Toasting Toil: San Francisco Labor Day Planner

by Chelsea Lin - Citysearch Editor - 82 Reviews - 92 Lists

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Updated: September 03, 2009

Considering that SF's few guaranteed warm days generally coincide with the Labor Day long weekend, we may be more appreciative than most to just kick it outdoors, brown-bagging in Dolores Park or sunning our pasty hides at Ocean Beach. But should the mood strike you to make plans, we recommend ditching work early on Friday and taking full advantage of a weekend that can include anything from watching Green Day's rock opera premiere to floating lazily down the Russian River.

On this page:Around the City, Out of Town.

Around the City

  1. 1 5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended ATT Park
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    24 Willie Mays Plz, San Francisco, CA 94107 (map)

    The Giants are away in the days leading up to Labor Day, but on Monday (Sept. 7) they return to play the San Diego Padres in our stunning bay-side stadium starting at 1:05pm. Out-of-towners: don't forget the Bay Bridge will be closed, so you'll have to go the long way.

  2. 2 4 Star Rating: Recommended Dolores Park
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    Dolores St, San Francisco, CA 94110 (map)

    Why spend a holiday weekend at this popular park when you can spend any old weekend there? Because everyone else heads out of town, meaning you'll be able to revel in all those truly SF experiences you generally have to share with the city's other 800,000 residents.

  3. 3 4 Star Rating: Recommended Adventure Cat Sailing Charters
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    Pier 39 Dock J, San Francisco, CA 94133 (map)

    Enjoy panoramic views of the bay and the bridge on one of these affordable cruises; the idea may sound cheesy, but they're actually a great way to see the city from a perspective neither visitors nor locals usually get.

  4. 4 San Francisco Civic Center Plaza
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    Polk St & McAllister St, San Francisco, CA 94102 (map)

    Small potatoes compared to last year's massive Slow Food Nation fest, the organization is bringing together locavores for one of a number of national Eat-Ins--a sort of public pot luck. Bring your own utensils and a dish to share, then make sure you participate in all the letter-writing and petition-signing to increase standards in school lunch programs.

Out of Town

  1. 5 Berkeley Repertory Theatre
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    2025 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA 94704 (map)

    Looking for a little Broadway west of Manhattan? Local punk heroes Green Day premiere "American Idiot," the musical featuring tunes from the Grammy-winning same-named album, directed by Tony-winner Michael Mayer, Sept. 4 through Oct. 11. So many accolades in a single sentence mean only one thing: get your tickets as early as possible.

  2. 6 Monterey Bay Whale Watch
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    84 Fisherman's Wharf, Monterey, CA 93940 (map)

    It's blue whale season, and while you may catch a glimpse from the shore, you're much more likely to catch the giant mammals further out at sea. Hop a boat from the wharf in Monterey--if you don't see anything on your trek, you can go check out the sea life behind glass at the aquarium.

  3. 7 Emerald Bay State Park
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    Hwy 89, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 (map)

    This gorgeous little park is the perfect spot for camping, hiking and water sports if you're planning a trip to the South Lake Tahoe area. Bonus: the park also features Vikingsholm, a nod to Scandinavian architecture (which you'll appreciate after spending a night in a tent).

  4. 8 4.5 Star Rating: Recommended Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
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    400 BEACH ST, SANTA CRUZ, CA 95060 (map)

    There's no better way to spend the long weekend with kids than a venture down to Santa Cruz, complete with deep-fried Twinkies and a stomach-churning ride on the Giant Dipper. Go on Sept. 4 for the final free Friday live music performance of the season, featuring The Tubes.

  5. 9 Guerneville 5 & 10
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    16252 Main St, Guerneville, CA 95446 (map)

    Stop by this five-and-dime before hitting the Russian River to stock up on everything from inner tubes to towels to sunscreen, then make your way down to Johnson's Beach for a dip.