The return of spring and summer in San Francisco’s Union Square will arrive on Saturday, March 21, when the Union Square Alliance hosts its annual Tulip Day Presented by JPMorganChase. The event will transform Union Square into a tulip garden with 80,000 colorful American-produced flowers grown from Dutch bulbs. The public is invited to pick a free bouquet of tulips (eight tulips per person) for themselves or as a gift to a loved one.

A floral tradition that dates back to the first Tulip Festival in 1929 in Holland, Michigan, the event kicks off San Francisco's annual Union Square in Bloom initiative, in which businesses celebrate with floral displays, food, cocktails, and events, to celebrate Union Square’s rich floral tradition.

Tulip Day Presented by JPMorganChase 2026 is organized by the Union Square Alliance, and additionally supported by the Office of Mayor Daniel Lurie, the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development, Rec and Park, Anthos, Union Square Foundation, San Francisco Flower Market, and the Consulate General of the Netherlands in San Francisco. For more information, click the link below.

Come out to the first full week of Illuminate LIVE concerts at the Golden Gate Park Bandshell (75 Hagiwara Drive). Throughout March, Illuminate LIVE is celebrating Women’s History Month and International Women's Day, featuring 14 female-fronted shows and highlighting more than 25 local female artists.

The Friday Happy Hour on March 6 will feature the Ariel Marin Band from 4 to 7 p.m. Reggae Sunday will celebrate International Women's Day on March 8 with DJ Goddess Nette and resident DJs Irie Dole, Guid8nce, and DJ Sep. Next week's Midweek Melodies will feature Frankie West, Jenny Haniver, and Maya Bennett on Wednesday, March 11 from 4 to 7 p.m. 

For more information, click the link below. 

Rec and Park's spring class registration begins on Saturday, March 7 at 10 a.m. Explore a wide range of offerings, including Bayfront Biking and Pedal the Park rides for youth and adults; teen programming, including vision board workshops and Camp Whisk and Flame, a cooking camp; and more. To view spring offerings and register on Saturday, click the link below. 

Congratulations to our seven newest park rangers, who graduated last week in a special ceremony at the San Francisco Public Library's Koret Auditorium. The ceremony was attended by Mayor Daniel Lurie, Police Chief Derrick Lew, Fire Chief Dean Crispen and Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, along with more than 80 colleagues, friends and family members of the recruits.

Our park rangers play a vital role in providing safe and equitable access to our parks. They were established by William Hammond Hall, San Francisco’s first superintendent of parks, in 1874. In 2003, our staff consisted of just six rangers for citywide coverage and nine rangers for Candlestick Park. With these new rangers, we now have 51 on staff.

Thank you to these new graduates for their commitment to ensuring our parks are safe for all to enjoy. We look forward to seeing you outside!

Opening Day for the San Francisco Youth Baseball League was a big hit this past Saturday. Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate, including Mayor Daniel Lurie and Fire Chief Dean Crispen, who both helped open the 2026 season by throwing out the first pitch with Rec and Park Commissioners Joe Hallisy and Vanita Louie and Interim General Manager Sarah Madland. With nearly 3,000 players across more than 200 teams, we can’t wait to see everyone take the field citywide this Saturday! Learn more about the league at the link below.

Ahead of baseball and softball season, we’ve completed repairs to the backstops at the baseball fields in Larsen and Rossi playgrounds. Larsen's field also received some new infield turf. Get ready to play ball this weekend! 

We're excited to share that the wading pool at the Martin Luther King Jr. Pool has reopened ahead of schedule. The work, which was primarily done during the facility's annual closure, included heater replacement and pool replastering. Head over for a dip soon! Learn more about the pool at the link below.

Explore "A Fearless Eye: The Photography of Barbara Ramos," on view at the Harvey Milk Photo Center (50 Scott Street) from March 6 through May 16. The exhibition features photographs Ramos made in Los Angeles and San Francisco in the early to mid-1970s, printed for the first time from recently rediscovered negatives and revealing an intimate, direct vision of everyday places and overlooked moments. An opening reception will be held on Friday, March 6 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the center, with an artist talk and book signing with Ramos and curator Makeda Best on Saturday, March 21 at 2 p.m. For more information, click the link below.

Youth ages 13-19 are invited to audition for the Young People’s Teen Musical Theatre Company (YPTMTC) Spring 2026 production of "She Loves Me" on Friday, March 6 from 5 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, March 7 from noon to 1 p.m. at the Harvey Milk Center for the Arts (50 Scott Street). Call backs will be held on March 7 from 1 to 4 p.m., and participants should be prepared to dance. Auditioners must prepare a song and bring sheet music for the provided accompanist, prepare a monologue no longer than two minutes, and bring a headshot and resume if available. 

Based on the play "Perfumerie," this classic musical, with book by Joe Masteroff, music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, is set in a 1930s Budapest perfume shop and follows feuding clerks Georg and Amalia, who unknowingly fall in love as anonymous pen pals.

Rehearsals begin Wednesday, March 11 and will be held Wednesdays and Fridays from 4:30 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m. at the center. The production will take place from April 24 to 26 and May 1 to 3 at the Randall Museum (199 Museum Way). For more information, click the link below.

Join Rec and Park for its archery showdown at the County Fair Building (1199 9th Avenue) in Golden Gate Park on Saturday, March 15 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Note that only youth spots are available at this time with the registration deadline on Saturday, March 7. 

This tournament is for ages 8 and up and welcomes archers of all levels for a thrilling competition. Adult distance will be at 20 yards on 40 centimeter target faces. Youth distance will be at 10 yards on 60 centimeter target faces. Bow categories include Olympic Recurve, Barebow Recurve, Traditional, Compound Freestyle, Compound Bowhunter, and Compound Barebow. Participants must provide their own equipment. 

For accommodations, please contact us at rpdaccess@sfgov.org or (415) 831-6834. Making your request at least 72 hours before the event will help ensure availability.

For more information and to register, click the link below.

Celebrate Golden Gate Park with a special book event on the lawn outside the Conservatory of Flowers (100 JFK Drive) on Sunday, March 8 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Join Marta Lindsey and Nancy Botkin for a conversation about their new book, "Discovering Golden Gate Park: A Local’s Guide," with stories, surprises and little-known secrets from the park’s past and present. It also features the work of longtime Rec and Park photographer Jim Watkins.

The afternoon includes park trivia and prize giveaways, with additional insights from park experts Susan Freinkel, Nicole Meldahl of the Western Neighborhoods Project, David Miles Jr. and more. The program will be hosted by Laura Klivans of KQED. For more information and to RSVP, click the link below.

Join En2Action for its resident chef pop-up series at the India Basin Waterfront Park Food Pavilion (900 Innes Avenue) on Saturdays and Sundays in March from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Chef Bianca of Big Street Food, a San Francisco native with deep Louisiana roots, will be bringing her vibrant take on Southern cuisine to the park. Her menu blends family recipes with modern, trend-inspired twists, featuring crowd favorites from spicy fire balls to perfectly seasoned steak fries. For more information, click the link below. 

Our Video of the Week comes from Hype Flicks and highlights Jamaree Bouyea, a point guard for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. The Suns recently signed the former two-way guard and University of San Francisco standout to a new two-year contract. After a series of short-term deals with six teams over three years, Bouyea’s standard contract marks his arrival at the highest level of basketball.

The video captures an earlier chapter in Bouyea’s journey, showcasing his time in the San Francisco Bay Area Pro-Am Summer Basketball League at Kezar Pavilion, which is entering its 46th season. He joins a long list of league alumni who have played in the NBA, including Steph Curry, Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, Aaron Gordon, Jeremy Lin and more.

Congratulations, Jamaree. We look forward to your continued rise in the league. Read more about his story from the Phoenix Suns at the link below.

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