📆 The Shortlist. Issue 22 - August 5-9, 2026
Welcome to The Shortlist! It’s your weekly snapshot of what to do with your kiddo in SF this week, plus a few highlights for the upcoming weekend. Short and sweet, every week.
All summer, keep an eye out for 🪣, it means that pick counts toward our Ultimate SF Summer Bucket List. How many can you check off?
📌 On the agenda 📌
Things that we are pinning to do with our kiddos this week.
All Week
$1 weekday family movies at Stonestown Galleria.
Celebrate National Farmers Market Week by going to one of your favorite neighborhood farmers markets.
Wednesday 8/5
9:00-10:30 - Attend a playgroup for kiddos ages 12-30 months. (Portola)
10:00-10:30 - Go to an outdoor storytime at Salesforce Park. 🪣
10:00-12:00 - Play and browse the Bookmobile at Presidio Tunnel Tops.
10:00-12:00 - Don’t miss the Bookmobile at the San Francisco Zoo.
10:00-4:00 - Go to a free day at the zoo for SF residents.
10:30-1:30 - Have mindful moments at the San Francisco Zoo.
11:00-12:00 - Learn how to use a scanning electron microscope. (Pier 15)
11:00-12:30 - Join a playgroup for kiddos ages 30-42 months. (Portola)
11:30-1:30 - Listen to live Jazz in SoMA.
11:45-12:45 - Join a playgroup for kiddos ages 0-5. (Visitacion Valley)
12:00-1:00 - Have an outdoor dance party at Dance Outdoors with Rhythm & Motion. (Yerba Buena)
12:00-2:00 - Enjoy live jazz downtown.
12:30-1:30 - Meet new moms at Círculo de Apoyo para Mamás Nuevas: Bebé recién nacido - 3 años. (Mission)
12:30-1:45 - Build community at a New Moms Group. (Inner Sunset)
1:00 - Enjoy the enchanting and timeless tale of Beauty and the Beast the musical.
1:15-5:00 - Celebrate the launch of the Family Wellness Center with family fun, a free back-to-school backpack giveaway and more. (Fillmore)
2:00-4:00 - Learn how to make a Landscape Yarn Painting at a free art workshop. (Yerba Buena)
2:00-4:00 - Go on a walking tour of SF’s Art Deco architecture.🪣
4:00-7:00 - Listen to free live music in Golden Gate Park.
5:00-8:00 - Go to a Drum Circle at Ocean Beach.
7:00 - Enjoy the enchanting and timeless tale of Beauty and the Beast the musical.
Thursday 8/6
9:00-10:30 - Join a playgroup for kiddos ages 12-30 months. (Excelsior)
9:30 - Attend a playgroup for kiddos ages 12-30 months. (Visitacion Valley)
9:30-11:30 - Visit the SummerMobile at Glen Canyon Park.
10:00-10:45 - Toddlers unite for outdoor musical fun with JAMaROO Kids at Toddler Thursday. (Salesforce Park)
10:00-12:00 - Let your kiddo dig, water, explore and play in the dirt at Bean Sprouts Family Days. (Golden Gate Park)
10:30 - Go to a Baby & Me Pilates class. (Outer Sunset)
11:00-12:00 - Learn how to use a scanning electron microscope. (Pier 15)
11:00-12:15 - Moms, take a moment to breathe at a Postpartum Yoga class. (Mission)
11:00-12:30 - Attend a playgroup for kiddos ages 30-42 months. (Excelsior)
11:00-1:00 -
11:30 - Go to Music & Movement with Jamaroo and have a playdate at Peek-a-Boo Factory.
11:30-1:30 - Listen to live music in Union Square.
12:00-1:00 - Practice your chess skills at Chess on the Plaza. (Downtown)
12:00-3:00 - Listen to live music in Civic Center.
1:00-2:00 - Bond with newborn parents (0-6 months) at a new parent circle. (Mission)
3:00 - Have a movie day with your kiddo and watch Luca at the Walt Disney Family Museum. (Presidio)
3:30-4:30 - Bond with parents of growing babies (6 months-2 years) at a new parent circle. (Mission)
4:00-6:00 - Let your bigger kiddo practice open range archery. (Mission)
4:30-6:30 - Make a happy people pin at Crafternoons in Union Square.
5:00-7:00 - Listen to free live music at the Ferry Building.
5:00-10:00 - Have a community dance party at Downtown First Thursdays.
5:30-7:00 - Build community at a Fatherhood Group. (Inner Sunset)
6:00-8:00 - Let your bigger kiddo practice open range archery. (Mission)
7:00 - Enjoy the enchanting and timeless tale of Beauty and the Beast the musical.
Friday 8/7
9:30-11:00 - Attend a playgroup for kiddos ages 30-42 months. (Visitacion Valley)
10:00-1:00 - Enjoy a morning of music with your little kiddo at Little Bears Music Class for Babies, Toddlers and Preschoolers. (Chase Center)
10:15-11:00 - Have a morning of music with your little one at Children's Music with Toby. (Inner Sunset)
11:00-11:30 - Enjoy dancer, singer, teacher, playwright and filmmaker, Eddie Madril’s (Kids’ Show) celebrating Native American culture at Yerba Buena Gardens.🪣
11:00-12:30 - Listen to live jazz at Salesforce Park.
11:00-1:00 - Learn how to feed your little one at a Lactation Support Circle. (Mission)
11:30-1:30 - Learn to play chess in Union Square.
12:00-12:30 - Enjoy dancer, singer, teacher, playwright and filmmaker, Eddie Madril’s (Kids’ Show) celebrating Native American culture at Yerba Buena Gardens.🪣
1:00-2:00 - Learn hot to make bibimbap with June Jo Lee, Food Ethnographer and award-winning children's book author. (Bayview)
3:00 - Have a movie day with your kiddo and watch Luca at the Walt Disney Family Museum. (Presidio)
3:30-5:00 - Let your child’s creativity and imagination run wild at a Free Day of Play. (Mission)
4:00-5:00 - Learn hot to make bibimbap with June Jo Lee, Food Ethnographer and award-winning children's book author. (Western Addition)
5:00-6:30 - Have a roller disco night with the kiddos. (Hayes Valley)
5:00-7:00 - Go to Sunset Fridays, an outdoor concert at the San Francisco Zoo.
5:00-7:30 - Watch Wall-E and Up at Pixar Night.
5:00-8:00 - Celebrate creativity in the Castro at Castro Art Walk.
6:00-8:30 - Go to a K-Pop Demon Hunter watch party and sing-along. (Fillmore)
7:30 - Enjoy the enchanting and timeless tale of Beauty and the Beast the musical.
8:00-9:30 - See performances by aerial and circus performers at the San Francisco Aerial Arts Festival.
Back this Summer! SF Zoo & Gardens hosts Sunset Fridays this Summer
Live music, brews and more!
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — July 24, 2026 — Sunset Fridays at SF Zoo, the popular after-hours event for the whole family, returns to San Francisco Zoo & Gardens on Friday, August 7 and will run on consecutive Fridays (excluding September 25) thru October 9 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Playfield Lawn. Guests can enjoy live music performances from local bands, outdoor bars and gourmet bites, kid-friendly activities, special entertainment and new this year, access to the new Dinos Rule! exhibition (ticket required).
The event name harkens to SF Zoo’s unique proximity to the Pacific Ocean and location in the historic Sunset District, with timing close to the sunset hour and in honor of the many animal species that are crepuscular – or active during sundown.
This fun evening event takes place in the open playfield area featuring the Elinor Friend Playground, historic Dentzel Carousel, Playfield Café and Great Lawn, where performances will be staged.
The live entertainment line-up is themed to different genres, a must-see for music fans.
August 7 — The Happys (Surf-tinged alternative rock)
August 14 — Electric X (Disco dance party)
August 21 — Sky Eyes (Reggae)
August 28 — Fog City Swing (Jazz)
September 4 — Dry Creek Station (Country western)
September 11 — Planet Groove Band (Funk-Rock-Blues)
September 18 — Fast Times Dance Party (High-energy dance tunes)
October 2 — Kliptones (Contemporary top hits)
October 9 — Steady Eddy & The Shakers (Motown)
📆 Plan Ahead 📆
Things that we’re looking forward to this weekend. More to come in our weekend guide!
All Weekend
Don’t miss your chance to enjoy the enchanting and timeless tale of Beauty and the Beast the musical. (Final Weekend)
See performances by aerial and circus performers at the San Francisco Aerial Arts Festival.
Celebrate Filipino culture at the 3rd Annual Pistahan Festival.
Saturday 8/8
Enjoy art and community at Thrive @ MoAD.
Check out live music, performances, sensory play and more at Live on Larkin: Back to School Edition. RSVP for Oogubi’s Family Zone here.
Learn about entomology in Golden Gate Park.
Celebrate the naming and first launch of a 16-foot rowboat built from scratch by local youth at Rocking the Boat Launch Day on the Bay.
Let your kiddo shine at Youth Talented Day.
Sunday 8/9
Stomp, shake and RAWR with your little kiddo at a Boogie Social: Dino Disco at Spark Social.
Create your own animation by making a thaumatrope, a type of optical toy you can spin to make moving images at Family Studio: Dance Animation at SFMoMA. 🪣
👀 On Our Feed 👀
Posts, threads, and content that made us stop scrolling.
See ya on Friday!
P.S. Want to partner with us? Have an event we should highlight? We work with brands that parents actually want in their lives (you know, the ones that don't make us choose between "kid-friendly" and "still cool"). Email us at [email protected] if that sounds like you.
How'd we do? Take our 5-second survey:
Click the option that fits, and feel free to tell us why. We read every response because we love feedback.
