Last week, Mayor Daniel Lurie, Supervisor Alan Wong and former State Assemblymember Phil Ting joined city and community leaders to celebrate the reopening of Rec and Park's South Sunset Clubhouse (40th Avenue and Vicente Street), located at South Sunset Playground, following a major renovation.

Construction, managed by San Francisco Public Works, transformed the clubhouse into a more welcoming, modern and accessible space, with a revamped multipurpose room and kitchen, improved restrooms, an expanded patio, a new shade pavilion and more.

Operated by Self-Help for the Elderly for more than 30 years, the clubhouse serves approximately 200 neighborhood seniors with daily hot meals, fitness classes, social activities and other programming. Learn more at the link below.

Photo Credit: Brandon Irvin

Check out Rec and Park's first-year report on Sunset Dunes. The park, whose programming was shaped by feedback from thousands of San Franciscans, welcomed 1.7 million visits, or an average of 4,900 per day. Of the park's visitors, 69% were San Franciscans and 85% came with others, with over half of visiting groups including children. Three hundred volunteers also helped restore the park's coastal habitat by planting nearly 2,500 dune grasses. Explore the report and learn more at the link below.

Mayor Daniel Lurie last week proposed naming the southern half of the future Embarcadero Park “Art Agnos Plaza” in honor of the former mayor, whose decision to remove the Embarcadero Freeway following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake reconnected downtown with the waterfront. The proposal passed the Recreation and Park Commission’s Capital Committee today and will move forward to full commission. Learn more at the link below. 

Thank you to everyone who celebrated the 20th anniversary of Rec and Park's Community Gardens Program this past weekend. From butter making at Kid Power Park to pancakes and live music at Visitacion Valley Greenway, we had a blast celebrating the gardens and communities that have grown together over the past two decades.

The San Francisco Chronicle also marked the anniversary with a spotlight on the program and Howard Langton Community Garden, one of more than 40 sites across the city where neighbors grow food and flowers, volunteer and build community. Read the story at the link below.

Join Rec and Park for a virtual pre-submittal meeting on Thursday, September 3 to learn more about the Request for Proposals (RFP) to reimagine the approximately 9.5-acre Lake Merced West site (520 John Muir Drive) for public recreation. Potential uses could include a boathouse and dock, sports courts, a community building, walking paths, a playground, restaurant and more. Site visits are also scheduled for September 9 and 22, with proposals due December 17. Learn more at the link below.

Haight Street Art Center’s "Forever Grateful, Golden Gate Park" exhibition opens at the County Fair Building (1199 9th Avenue) on Saturday, September 5. Anchored by Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters’ original Furthur bus and Jerry Garcia’s BMW, the exhibition explores the Grateful Dead’s legacy through historic objects, artwork, installations, performances and more. Opening weekend will also include a free concert by Grahame Lesh and Friends at Robin Williams Meadow (320 Bowling Green Drive) on Monday, September 7 from 2 to 6 p.m. Learn more and purchase tickets at the link below.

The San Francisco Nature Adventure challenge wraps up Monday, September 7 as the last day to collect stickers, but the exploration can continue all year long with the Adventure Map! As the challenge comes to an end, help shape future adventures and programming by completing a survey at the link below.

San Francisco families are invited to help shape the future of the city through the new "This Is Your City: 2026 Family Listening Series." The citywide effort includes an online survey and 14 Family Summits where children, youth, parents, caregivers and families can share their experiences and priorities to help inform future City planning and services. Several summits will take place at Rec and Park facilities beginning in September, with free food, childcare and interpretation available. Learn more, take the survey and find a Family Summit near you at the link below.

On September 27, the Randall Museum (199 Museum Way) will celebrate its 75th anniversary on the slopes of Corona Heights Park. For decades, the museum has offered hands-on art, science and nature programming rooted in the area’s distinctive hillside ecology. Now, San Franciscans are invited to share how the Randall Museum has brought joy, inspiration, learning and a sense of community to their lives.

Has visiting or taking classes at the Randall Museum ignited a new passion or even influenced your career path? Has it been part of your family across multiple generations? Click the link below if you'd like to share your Randall story. 

Congratulations to our 2026 Greenager class, who celebrated their accomplishments at a graduation ceremony last weekend at the County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park. The 34 graduates contributed more than 3,163 hours of service across 32 parks, with work ranging from habitat restoration and park beautification to environmental education and more.

This year also marked the program's first overnight trip to Camp Mather, where 22 Greenagers stepped outside their comfort zones during four days of hiking, stargazing and outdoor activities while also helping with trail maintenance and fire prevention.

Thank you for your contributions to our parks this past year. We look forward to your continued growth and leadership in San Francisco and beyond! Learn more about the Greenager Program, which celebrated its 15th year with this graduation, at the link below.

Louis Sutter Playground’s (1150 Wayland Street) six dedicated pickleball courts were included in The Kitchen Pickleball’s list of the best public pickleball courts in the country. The article highlights the courts’ permanent lines and nets, accessibility and free public play. See the full list at the link below.

Bring your four-legged friend for the Dogon’ Bike Ride on Saturday, September 5. Meet at Lindy Bridge (JFK Promenade and 9th Avenue) in Golden Gate Park at 11:15 a.m., with the approximately three-mile ride departing at 11:30 a.m. for Sunset Dunes and Judah Street. Activities at Sunset Dunes include dog resources, bicycle sidecar test rides, a dog show and more from noon to 2 p.m. Learn more at the link below. 

The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival presents “Antony and Cleopatra” at the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater (40 John F. Shelley Drive) in McLaren Park on September 5, 6, 7, 12 and 13. Shakespeare’s tragedy follows the passionate and politically charged romance between Roman leader Mark Antony and Egyptian queen Cleopatra as love, loyalty and power collide. The production then moves to Sue Bierman Park (Washington and Drumm streets) for performances on September 19, 20, 26 and 27. Performances begin at 2 p.m. and run approximately 90 minutes. Admission is free and no tickets are required. Learn more at the link below.

Catch the final San Francisco performances of the San Francisco Mime Troupe’s "Wreckage: A Musical Tragicomedy." The free production comes to the Panhandle at Lyon Street on Saturday, September 5 and Dolores Park (Dolores and 19th streets) on Sunday, September 6 and Monday, September 7. Performances begin at 2 p.m., with live music starting 30 minutes before each show. Learn more at the link below. 

Join the Friends of Alemany Farm (700 Alemany Boulevard) for a bird walk on Sunday, September 6 from 10 a.m. to noon. Instructor J.R. Blair will lead participants around the farm to identify local birds and discuss their connections to pollination, seed dispersal and more. Bring binoculars if you have them. Learn more and register at the link below.

Come out for the 12th Annual Chinatown Night Out at Willie "Woo Woo" Wong Playground (830 Sacramento Street) on Wednesday, September 9 from 4 to 7 p.m. This free community event features resource booths, cultural performances, family-friendly activities, giveaways, raffle prizes and more. Learn more and register at the link below.

Visit the Harvey Milk Photo Center (50 Scott Street) for its 2026 Member, Staff and Volunteer Show, highlighting photography created by the center’s artistic community and on view through Saturday, October 3. Meet the artists during free casual drop-in conversations on Wednesday, September 9 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, September 19 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Learn more at the link below.

Join us for free weekly concerts in our parks, including with Illuminate Live and the Golden Gate Park Band at the bandshell, as well as Illuminate Live at Fulton Plaza. See upcoming shows below:  

Fulton Plaza (Fulton Street between Larkin & Hyde streets)

September 3 | noon-3 p.m. - Jon Bennett, Natasha, & Steve Egelman

September 8 | noon-3 p.m. - Dan Agnello, Scott Ray Laws, & The Berrios Trio

 

Golden Gate Bandshell (75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive)

September 4 | 4:30-7:30 p.m. - Friday Happy Hour featuring Andre Cruz & The Black Diamond Rhythm Band

September 5 | 2-6 p.m. - 5th Annual Surf Music Festival featuring Surf Monster, The New Shockwaves, The Seismics, & Uncle Sea Monster

September 6 | 1-2:30 p.m. - Golden Gate Park Band Concert: An All-American Program

September 6 | 4:30-7:30 p.m. - Reggae Sunday featuring Roommate & resident DJs Guid8nce, Sep, & Irie Dole

September 9 | 4-7 p.m. - Midweek Melodies featuring Blake Johnston, Hayley Lynn, Koyal, & Matt Jaffe

 

The Whale's Tail (14th Avenue East Meadow & the JFK Promenade)

September 5 | noon-6 p.m. - Donovan Plant, Eva Jay Fortune, Francesca Lee, & Peter Lindman

September 6 | noon-6 p.m. - Blake Johnston, Clovis, Hayley Lynn, Michael Annotti, & T-ranch

 

Registration is open for fall classes at Moscone Recreation Center (1800 Chestnut Street). Youth ages 3 to 14 can learn baking and kitchen basics in Petite Bakers beginning September 9, build strength and confidence through Rec + Parkour beginning September 12, develop skills in sound effects, dialogue recording and music through Audio Production beginning September 15, or explore filmmaking in Mini Cinema beginning September 17. Learn more and register at the link below.

Bring your little ones to Eureka Valley Recreation Center (100 Collingwood Street) for Tot Futsal Skills on Tuesdays from 2 to 3 p.m. through October 20. Designed for ages 3 to 5, the program introduces beginner players to ball control, passing, shooting and footwork through small-sided games and team challenges. Learn more and register at the link below.

Our Video of the Week comes from SFGovTV and features "Concrete Mecca: San Francisco's Skateboarding Legacy," which recently took home a Northern California Regional Emmy Award in the Historical/Cultural category. The film explores San Francisco’s rich skateboarding history and the people, places, and culture that helped shape it, while highlighting Rec and Park skate spots across the city. Congratulations to the SFGovTV team and everyone who helped bring this story to life. Watch all of their Emmy-winning videos at the link below.