Free Things to Do in San Francisco

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Where To Watch 2017 July 4th Fireworks In San Francisco & Oakland

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If the fog doesn’t roll in and the skies stays clear tomorrow night, there are some truly impressive vantage points for watching July 4th fireworks around San Francisco and Oakland.   Remember to dress in layers, as temperatures will drop after sunset.

 

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San Francisco

 

 

Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf

Pier 39 celebrates Independence Day with live music and the city’s ofifical fireworks display, which starts around 9:30pm. Boat tour companies are offering special fireworks cruises, with a sail around the Bay or a tour on a whale-watching vessel. To get a good view, head to Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghirardelli Square or Aquatic Park. Or, hang out at Crissy Field until the fireworks kick off. To reserve a good spot, arrive early, as many others will be vying for the best viewpoints.


Treasure Island

To watch fireworks with the San Francisco skyline in the background, head to Treasure Island’s Great Lawn, but start early to avoid getting trapped in bridge traffic. Muni is adding service for the 25-Treasure Island line; drivers should park on the southern end of Treasure Island, between Building 1 and Hangar 2 off California Avenue.


Grandview Park

If you are in the Inner Sunset, give Grandview Park a try. The park, also called Turtle Hill, offers a 360-degree view over the city. The popular spot to watch sunsets also features a mosaic stairway. Many families come here for the Fourth of July show, but it might get foggy sooner than other places.

As the 4th of July approaches, please be reminded that ALL fireworks are illegal in San Francisco please enjoy CCSF’s professional free show.

Coit Tower and Twin Peaks

You can also check out Coit Tower. As views might be blocked by bushes, make sure you find the right spot. Just as with Twin Peaks, one of the highest points in the city, the parking lot will fill up early, so make sure to make plans ahead of time.

Bernal Heights Park

Bernal Heights Park offers patriots a great view of the city, but there aren’t too many places to sit down. The park is popular with locals and as fireworks aren’t that close, it’s usually quieter than other places.

 


Oakland

 

 

Mountain View Cemetery

In the East Bay, those seeking alternatives to the Berkeley Marina should give the top of Mountain View Cemetery a try. “Shocking views of Oakland, San Francisco, and the San Francisco Bay,” Yelper Scott H. writes.

 

Middle Harbor Shoreline Park

Middle Harbor Shoreline Park offers breathtaking views of the Bay Bridge and the San Francisco skyline. The West Oakland park is located next to the Port of Oakland.Local fire departments remind the public to leave fireworks to the professionals. Also, ASPCA has also published a safety guide that reminds guardians to keep four-legged friends safe at home.

Freebies: Where to get FREE Food and Freebies on Valentine’s Day in San Francisco

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It is almost Valentines day and all the San Francisco area stores and restaurants are wanting to make it special for you, knowing that all of us are expected to spend $18.2 billion this year on Valentine’s Day, according to the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights and Analytics.  So we really needs these freebies and deals.  As usual, White Castle and Waffle House are accepting reservations for special red tablecloths and champagne sit-down service on February 14.   If what you and your significant other share is a love of frugality, the holiday is a fine time to find discounts and deals on meals out. Or heart-shaped pizzas.  A whole bevy of other chains are offering free and cheap food deals right now, whether specifically linked to V-Day or not.

 

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Auntie Anne’s: Download the chain’s My Pretzel Perks app and get a buy one, get one free heart-shaped pretzel in original or cinnamon sugar.

 

 

Boston Market: Need a cheap deal for Valentine’s Day dinner? Boston Market is offering two meals, two drinks and two desserts for $20. Limited time offer. (Not just on Valentine’s Day.)

Buca di Beppo: Get a heart-shaped lasagna for three people, salad, garlic bread and three cannoli for $49.99.

Chili’s: Dinner for two is $20. Enjoy an appetizer and two entrees.

Corner Bakery: Buy one panini or sandwich and get one free at Corner Bakery with this coupon. Valid Feb. 14 and 15.

Country Buffet: Get two adult buffets and two drinks for $22 with this coupon. Offer ends Feb. 14.

Domino’s: Carry out a large two-topping pizza for $5.99 through Feb. 19.

Dunkin’ Donuts: They have heart-shaped donuts, as well as an Instagram-based contest where people are encouraged to share their love stories that involve Dunkin’ Donuts, and we are fairly certain they have to describe the love between two people, not a person and a donut.

El Fenix has a sweet and free promo for Valentine’s Day. Guest will receive a Heart-Shaped Sopapillas with the purchase of any entrée. One per guest, valid only on February 14.

Fogo de Chao: Eat at Fogo de Chao on Valentine’s Day for a free lunch or dinner gift card to use on your next visit.

Hooters: Bring a picture of your ex to Hooters, shred it and you’ll get 10 wings for free when you buy 10 wings on Feb. 14. Boneless wings only. Dine-in only.

Krispy Kreme: Buy any coffee and get a free original glazed doughnut. Offer valid until Feb. 28 Participating stores only. That means call before you go.

Lone Star Steakhouse: The steakhouse is offering a two for $20 deal, including appetizer, two salads and two entrees.

McAlister’s: McAlister’s Valentine’s Day kids eat free special will be available at participating McAlister’s locations on Tuesday, February 14 only, for up to two children aged 12 and under with the purchase of an adult dine-in entrée.

Mimi’s Cafe: Get a free entrée on your next visit after leaving a note for someone you love on the chain’s Facebook page. There’s also a deal where couples can get a three-course meal for free if they get engaged at Mimi’s on Valentine’s Day, if they have the ring on hand.

Morton’s Steakhouse: Order steak and cold-water lobster for $56 through Tuesday.

 

Peet’s Coffee: Buy one handcrafted beverage and get one free on Valentine’s Day with this coupon.

Pizza:  Papa John’s, Papa Murphy’s, Pizza Hut, and Valentino’s: All of these chains are reportedly offering heart-shaped pizzas this year; check with your local restaurant to make sure they’re taking part first. Local pizzerias or your favorite regional chains might be taking part as well, but prepare for disappointment.

Qdoba: Qdoba is once again offering a BOGO on Valentine’s Day. Buy one entree, and get one free when you share a kiss with anyone or anything ― “even a cell phone,” as a press release states.

Schlotzsky’s: The chain is giving away free 3-ounce bottles of its signature hot sauce at restaurants nationwide on Valentine’s Day. No purchase necessary.

Shake Shack: Download and order from the Shake Shack app for a free burger, through Feb. 28.

Shoney’s: The chain is offering a “2 for $24.99” couples deal for its special food bar. Singles eat for $12.99. All guests who purchase the food bar get a free hot fudge cake.

Steak n’ Shake: Get a special Valentine’s Day-inspired milkshake from Steak n’ Shake for $3.69. Flavors include red velvet, Oreo red velvet and chocolate-covered strawberry.

TGI Friday’s: Get two entrees and a dessert for $30, plus half off bottles of wine.

Waffle House: Reserve a seat at Waffle House and enjoy dinner by candle light.

Which Wich: On Valentine’s Day, get a free cookie when you buy a wich and draw a heart on your bag. Feb. 14 only at participating locations. Valid in-store only.

 

ON THE HEALTH FRONT

 

MinuteClinic, the retail medical clinic of CVS Health, is offering free “Know Your Numbers” heart-health screenings at its more than 1,100 locations nationwide on Valentine’s Day. Men and women can visit their local MinuteClinic from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, February 14 and receive a free heart-health preventative screening.

 

 

Free Admission to National Parks on November 11

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The National Park Service invites all visitors to remember our veterans by visiting any National Park Service site for free on Veterans Day, November 11, 2016.   Looking for more to do? Explore the sites that commemorate America’s military conflicts and honor those who served. Visit our facebook page to see a gallery of NPS employees who are veterans. And, check out the NPS Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itineraries, listed below, that honor our veterans.    The National Park Service turns 100 years old in 2016 and we want everyone to join the party! On 16 days in ’16, all National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone.

Mark your calendar for these entrance fee–free dates in 2016:

  • January 18: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • April 16 through 24: National Park Week
  • August 25 through 28: National Park Service Birthday
  • September 24: National Public Lands Day
  • November 11: Veterans Day

 

SAN FRANCISCO AREA SITES

Entry is free at Muir Woods National Monument  and San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park on Free Entrance Days in the National Parks.

 

Alcatraz Island offers a close-up look at the site of the first lighthouse and US built fort on the West Coast, the infamous federal penitentiary long off-limits to the public, and the history making 18 month occupation by Indians of All Tribes. Rich in history, there is also a natural side to the Rock—gardens, tide pools, bird colonies, and bay views beyond compare.

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Presidio —  For 218 years, the Presidio served as an army post for three nations. World and local events, from military campaigns to World Fairs and earthquakes, left their mark. Come enjoy the history and the natural beauty of the Presidio. Explore centuries of architecture. Reflect in a national cemetery. Walk along an historic airfield, through forests or to beaches, and admire spectacular vistas. Read More

 

Expect more people and less parking today than usual.

 

National parks are America’s Best Idea, and there are more than 400 parks available to everyone, every day. The fee-free days provide a great opportunity to visit a new place or an old favorite, especially one of the 124 national parks that normally charge an entrance fee. The others are free all of the time. Plan your visit and enjoy our country’s history and nature.

The fee waiver includes entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise.
Fee-free days make parks accessible to more people. However, national parks are always economical, with entrance fees that range from $3 to $30. In addition, any fourth grade student can get a free annual pass through the Every Kid in a Park program, and active duty military and citizens with a permanent disability can also get free passes.

FREE Fleet Week Air Show in San Francisco – Oct 3-10

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San Francisco is one of the few major US metro areas that sees a large-scale air show every year.     Initially, the ‘Fleet Week’ was when Navy boats and sailors would come out at San Francisco’s docks, but for the last decade the air show has been a major draw and the city receives more than a million spectators on the days of the event. Since its restart after its cancellation in 2013, it now also features a number of non-US aircraft groups.  Taking place over three consecutive days in the skies above the City’s waterfront, this event attracts over a million people around the Bay. Featuring the United States Navy Blue Angels, the Air Force’s F-22 Raptor, the Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 and, from France, the Breitling Jet Team.

The 2016 Fleet Week Air Show lineup included some new and exciting additions to our lineup to be announced in the coming months.     Along with the Blue Angels, the popular Parade of Navy Ships returns. Get front row seats to watch the San Francisco Fire Department’s Guardian dramatically spouting water under the Golden Gate Bridge as it leads the parade of ships.

 

Traffic in the city comes to a virtual standstill while the jets are in the air. If you don’t have access to a roof in the marina district, these sites are the best viewing spots:

– SF National Maritime Park, just under Ghirardelli Squar

– Fort Mason

– Anywhere along Crissy Field East Beach

 

Free Concert by Dead & Company in San Francisco on May 23

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Dead & Company — Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, John Mayer, Bob Weir, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti — will perform a free concert for “fans, friends and family” at San Francisco’s historic Fillmore (capacity 1,150) on May 23.     Tickets to this special concert will be made available at Ticketmaster.com beginning on Thursday, May 19, starting at noon PT. For those who receive tickets, the band asks in return that they “pay it forward in some way, large or small.” A release announcing the show reads “please share your good deeds and generosity with us, and let the cosmos know how you are paying it forward, by using the hashtag #DeadandCoSF.”

Dead & Company’s 2016 summer tour begins on the East Coast on June 10 at the PNC Pavilion in Charlotte, N.C. and wraps back in the Bay Area, which spawned the Grateful Dead more than 50 years ago, with a Shoreline Amphitheatre show in Mountain View, Calif., on July 30. The group’s cross-country run includes two nights at Citi Field in New York; a two show independence day weekend celebration at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo.; two nights at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wis.; and two shows at Boston’s Fenway Park. The shows will include two sets of music drawing from the Dead’s expansive catalog of songs.

The Dead and variations thereof remain one of the most powerful draws in the history of live music. Thirteen Dead & Company shows reported to Billboard Boxscore last fall grossed over $14 million and sold 172,797 tickets in North American arenas. Last summer’s historic Fare Thee Well shows featured the “core four” of surviving members Weir, Hart, Kreutzmann and Phil Lesh (who is sitting out Dead & Company), as well as Chimenti, Bruce Hornsby and Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio standing in for the late Jerry Garcia. Fare Thee Well’s two shows at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., and Soldier Field in Chicago, produced by Pete Shapiro and Madison House, produced the highest Boxscore of 2015, grossing over $52 million and moving over 360,000 tickets.

Free Bike To Work Day – May 12 in San Francisco Bay Area

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Bay Area commuters without a bike can participate in this year’s Bike to Work Day for free through an offer by Bay Area Bike Share.   Commuters can sign up starting Friday, April 29 to check out a bike for free on May 12 at any of the 70 Bay Area stations, according to Bay Area Bike Share officials.    The stations are located in San Francisco, Redwood City, Palo Alto, Mountain View and San Jose and can be found at bayareabikeshare.com/stations.     Commuters, other residents and visitors can sign up at try.bayareabikeshare.com/btwd/.

Registration provides potential riders with a code that is sent by email and provides access to unlimited rides of 30 minutes or less for 24 hours, according to Bay Area Bike Share officials.  Riders enter the code at any bike share station on May 12. The pass is worth $9. They must use a debit or credit card when entering the pass code and a temporary deposit of $101 will be placed on the card.    Riders will be charged for rides of more than 30 minutes, Bay Area Bike Share officials said. Persons who want to take more than one free trip during the 24-hour period can do so by choosing “Request a New Ride Code” at any station.

Get New Years Suite in San Francisco Grand Hyatt for $179

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Are you looking for a great hotel to celebrate new years Eve in San Francisco on Dec 31, 2016? This just came across on Orbitz, where Hyatt is pricing a Suite at the Grand Hyatt San Francisco over New years (check in 12/31/16 and out on 1/2/17), for only $179 for a suite, nonrefundable rate. Other date combination doesn’t seem to work.

Free Movie Tickets to Comedy “Begin Again” to Sept 1 in San Francisco Area

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Ready to take in a movie this Labor Day weekend in the San Francisco Area? This weekend, you can get up to 4 FREE movie tickets to the movie Begin Again with this coupon, for showings on August 29 – Sept 1 at participating San Francisco area AMC theater locations. Each coupon is good for up to four tickets.

 

This is a romantic comedy starring Adam Levine, Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo, SYNOPSIS: The latest film from writer-director John Carney (ONCE), begin againBEGIN AGAIN is a soul-stirring comedy about what happens when lost souls meet and make beautiful music together. Gretta (Keira Knightley) and her long-time boyfriend Dave (Adam Levine) are college sweethearts and songwriting partners who decamp for New York when he lands a deal with a major label. But the trappings of his new-found fame soon tempt Dave to stray, and a reeling, lovelorn Gretta is left on her own. Her world takes a turn for the better when Dan (Mark Ruffalo), a disgraced record-label exec, stumbles upon her performing on an East Village stage and is immediately captivated by her raw talent. From this chance encounter emerges an enchanting portrait of a mutually transformative collaboration, set to the soundtrack of a summer in New York City.

 

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29 Fun and FREE April Fools Pranks for Your Friends in the San Francisco Area

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Aprils Fools Day in San Francisco…… yes, it is the greatest SFO prankster day of all, and now once again April Fools’ Day in San Francisco is upon us. If you didn’t plan the greatest, most YouTube-worthy prank of all time, no worries. You can still fool your San Francisco friends and family with pranks that require little effort and yield big laughs. (From you, at least.)

1. Paint a bar of soap with clear nail polish to prevent it from lathering.
2. Mix Reese Pieces, Skittles and M&Ms into one big bowl.
3. Stuff doughnuts with mayonnaise.
4. Swap the Mayonnaise jar with vanilla pudding.
5. Stock your refrigerator with a terrifying “head” in a jar.

CLICK HERE TO READ ALL 12 FUN PRANKS…..                                                          
CLICK HERE FOR 17 MORE GREAT PRANKS