Made in SF with ❤️
Last updated: March 2026
TL;DR: March in San Francisco is stacked — the Chinese New Year Parade (one of the largest outside Asia), 80,000 free tulips at Union Square, Giants Opening Night against the Yankees, Bouquets to Art at the de Young, a huge new Monet exhibition, and the Castro Night Market returns for Season 2. Plus new restaurant openings, what’s in season at the farmers market, and what the weather actually looks like this month.
March is one of those transition months in SF where winter isn’t quite done but spring is definitely flirting. The rain is tapering off, the tulips are blooming, and the events calendar starts picking up steam. Here’s what’s on my radar this month.
Events Worth Your Time
Chinese New Year Parade — March 7
When: Saturday, March 7, starts 5:15 PM
Where: 2nd & Market Street through Chinatown
Cost: Free (bleacher seats available for purchase)
The largest Chinese New Year Parade outside of Asia. Elaborate floats, firecrackers, lion dances, and a 268-foot Golden Dragon winding through the streets. Get there early for a good sidewalk spot, or splurge on bleacher seats. The energy after dark with all the lights and firecrackers is something else.
Bouquets to Art — March 3–8
Where: de Young Museum, Golden Gate Park
Cost: Museum admission (~$15); Opening Night March 2 is a separate ticketed fundraiser
Over 100 Bay Area floral designers create arrangements inspired by artworks in the museum’s collection. The 42nd annual — it’s a gorgeous collision of flowers and fine art. If you go to one art event this month, make it this one.
Tulip Day — March 21
Where: Union Square
When: 1–4:30 PM
Cost: Free
80,000 Dutch tulips cover Union Square and you can pick up to 6 for free. Beautiful, wholesome, and the line is very long. Don’t try to queue before 9 AM (they’ll turn you away). Gates open at 1 PM. Separately, the Queen Wilhelmina Garden tulips at the Golden Gate Park windmills should also be blooming naturally this month.
Giants Opening Night — March 25
Where: Oracle Park
When: 5:05 PM
Cost: Tickets vary
The Giants open the 2026 season against the New York Yankees — and it’s the only MLB game being played that night, so the entire national baseball spotlight is on San Francisco. If you’ve never been to Oracle Park, this is as good a reason as any. The ballpark is stunning, the garlic fries are iconic, and opening night energy is unmatched. Giants FanFest is also March 14 (free, noon–4 PM).
St. Patrick’s Day Parade — March 14
Where: Market Street (2nd & Market to Civic Center)
When: Parade 11:30 AM; Festival 11 AM – 5 PM at Civic Center
Cost: Free
The 175th anniversary of SF’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade — one of the largest in the country. Over 100,000 people line Market Street.
Castro Night Market Returns — March 20
Where: 18th Street, Castro
When: 5–9 PM (third Friday of every month through September)
Cost: Free
Season 2 of this neighborhood night market kicks off. Food vendors, live music, drag performances, local artisans. One of those events that just makes you love this city.
More This Month
- Monty Python’s Spamalot — Golden Gate Theatre, through March 22
- MJ: The Musical — Orpheum Theatre, opens March 24
- SF Ballet: Don Quixote — War Memorial Opera House, March 19–29
- Renegade Craft Fair — Fort Mason, March 28–29, free (suggested $5 donation)
- SF Chocolate Salon — Golden Gate Park, March 28, $25
- Total Lunar Eclipse — March 2, visible across North America. Find a dark spot and look up.
What’s New: Restaurant Openings
Maria Isabel — Pacific Heights
The one I’m most excited about. Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz — the husband-and-wife team behind Dalida — just opened their second restaurant at 500 Presidio Avenue. Elevated Mexican rooted in Laura’s Mexico City heritage: aguachile, chilorio, machaca, plus Baja California wines and sotol on the spirits list. 58 seats. This is probably the most buzzed-about opening of early 2026.
Maillards — Outer Sunset
Smashburgers inside Two Pitchers Brewing on Noriega Street. Crispy beef patties paired with fruit radlers. Casual, neighborhood, exactly what the Sunset does best.
Other Notable Openings
- Bar Orso (SoMa) — Cocktail bar from the Merchant Roots team. Foraged-botanical cocktails and a garlic butter tri-tip sandwich that’s been getting attention.
- Chicano Nuevo (Bernal Heights) — Baja-centric Mexican. Fish tacos, ceviche, squid-ink corn. Husband-and-wife owned.
- Goldenette (Nob Hill) — Retro all-day diner on Polk Street. Breakfast sandwiches, burritos, burgers. 9 AM–9 PM daily.
- Rose Pizzeria (Inner Richmond) — New pizza spot on Clement Street.
For the full picture of what’s opened recently, check our best new restaurants of 2026 guide.
At the Museum
Monet and Venice — Opens March 21
Where: de Young Museum
Runs through: July 26
This is the big one. Monet’s Venetian cityscapes at the de Young — likely the most talked-about exhibition in SF this spring. Worth booking early.
Currently Showing
- KAWS: FAMILY at SFMOMA (through May 3) — 100+ artworks spanning three decades from the Brooklyn-based artist
- Superfair Art Fair at Fort Mason (March 19–22) — 160+ artists, one-on-one access, live music. More accessible and less stuffy than traditional art fairs.
What’s in Season
March is the transition — winter produce still holding strong while spring starts sneaking in:
Still going from winter:
- Citrus peak (blood oranges, Meyer lemons, mandarins) — last chance before the season winds down
- Root vegetables, winter greens (kale, chard, beets)
Just arriving:
- Strawberries — the first ones from Watsonville/Santa Cruz. The real season is just starting.
- Asparagus — Sacramento River Delta asparagus is some of the sweetest you’ll find. Brief six-week window.
- Green garlic — milder than mature garlic, a brief spring-only window. Grab it when you see it.
- Baby artichokes — we’re close to Castroville, the artichoke capital. A genuine Bay Area advantage.
- Spring peas — English shelling peas coming in.
Where to shop: Ferry Building farmers market (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday), Alemany (Saturday — the oldest in California), Heart of the City (Wednesday and Sunday, Civic Center).
For the full seasonal calendar, check our SF Seasons guide.
Nature Notes
- Tulips at the Dutch Windmill in Golden Gate Park — 10,000+ tulips and Icelandic poppies should be in bloom
- Magnolias ending — the Botanical Garden magnolias are wrapping up their season. Catch the last blooms if you can.
- Wildflowers starting — the first California poppies and lupine are appearing on Twin Peaks and the Marin Headlands. The real show is April, but early bloomers are popping.
- Cherry blossoms — the Japanese Tea Garden should start showing blossoms mid-month. Peak lasts only ~2 weeks.
- Ocean Beach bonfire season opens March 1 — fire pits are back until October 31.
Weather Check
March averages: highs in the low 60s, lows in the mid-40s. Expect a mix of rainy days (historically ~6 this month) and genuinely lovely sunny stretches. The fog isn’t in full force yet — that’s summer. Layers are still mandatory, especially for evening events. But you’ll get those first real spring afternoons where you’re sitting outside in the sun thinking “this is why I live here.”
For the full breakdown, check our SF weather guide and what to wear month-by-month.
This is the first edition of AskMeSF’s Monthly Picks — a roundup of what’s happening, what’s opening, and what’s in season in San Francisco each month. Subscribe to get future editions delivered to your inbox.
