Presidio Announces May - August Events, 2017
Presidio of San Francisco (April 14, 2017) – The Presidio Trust is pleased to announce its summer schedule of free, public programs, May through August, 2017. The following are key highlights, followed by a chronological schedule of all events.
Focus on Kids and Families
This May, the Presidio ramps up free activities for kids and families, beginning with KQED Family Fun Day on Saturday, May 13, hosted by everyone’s favorite monkey, Curious George! At the Presidio Officers’ Club, Creative Family Fun drop in craft-making continues every Saturday and Sunday. Presidio Picnic, co-sponsored by the Presidio Trust and Off the Grid Markets, runs every Sunday on the Main Parade Ground, featuring lawn games, bike riding, and international food trucks, while the similar Presidio Twilight runs on Thursday evenings, complete with fire pits, cabanas, and live music, starting May 18. Presidio Family-Friendly Bike Rides roll out from the new Presidio Visitor Center every first and third Saturday morning in May, June, and July. Additional family fun at the Presidio comes in the form of outdoor movies, star gazing parties, bike-riding lessons for kids, an annual Kite Festival, and much more (see below for the complete event listings).
Special Celebrations
This summer, the Presidio presents several special celebrations beginning with San Francisco’s largest Memorial Day commemoration, with a grand march, a ceremony honoring the U.S. armed forces, and a community picnic. Pasados del Presidio (June 23-24) commemorates the founding of the Presidio and celebrates the people of early California with activities for kids, music, dancing, and a procession by descendants of the original founding families of the Juan Bautista de Anza Expedition (1775-1776). In addition, the Presidio joins the Golden Gate Audubon Society Centennial Celebration, with events from guided bird watching and chalk art walks to a free exhibit on Bay Area birds beginning July 10 at the Tides Thoreau Center. This summer, the Presidio also joins a city-wide celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Summer of Love by hosting a variety of programs.
EXCLUSION Exhibition
The newly-opened exhibition, EXCLUSION: The Presidio’s Role in World War II Japanese American Incarceration, is on view through March 2018 at the Presidio Officers’ Club. Learn about the Presidio’s little-understood role in the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans, and the choices – both personal and political – that led to this dark chapter in American history. Viewers will have the chance to reflect on what we have learned that help us address present-day issues of mass incarceration, immigration reform, and racial profiling.
Cultural Programs
The spring series of cultural programs at the Presidio Officers’ Club wraps up in May. Presidio Dialogues (lectures, film screenings, panels, and performances) are held on Thursdays at 6 pm, and Presidio Sessions Concerts are held on Fridays at 6 pm, in partnership with San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music. The offerings are rich in variety, ranging from the poetry of Youth Speaks to the sultry rhythms of Argentinean tango. The intimate Presidio Book Club, on select Saturdays, is reimagined as an inclusive public program that anyone can take part in, whether or not they’ve read the book. In a special signature event, the Grammy-winning Kronos Quartet returns for an intimate concert exploring music from all over the world and sounds from all corners of the imagination, August 12 (see listings below).
ONGOING SUMMER EVENTS
Event: EXCLUSION: The Presidio’s Role in World War II Japanese American Incarceration
Date: Exhibition runs through March 2018, Tuesday to Sundays, 10 am – 6 pm
Place: Presidio Officers’ Club, 50 Moraga Avenue, Presidio of San Francisco
Phone: (415) 561-4400
Price: Free
During World War II, the Presidio of San Francisco—the Army’s Western Defense Command—played a pivotal role in the unjust incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans, purportedly in the name of national security. This special exhibition invites visitors to investigate the choices—both personal and political—that led to this dark chapter in American history, and to reflect on what we have learned that helps us address present-day issues of mass incarceration, immigration reform, and racial profiling.
Event: Presidio Picnic
Date: Every Sunday, March-October 2017
Time: 11 am to 4 pm
Place: Main Parade Ground, 103 Montgomery Street, on the Presidio’s Main Post
Phone: (415) 561-4323
Price: Free
San Francisco’s largest community picnic blends the best of the international food scene with the best of this national park. Enjoy music, kids’ activities, gourmet food trucks and more. Drop by the new Presidio Visitor Center to plan your day in the park. Co-sponsored by the Presidio Trust and Off the Grid Markets.
Event: Presidio Twilight
Date: Every Thursday, May 18 to October
Time: 5 pm to 9 pm
Place: Main Parade Ground, 103 Montgomery Street, on the Presidio’s Main Post
Phone: (415) 561-4323
Price: Free
Celebrate summer evenings with lantern-lit dining cabanas, blanket-side cocktail service, fire pits, live music, and views of the sun setting over San Francisco Bay.
Event: Live Archaeology Dig at the Presidio
Date: Every Friday and Saturday, April 22 through May 27 AND June 30 to October 21;
Archaeology Lab Tours every Wednesday at 1:00 pm
Time: 10 am to 2 pm
Place: Presidio Officers’ Club, 50 Moraga Avenue, San Francisco
Phone: (415) 561-4400
Price: Free
Witness archaeology in action! Presidio archaeologists are working on a long-term research project to excavate
El Presidio de San Francisco, the Spanish-colonial site buried just below the ground in front of the Presidio Officers’ Club. Stop by to check out their recent discoveries and ask questions.