Fourth of July San Francisco Celebrations

Hot dogs, fireworks, picnics in the park — San Francisco is the perfect place to partake of the upcoming holiday. Here’s a list of some of the happenings around town this coming weekend.

The Fillmore Jazz Festival draws more than 90,000 people to the largest free jazz festival on the West Coast. Enjoy two days of continuous jazz, July 3-4, on three stages from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. More than 300 artists, an array of food and dozens of wine and beverage booths extend for 12 blocks into the Fillmore Jazz Preservation district on Fillmore between Jackson and Eddy streets. Look for a special DJ set-up at The Brooklyn Circus, 1521 Fillmore St.

During the Fourth of July weekend, Aquarium of the Bay, The Embarcadero and Beach Street, will host Tattoo Trivia, a fun and interactive experience for scholars of all ages, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Naturalists, stationed in locations throughout the nature center, will be stocked with animal-focused trivia questions and rewards for those who answer the questions correctly: temporary, red, white and blue-colored, animal-themed tattoos. Adults $16.95, children ages 3-11 $8, seniors $8. (Map)

SFBay Whale Watching is offering a “4th of July Celebration Special with the Whales” on Monday, July 5 with $10 off regular fares of $125 for all adult passengers and $85 for youth fares, making the all day long excursion out to the continental shelf and the Farallon Islands only $115 and $75. Regular fares apply to the July 3 trip which is the first scheduled trip of the year out beyond the Farallons to the continental shelf. Pack a lunch and some wine or beverage of choice and join the crew for a whale of an adventure.

Pier 39 salutes Independence Day with an afternoon line-up of popular local bands. From 3 to 5 p.m. listen to Mustache Harbor, who share a love for vintage soft rock. Then get ready for 80s’ hits with Tainted Love from 6-9:30 p.m. Immediately following the onstage entertainment, visitors can stay to watch the spectacular fireworks display put on by the City and County of San Francisco. Pier 39, the Embarcadero. (Map)

The City of San Francisco’s Fireworks display will illuminate the offshore skies on the northeast waterfront from Aquatic Park down to Pier 39 beginning at approximately 9:30 p.m. Municipal Pier, located at the foot of Van Ness Avenue will be closed to the public. No illegal fireworks or barbecues are permitted in Aquatic Park. Boats will not be allowed to enter into Aquatic Park lagoon from 1 to 11 p.m. on July 4. Street closures in the area may impact traffic; public transportation is strongly advised.

Photo courtesy of Greeblie CC