What’s New: Summer at the Presidio

Free community events, more fabulous food, and new parkland for play

San Francisco, CA (May 8, 2025) – Summer in San Francisco wouldn’t be complete without time spent in the city’s very own national park site, the Presidio. With the approach of longer days and glorious weekends, the Presidio is offering new destinations and activities to enjoy nature, Golden Gate views, food, and lively gatherings with friends and family.

Just Announced – Outpost Meadow Picnic Area Opens July 17!

Just in time to celebrate the three-year anniversary of Presidio Tunnel Tops, its highly anticipated extension, the Outpost Meadow picnic area, will open to the public starting July 17.

The new four-acre green gathering space is right next to the two-acre Outpost nature playground, San Francisco’s largest playground and a hugely popular destination for kids. It adds more amenities for families, including picnic tables with grills, shaded areas, bike parking, and beautiful gardens and lawn areas to gather and relax. There will also be more space nearby for Presidio Pop Up food trucks. It’s the perfect place to enjoy the beauty of San Francisco’s northern waterfront!

Free Summer Events 
The Presidio is excited to announce this year’s roster of (mostly) FREE summer events, bringing communities together to dance, celebrate culture, learn nature and history, eat and play. Events are co-hosted by the Partnership for the Presidio and in collaboration with many community partners. Mark your calendars!

• Intertribal Dance Gathering: Dancing is Our Medicine – Saturday, May 24, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Presidio Tunnel Tops.

The Native American Health Center welcomes indigenous communities and the greater public for a day of dance, music, screen printing, and health screenings, with an arts and crafts marketplace and more. Event listing.

• Memorial Day Commemoration – Monday, May 26, 10:30 a.m., San Francisco National Cemetery. 

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hosts the annual Memorial Day Commemoration, for the 107^th year in the Presidio. Other activities honor and remember fallen service members and explore the Presidio’s military history. Event listing.

• FOR-SITE Foundation presents Black Gold: Stories Untold – June 6 to November 2, Thursdays through Mondays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fort Point.

In this new exhibit, fifteen artists highlight the resilience, struggles, and triumphs of African Americans who lived in California from the Gold Rush to the era of Reconstruction following the Civil War (c. 1849–1877). In partnership with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.  Event listing.

• Gold Cup Event: ¡Día de Fútbol! – Saturday, June 7, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., Presidio Tunnel Tops.

Join engaging hosts from KDTV Univision 14 and Uforia Radio for a special community celebration of fútbol! Get ready for the 2025 Gold Cup with family fun and a surprise visit from the San Jose Earthquakes. 

• Parks4All Brewfest –Saturday, July 19, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., Civil War Parade Ground.

The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy’s Parks4All Brewfest features beer tastings, lawn games, live music, and food trucks. Ticket purchases support the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Civil War Parade Ground. Event listing.

• Fiesta en el Parque – Sunday, August 10, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Presidio Tunnel Tops. 

This lively event returns for a third year, featuring interactive Zumba and Salsa experiences, Latin music with DJ Alex Merino, interactive art activities and more! Event listing.

• Chuseok Festival – Saturday, September 27, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Main Parade Lawn.

Join Korean Center Inc. for the 7^th annual Chuseok Festival. This is the Bay Area’s largest public event celebrating Korean culture, community, and tradition. The vibrant cultural event brings bold flavors, rhythmic performances, and community connections honoring Korea’s cherished harvest holiday. Event listing 

For complete information on these events and others, visit www.presidio.gov/events. The Walt Disney Family Museum and Presidio Theatre also present events all summer long. Check their websites for details.

NEW Food Trucks Join Presidio Pop Up 
Nothing defines a summer day in the park like food, and Presidio Pop Up is expanding its rotating roster of more than 30 food trucks, carts, and tents that showcase the diverse cultures and cuisines of the Bay Area. Find them on the Main Parade Lawn, on Presidio Tunnel Tops, and starting in mid-July at the NEW Outpost Meadow picnic area at Crissy Field! Beginning Memorial Day week (May 26) 10 brand new vendors join the 21 returning vendors for the summer season. 

Starting late May:

• Adelitas Antojitos (Salvadoran and Mexican pupusas and tamales)
• Gregoire (French sandwiches and signature potato puffs)
• Los Kuyas (Mexican Filipino tacos)
• Respectable Bird (Signature fried chicken)
• Saltwater Bakehouse (Baked treats to eat or to go)
• Twirl & Dip (Organic soft serve ice cream with chocolate dip)
• Uji Time (Japanese soft serve ice cream)

Starting mid-July: 

• Mai’s Garlic Noodles (Modern Cambodian noodles)
• Mestizo (Traditional dishes of the Yucatan)
• Mozzeria (Neopolitan wood-fired pizza)

See the Presidio website for the weekly schedule of Presidio Pop Up vendors. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekends, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays. See our website for other food options in the park.

Family Fun
Enjoy a family-friendly day at the Outpost playground and the Field Station – where there’s no limit to play and discovery (for visitors of ALL ages! This summer, pick up a special seasonal Presidio Adventure Passport! Each free passport kit includes a field journal for writing notes, a deck of 18 illustrated GeoQuesting cards, and an illustrated “Adventures in the Presidio” map. This kit provides the tools to embark on a treasure hunt where you seek hidden boxes and messages placed in unique locations around the Presidio. Each hidden box holds fun facts about park history and the natural world. 

Discover many other Self-Guided Adventures and Itineraries including checking out an Explorer Backpack to send you on your way.

Don’t forget to book your summer camping trip at Rob Hill Campground, April 1 to October 31. The four group campsites can welcome up to 30 people each and include fire pits, picnic tables, and are nestled in the forest above the Pacific Ocean. Rolling reservations are made monthly on Recreation.gov.

Ongoing Offerings
Stop by the Presidio Visitor Center daily at 11 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., or 3 p.m. for an informative overview of park resources and recreational possibilities by National Park Service (NPS) Rangers. Learn about the park and its history at campfire talks at Presidio Tunnel Tops, 4 p.m. daily. Museum galleries at the Presidio Officers’ Club are open to the public for free Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m; you can uncover the rich cultural history of the Presidio and its early inhabitants and experience the special EXCLUSION exhibition. Enjoy a Fort Point National Historic Site History Talk & new exhibition every Friday through Sunday. Join hundreds of volunteers who help make the parks beautiful! See here for details. 

Hours of Operation 
Presidio Pop Up (mobile food): Daily, weekends from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Outpost Nature Play Area: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Field Station: Wednesday – Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Closed Monday and Tuesday)
Presidio Visitor Center: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
Presidio Officers’ Club History Galleries: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

For details on transportation to the park visit https://www.presidio.gov/transportation  

About the Presidio and the Presidio Trust

The Presidio is one of America’s most visited national park sites, located within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Spanning 1,500 acres next to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the Presidio is among the most biologically diverse parks in America. Historically a home to native peoples and a military post under three flags, its facilities have been reinvented as museums, restaurants, hotels, homes, and offices. The Presidio Trust is the federal agency that stewards the Presidio, in partnership with the National Park Service and with support from the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. The Trust sustains the Presidio by leasing homes and workplaces and offering visitor amenities. Learn more at presidio.gov.

Media Contacts:

Lisa Petrie, lpetrie@presidiotrust.gov
415-264-7787 (m)

David Perry, news@davidperry.com
415-676-7007 (m)

Renderings of Outpost Meadow, by JCFO. 

Additional Images available upon request.

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Media contact:
David Perry / (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com

Skechers Named Official Footwear Partner of Bay to Breakers Powered by Windsurf 2025

Footwear Leader Joins as New Sponsor for San Francisco’s Most Iconic Footrace On Sunday, May 18

7  May 2025, San Francisco, CA: Step by step, a new partnership is lacing up to energize San Francisco’s most legendary race: Bay to Breakers Powered by Windsurf is proud to welcome Skechers as the Official Footwear Partner of the 2025 race. The iconic San Francisco event, set for Sunday, May 18, continues its tradition of partnering with innovative and community-led brands to enhance the runner experience at every level.  

Known as the Comfort Technology Company™, Skechers will bring their dynamic energy, signature Comfort that Performs, and innovation to this year’s event by introducing the new Skechers AERO series of technical running shoes to race attendees and participants. Representing the latest evolution of technical running shoes from the brand, Skechers AERO is engineered to deliver an exhilarating blend of speed, style, and comfort to help runners push beyond their personal bests—the Bay to Breakers Powered by Windsurf race will be the first event where Skechers activates to showcase Skechers AERO, which launched on May 1. 

Race participants and spectators can also look forward to Skechers branded on-course activations and memorable moments at the Finish Line Festival designed to celebrate runners and further enhance the bold and inclusive energy that has defined the iconic race since 1912. Skechers will also award the top three finishers in each category of the Hayes Hill Challenge with a new pair of Skechers AERO running shoes. 

“Skechers’ involvement adds a whole new dimension to this year’s Bay to Breakers,” said Phyllis Blanchard of Motiv Sports/Bay to Breakers Powered by Windsurf. “We’re excited about the energy they’ll bring, and the opportunity to showcase footwear that keeps pace with the most delightfully unpredictable race in America.”

Bay to Breakers is a San Francisco original, known for its spirited race that has been a staple of the city since 1912. It brings together athletes, families, community members, and costume-clad participants for a 12K race from the San Francisco Bay to the breakers on the Pacific Coast. Bay to Breakers is a celebration of life, laughter, and the personality of San Francisco, embodying the city’s inclusive spirit and community engagement. During the annual Bay to Breakers Race, participants of all ages and abilities, and oftentimes in costume, line up on Howard Street a few blocks from The Embarcadero on the third Sunday in May – in 2025, May 18. The course travels west through the City and finishes at the Great Highway, where the breakers crash into Ocean Beach. It truly is a time-honored tradition and the quintessential San Francisco experience.

To learn more about Bay to Breakers or sign up for the fun, visit www.baytobreakers.com. For sponsorship or Corporate Teams information, email Alex Jee at ajee@motivsports.com.

About SKECHERS U.S.A., Inc. 
Skechers (NYSE:SKX), The Comfort Technology Company^® based in Southern California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle and performance footwear, apparel and accessories for men, women and children. The Company’s collections are available in 180 countries and territories through department and specialty stores, and direct to consumers through skechers.com and more than 5,300 Skechers retail stores. A Fortune 500^® company, Skechers manages its international business through a network of wholly-owned subsidiaries, joint venture partners, and distributors. For more information, please visit about.skechers.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

LGBT Supportive Cardinals

The Vatican does not publish or track official stances by cardinals on LGBTQ+ issues, and many cardinals tend to express views aligned with official Catholic doctrine, which teaches that while LGBTQ+ individuals should be treated with dignity and respect, same-sex relationships and non-cisgender identities are not affirmed.

However, some cardinals have shown more pastoral openness or have expressed views that may be seen as more compassionate or inclusive toward LGBTQ+ Catholics. These include:

1. Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich (Luxembourg) – As the Relator General of the Synod on Synodality, he has publicly called for a revision of the Church’s stance on homosexuality, saying it is no longer scientifically or sociologically correct to consider homosexuality a sin.

2. Cardinal Matteo Zuppi (Italy) – President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference and known for his work in peacebuilding and social justice. He has supported outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics and is often compared to Pope Francis in tone and pastoral approach.

3. Cardinal Blase Cupich (USA) – Archbishop of Chicago and viewed as one of the more progressive voices in the U.S. episcopate. He has supported LGBTQ+ ministries and was an early advocate for civil discourse on the topic within the Church.

4. Cardinal Joseph Tobin (USA) – Archbishop of Newark, he welcomed an LGBTQ+ pilgrimage to his cathedral and has called for more compassionate outreach and understanding of gay Catholics.

5. Cardinal Wilton Gregory (USA) – The first African-American cardinal, Gregory has voiced strong support for respect and inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in the Church, while maintaining the official teachings.

6. Cardinal Reinhard Marx (Germany) – He has called for a reconsideration of Church teaching on sexuality and supported blessings for same-sex couples, a highly controversial stance within the Vatican.

May 6: A Day of Honor, History, and Fictional Echoes

On this day in 1527, during the brutal Sack of Rome, 147 members of the Swiss Guard gave their lives defending Pope Clement VII. The last stand at St. Peter’s Basilica remains one of the most stirring moments of loyalty and sacrifice in Vatican history. To this day, May 6 is when new Swiss Guards are sworn in, honoring those who fell in defense of the papacy nearly 500 years ago.

Pope Clement VII, a Medici by birth and a pope by destiny, was a man caught in a time of shifting alliances and perilous politics. His story—and that of the young guards who protected him—has inspired centuries of reverence and reflection.

It also inspired award-winning author David Eugene Perry in his acclaimed novel Upon This Rock. In this modern-day Vatican thriller, the memory of Clement VII and the valor of the Swiss Guard are more than footnotes—they’re integral to a gripping mystery that weaves past and present. One of the central characters, a young Swiss Guard named Gio, stands as both a protector of truth and a bridge to the complex legacy of Vatican history.

And history is catching up with fiction.

Tomorrow, on May 7, 2025, the world will watch as a new conclave gathers to choose the successor to Pope Francis, who also makes a memorable and moving appearance in Upon This Rock. In a scene that feels all the more poignant this week, Francis personally blesses the novel’s protagonists—two gay detectives from San Francisco—with the words: “Who am I to judge?”

As the Vatican prepares to write a new chapter, Upon This Rock reminds us that the past is always present. It lives in the oaths taken, the sacrifices remembered, and the stories that make us ask what it means to serve, to love, and to lead.

Discover the book here: https://a.co/d/fFfaj25

Why Upon This Rock Is the Perfect Read for the Upcoming Papal Conclave

As the world turns its gaze once again toward the Vatican and the upcoming papal conclave, readers seeking intrigue, history, and a touch of divine mystery will find no better companion than David Eugene Perry’s award-winning mystery thriller, Upon This Rock.

Lauded as “an elegant, twisty thriller” by Armistead Maupin and winner of both the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Benjamin Franklin Award and the San Francisco Book Festival, Upon This Rock is more than just a suspenseful page-turner. It’s a rich tapestry woven from the threads of Vatican secrets, centuries-old conspiracies, and modern-day reckonings—starring not one, not two, but three popes, including the historical Clement VII and a fictional encounter with Pope Francis himself.

Set against the hauntingly beautiful backdrop of an Italian hilltown, the novel follows Adriano and Lee, a pair of gay sleuths from San Francisco described by Bay Area Reporter’s Will Snyder as “as sharp as Sam Spade and with the wit of Nick and Nora Charles.” As they unravel a mystery involving art theft, religious relics, and international corruption, the duo finds themselves not only navigating mortal danger but also moral complexity—including a moving scene where they meet Pope Francis, who welcomes them with compassion and the now-famous words: “Who am I to judge?”

This contemporary papal endorsement of love and acceptance grounds the novel in the real spiritual evolution of the Catholic Church, making Upon This Rock especially resonant as cardinals gather to choose the next pontiff. The specter of Clement VII—the pope who famously bungled the political machinations of the Reformation—haunts the narrative, reminding readers that the history of the papacy is as riddled with intrigue, ambition, and missteps as any political throne on Earth.

Packed with “assassins, terrorists, shady priests, human trafficking, and megawatt conspiracies” (Palm Springs Life), Perry’s novel is not only thrilling but timely. In an era where the Church continues to confront its past while shaping its future, Upon This Rockoffers a fictional lens through which to explore very real questions of faith, power, and justice.

Already in screenplay development and now in its second printing, Upon This Rock is poised to become a major cinematic event. But don’t wait for the film—now is the time to read the book that readers and critics alike are calling “fabulous” (Jan Wahl, Emmy Award–winning Hollywood Reporter).

As the world watches the smoke rise above the Sistine Chapel, curl up with a story that blends the eternal and the contemporary in the most compelling of ways.

Get your copy today—instant ebook for Kindle on Amazon or at davideugeneperry.com and discover why Upon This Rock is the must-read thriller of this papal season.