission Playground have completed resurfacing projects, which removed and replaced the existing safety surfaces. The spinner at West Sunset Playground was also replaced as part of its project. With a sunny forecast this weekend, be sure to check out these newly revamped playgrounds.

Last fall, Rec and Park announced $1.68 million in funding from the Open Space Fund’s Deferred Maintenance Reserve to supplement existing funding for playground resurfacing projects. West Sunset Playground and Mission Playground are the first of 13 to be resurfaced in 2026. Learn more at the link below.

Rec and Park is seeking proposals to lease and operate the West Café in historic Union Square, located in the heart of the city’s shopping and tourist district. Experienced café operators are invited to submit proposals to provide food and beverage service at this high-profile location. The space includes an indoor café, outdoor seating area and garage-level storage.

Interested proposers can attend one of two virtual pre-submittal meetings at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 13, or 1 p.m. on Monday, March 16. They may also join a site visit at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17, or 10 a.m. on Monday, March 23, meeting in front of the café at the southwest corner of Union Square.

The deadline to submit questions is Thursday, April 23 at 3 p.m., and proposals are due on Thursday, April 30 at 3 p.m. For more information, including how to register for a pre-submittal meeting, click the link below.

Golden Gate Park is home to many beautiful gardens—but the Japanese Tea Garden is truly one of a kind. And with cherry blossom season now underway, it’s one of the most magical times of the year to visit.

Best friends Priscilla (left) and Teresa (right) recently stopped by the five-acre garden during a trip organized by their local community center in the South Bay.

“The variety of plants here is incredible,” said Priscilla. “It honestly feels like we’ve been transported to another world.”

After strolling through winding pathways, koi-filled ponds, and historic sculptures, the pair paused to soak in the peaceful atmosphere.

“There’s something really calming about this place,” Teresa said. “Being here reminds me how important it is to spend time outdoors. It’s good for your mind and your soul.”

If you’re looking for a moment of peace—or hoping to catch the cherry blossoms in bloom through April—the Japanese Tea Garden is waiting for you.

And the best part? Admission is free for San Francisco residents. 

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People of the Parks is a series of short stories, based on conversations with people we meet in San Francisco parks. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle about seeing cherry blossoms in Golden Gate Park at the link below, or visit the Gardens of Golden Gate Park website.

Join the Friends of Alemany Farm (700 Alemany Boulevard) for an introduction to urban beekeeping workshop on Saturday, March 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the farm. Led by the San Francisco Beekeepers Association, the class explores honey bee biology, colony health and urban honey production, covering safe hive management, common pests and diseases and more. It will conclude with a guided tasting of honey. For more information and to RSVP, click the link below.

Celebrate the 175th San Francisco St. Patrick’s Day Parade with a free Youth Sports Day on Saturday, March 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Civic Center Plaza (335 McAllister Street). Girls and boys ages 12 and under are invited to try rugby with San Francisco Golden Gate Youth Rugby, Irish football, hurling and camogie with San Francisco Youth Gaelic Athletic Association, and soccer with the San Francisco Glens Soccer Club. For more information and to sign up, click the link below. 

Join the San Francisco Model Yacht Club (SFMYC) for its opening day regatta on Saturday, March 14 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. The event celebrates the first day of the model boating season at Spreckels Lake (36th Avenue and Spreckels Lake Drive) in Golden Gate Park. The regatta will include the Ragtop/Stinkpot Relay Regatta, a friendly relay competition that cleverly includes skippers and boats from the Power Squadron, R/C Sail Squadron, and Freesail Squadron. For more information about the event and this historic club, click the link below. 

Bring your little ones for a morning of toddler-sized fun at Hop Hop Hooray at Moscone Recreation Center (1800 Chestnut Street) on Wednesday, March 18 from 10 a.m. to noon. For ages 1 to 4, the event will include art and crafts, sensory play, an egg hunt and a bunny photo opportunity. Space and supplies are limited. For more information, call the recreation center at (415) 292-2045.

Head to the Golden Gate Bandshell (75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive) in Golden Gate Park for free concerts with Illuminate LIVE. In honor of Women's History Month, March's concert slate features women or women-fronted musical groups. See the upcoming schedule below:

Bean Sprouts Family Days are back at the San Francisco Botanical Garden (1199 9th Avenue) through May 21 in the Children’s Garden, offering free, drop-in, hands-on nature play every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon, including Tuesday watercolor and Thursday nature story time. Rain cancels the program. For more information, click the link below.

Community turned out for Outdoor Rec Day at Mission Creek Park to enjoy free rock climbing, archery, skateboarding, disc golf, cornhole and more. Our Video of the Week highlights this amazing day. Thank you to our Recreation Division for organizing this event and for their continued work providing programming to help San Franciscans get outside, stay active and explore the city’s open spaces.

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