Free Concerts at the Bandshell and the Whale's Tail Beer Garden

If you follow our weekly events list, you might have noticed that there are free concerts running all summer long at the Bandshell in Golden Gate Park. Now there are also free performances and a weekend bar in the meadow up the street. I finally stopped by last weekend to check out the Bandshell Blues Fest before heading down the street to enjoy a beer at the Whale’s Tail beer garden.

The Bandshell is that structure between the Cal Academy of Sciences and the de Young Museum. Its official name is The Spreckels Temple of Music. It was a gift from the Spreckels family to celebrate the 50th anniversary of California. It was dedicated in 1900 as a venue for free public concerts and became a San Francisco cultural landmark.

If the exorbitant cost and huge crowds of Outside Lands are not your thing, these concerts might be more your speed. I kicked back with a sandwich on one of the green benches while others sat farther back in the grass.

If you missed out on Blues Fest or blues isn’t your thing, Sunday, May 31 is “Crucial Reggae Sundays in SF,” which starts at 4:20PM. There are also other upcoming festivals, including a soul fest and a folk festival. For the latest updates, follow @illumin8live on Instagram or see the full calendar here.

For a different vibe, walk a few blocks down JFK just past the Rose Garden, to the Whale’s Tail. You’ll see a meadow near 14th Ave. In front is a sign that says live music, food trucks, and cold drinks. On a nice sunny day, sometimes that’s all you need.

I stopped in for a beer, which was served in this Whale’s Tail koozie. The beer was $8, which is pretty standard for a bar these days. I kicked back in the grass for a while and took in the sunshine while listening to a singer-songwriter named Jon Bennett, whom I quite enjoyed. He is also performing at SF Porchfest this weekend.

The Whale’s Tail space is hosting a summer of free concerts featuring local musicians and food trucks. It is open every Saturday and Sunday from 12pm to 6pm. To know who’s playing when, follow @thewhalestail_sf on Instagram or check the calendar on their website.