Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Average Daily Hours of Sunshine
Sunshine Chart
The sunniest months
in San Francisco are
September and
October. In mid-
summer almost
everywhere else in the
Bay Area is both
warmer and sunnier.
The Napa Valley
(see
pp192-5)
and other
inland valleys are
baking hot and dry.
Days
Days
25
25
20
20
15
15
10
10
5
5
0
0
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Foggy Days
Afternoon and evening fogs are
common in San Francisco during
the summer months. They form
far out over the sea and roll in
through the Golden Gate,
shrouding parts of the city with a
cold, damp cloud. These fogs are
sometimes so dense that they
can cause the temperature to fall
by as much as 20° F (10° C) in a
matter of hours.
Summer
Mark Twain is said to have
commented that the coldest
winter he ever spent was a
summer in San Francisco. June
and July see the city besieged
by tourists from all over the
world, who often complain
about the “cold” that can ruin
their otherwise perfect days.
June
North Beach Festival
(mid-Jun)
.
Arts and crafts, bands and food
stalls in the Italian district on
Grant Ave, Green St, and
Washington Sq.
Juneteenth
(mid- to late Jun)
.
African-American cultural
celebration, with jazz and blues
bands along Oakland's Lake
Merritt
(see p166).
Haight Street Fair
(Sat or Sun in
late Jun)
. Bands play, and there
are food stalls along Haight St
(see p136)
.
Lesbian and Gay
Pride Day
(Sun in late Jun)
. The
biggest show in San Francisco
and the largest of its kind in the
Golden Gate Bridge in fog
US - more than 300,000 people
every year attend the Market
St parade and Civic Center
celebrations.
July
4th of July Fireworks
(Jul 4)
.
On the waterfront at Crissy
Field National Recreation Area
(see p61)
American Indepen-
dence Day is celebrated with a
spectacular pyrotechnic display
at Golden Gate Bridge.
San Francisco Marathon
(late Jul)
. 3,500 athletes race
AT&T Park is home to the San Francisco
Giants baseball team
around San Francisco, with
Golden Gate Bridge as the
starting point.
August
Baseball
(season Apr-Sep)
. San
Francisco Giants (AT&T Park) and
Oakland Athletics (Overstock.
com Coliseum) play games
throughout the summer
(see
p260)
. Tickets are usually
available on the day of play,
although the best seats sell out
in advance.
San Francisco Playwright's
Festival
(last week Jul- first week
Aug)
. Fort Mason Center
(see
pp74-5)
. Readings, workshops,
and performances of new
works. Audiences can discuss
the performances with the
artists at special sessions.
Lesbian and Gay Pride Parade to the Civic Center
