Festivals near San Francisco

Birthplace of the Summer of Love and a century of counterculture, San Francisco has always known how to turn its parks into stages. The marquee gathering is Outside Lands, three days deep in Golden Gate Park where the Pacific fog rolls over pop, rock and electronic headliners, Napa wine and bay-area food trucks. A short walk away, that same park hosts the beloved free festival Hardly Strictly Bluegrass every autumn, sending folk, bluegrass and Americana ringing through the eucalyptus — the city's yearly gift to its own, no ticket and no fence required.

The independent spirit here runs all year long. In winter, Noise Pop spreads across the clubs of the Mission and the Tenderloin to surface tomorrow's indie acts, while come summer the Stern Grove Festival unfolds its free concerts in a natural amphitheater tucked between redwoods and hills. Across the bay in Oakland, Mosswood Meltdown keeps the region's garage and punk flame burning. FestT computes your FestiScore — the match between a lineup and your favorite artists — and keeps dates, headliners and ticketing up to date.