Memorial Day in San Francisco
Memorial Day is fast approaching. Across the country, people will be honoring our fallen soldiers and, when the time is right, enjoying in some of the festivities the weekend has to offer. In San Francisco, specifically, all around the finest neighborhoods and [apartments the Bay Area has to offer]https://www.thetowersatrincon.com/), the mood will be no different, but the activities that present themselves will be taking on a decidedly West Coast vibe.
There will, of course, be plenty of opportunities to pay due respects to our nation’s servicemen, and those opportunities will be complemented by a bevy of shows, sporting events, concerts — just about any popular diversion you could conceive. If you’re starving for ideas on this Memorial Day, keep reading, as we take you just a short ways “outside of the box” and offer up some prime choices for how to spend this most special of holidays.
Take Time to Honor the Troops
If getting into the spirit of Memorial Day is what you’re all about, then events like the 2018 Memorial Day Ceremony at the National Cemetery in the Presidio should fit the bill. Such events are a yearly occurrence at VA cemeteries across the country, and marks the 150th such iteration at Presidio:
“This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Presidio’s participation in the city’s annual ceremony, dating back to the establishment of this national day of remembrance in 1868.”
Organized by the Presidio Trust, in conjunction with the city of San Francisco and the Department of Veteran Affairs, this commemoration is the official observance for both San Francisco city and county, held right on Memorial Day Monday. The schedule of events, according to the Presidio website, includes:
Commemoration with a special flag raising ceremony at Pershing Square.
Parade with Veterans and the South San Francisco High School Marching Band
Formal Ceremony with Military Dignitaries, Veteran Speakers, and Live Music
21-Gun Salute by the U.S. Army’s Pacific Division 75th Training Command
Community picnic gathering food for purchase, opportunities for community service, and activities for children
Sites of interest during the festivities will include the Presidio Officers’ Club, the Pershing Square Main Post, and the Main Parade Ground. No registration required for this event, and you can learn more at the Presidio’s official event page.
While the Presidio’s observance of Memorial Day might be the “official one,” that doesn’t make it the only game in town. You can also head over to Fisherman’s Wharf to catch the Lost Boat Ceremony on the USS Pampanito, which is meant to honor both “comrades and submarines lost at sea.”
Alternatively, you can catch the Memorial Day Ceremony aboard the USS Hornet, which will honor veterans while giving you a chance to see the many artifacts enshrined at the floating museum. While you’re there, don’t forget to take a tour of the Captain’s Bridge and the impressive Engine Room.
Enjoy Some Legendary Music
Memorial Day will also be a chance to listen to some live music. You can find just about any genre to sate your hunger for great performances, and a great place to look would be right under your nose in Golden Gate Park.
The park is known for holding seasonal concerts, free of charge, at the Spreckles Temple of Music at the Music Concourse, each with a particular theme that sets them apart:
“All concerts that feature music of specific nationalities or cultures include costumed guest performers, dancers, singers, and speakers who will enlighten and entertain.”
For Memorial Day, they are planning a special display of Patriotic and American music for their audiences, so be sure to get out there on the 27th if you’re a lover of star-spangled spectacles.
The Yerba Buena Gardens Festival is also going to be a prime spot for music come Memorial Day Weekend. Tom Rigney will be gracing the stage with his usual flair and extravagance:
“The incendiary violinist/composer Tom Rigney joins forces with some of the finest musicians on the San Francisco roots music scene in Tom Rigney and Flambeau, a band known for turning unassuming gigs into ecstatic celebrations.”
Rounding things out will be a number of performances from touring musicians slated for Memorial Day Weekend, perhaps the most notable of which will be Paul Simon at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. The man needs little introduction, so if you’re a fan, go ahead snag some tickets and head across the bridge on the 25th.
Catch a Baseball Game
Few things are more celebratory and American than a good baseball game. While the Giants will be on the road Memorial Day Weekend, you’ll still have the opportunity to catch the Oakland Athletics take on the Arizona Diamondbacks over the weekend, and the Tampa Bay Rays right on Memorial Day.
Grab a Bite
What’s Memorial Day without delicious food? You can start with a trip to the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market to pick up some ingredients for whatever shindig you might have planned on Memorial Day Weekend, and even catch a few demonstrations at the CUESA Classroom if you’re interested.
If you have no intention of doing your own cooking come Memorial Day, then a trip to Off The Grid’s Presidio Picnic may well be in order:
“Presidio Picnic is free and open to the public, and takes place rain or shine on the Presidio’s beautiful Main Parade Ground, an expansive seven-acre lawn with amazing views of the park, the city and San Francisco Bay.”
Just head that way on Sunday, the 27th from 11:00AM - 4:00PM and you too can enjoy “more than 25 international mobile food creators, music, lawn games, yoga, bike safety classes, and nature-based crafts for kids.”
Celebrations at the Apartments in the Bay Area Aren’t an Uncommon Sight
When you’re a resident of fine communities like The Towers At Rincon, celebrating comes naturally. Memorial Day will be made that much more enjoyable when you have the chance to come home to one of the most stunning neighborhoods in the city, and a building with some of the most remarkable living spaces and resident amenities you’ll find in California. Make sure you give this opulent edifice a look, and make The Towers your choice for Bay Area living like you’ve never seen it before.
