Things To Do
Carnaval
Carnaval is a yearly Mission District weekend celebration of Afro-Caribbean and South American diasporas, including morning parades on Saturday and Sunday, and an all-day street fair with multiple music performance stages, food, and art. Our wedding is held on the second day of this festival. This is an extremely unique festival -- if you have the interest and energy, you won't regret showing up on Saturday before our rehearsal dinner or on Sunday after the picnic! The festivities generally last from 10am to 7pm / 8pm.
Japanese Tea Garden
The oldest public Japanese garden in the United States, this complex of many paths, ponds and a teahouse features plants and trees pruned and arranged in a Japanese style. The garden's 3 acres contain sculptures and structures influenced by Buddhist and Shinto religious beliefs, as well as many elements of water and rocks to create a calming landscape designed to slow people down.
San Francisco Botanical Garden
This is one of John and Nina's favorite date spots -- the picture above was taken at the Botanical Garden :). You can get lost in there for a few hours, weaving in and out of trails, streams, ponds, and trees/plants/flowers from all over the world.
Musée Mécanique
Located in the historic Fisherman's Wharf tourist area, this classic arcade room contains a vast collection of 20th-century automata, penny arcade games, and musical contraptions. Bring dollar bills!
Ghirardelli Square
This historic location, now filled with all sorts of shops and restaurants -- including the famous Ghirardelli chocolate factory -- is framed by Fort Mason to the West, Fisherman's Wharf to the East, and sweeping views of Alcatraz and Golden Gate Bridge to the North. It is also the location of the rehearsal dinner on Saturday night. John and Nina both visited this square with their families as children. Still one of the best places to walk around and experience classic San Francisco vibes!
Haight-Ashbury
Haight Street is the central artery of San Francisco's historic Haight-Ashbury district, world-renowned as the epicenter of the 1960s hippie counterculture and the "Summer of Love". Located near Golden Gate Park, the area is defined by its Victorian homes, vintage clothing boutiques, record shops like Amoeba Music, and iconic 1960s musical roots. Start at the Mellow plant store and walk down to Ameoba music store. When Nina and John met, John was living in this district. They spent countless days walking through the district West toward Golden Gate Park, sometimes continuing all the way through the park to the trails and fields close to the wedding site. By visiting this area, you will get a glimpse of Nina and John's home turf :)