It’s fair to say that San Francisco boasts the most trade shows in the U.S. If you plan on attending a show in San Francisco in the near future, chances are that you’ll be looking for some things to do during your downtime. There are, of course, many famous things to do in the area, but what if you are the counter-culture type? What if your idea of fun happens to be doing things that other people aren’t that into?
If this sounds like you, take a look at our top places to visit in San Francisco that are way off of the beaten path.
1. See what’s playing at the Castro Theater. This indie movie house has been open since 1922, and it’s a real adventure to see a “sing-a-long” movie at the theater. What’s a sing-a-long? The people that catch musicals at Castro tend to play the parts of characters appearing in the movie playing – kind of like an all year round Rocky Horror Picture Show – and sing along to the music. If this sounds like you, the Castro is a historical landmark that’s beautiful and a lot of fun!
2. At 6pm on the last Friday of every month, cyclists that live in the city go for a joy-ride through town as part of the Critical Mass movement. Hundreds of cyclists cause a bit of trouble for drivers as they take back the streets – a strong statement, but a really fun way to join a bunch of other people that like to ride bikes!
3. Check out the Seward Street slides. How does sliding down a steep slope on a piece of cardboard sound to you? Find Seward Street, and check out the slides for a bit of after-show stress relief.
4. Try to find Bolinas. There’s a town called Bolinas in San Francisco that’s run by artists and surfers alike. The residents of Bolinas don’t like to be found, so they tend to turn signs around and hide the signs that indicate the town – it’s not that they aren’t friendly, but it’s more of a “stumble upon us if you can” kind of town. Once you get there, you’ll see why this town is so quaint – it’s all smiles and happiness and tranquility that’s far from the modern world.
5. Listen to some music at Bottom of the Hill. This concert venue was named by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top places to hear new and great music in the city. Most acts here come from the town itself, and you’ll be the first to hear new sounds from San Francisco music makers.
6. SOMA Street Food Park: we’re guessing that you’ll be pretty hungry after a long day of speaking with potential clients at a trade show, right? SOMA Street Food Park is where you want to go to explore some of the city’s best food – and this city has a lot of amazing food!
7. Napa County: okay, Napa isn’t actually in San Francisco, but you really need to visit Napa if you’re heading out in this general direction. Catch the Wine Train for a visit to some amazing vineyards, or book a limo for the day (really reasonable) to visit the vineyards that you want to see. Napa means wine, and no trip out to San Francisco is complete without a vineyard tour or two!
Preparing for the Next Trade Show
Planning a trip to San Francisco is a lot of fun, but make sure that you can get a San Francisco Trade Show exhibit rental to go along with that trip. At Blazer, our mission is to make a trade show booth for you that will stand out, no matter what show you plan to visit. No matter what you have in mind for your trade show booth, we can make it happen.
In addition to trade show booth displays, Blazer also provides services such as the set up and take down of any trade show booth displays. We can also store your trade show rental booths so that it stays perfectly pristine while you are not using it (we also repair any booth display). Call us today for details, and let us know what your favorite spot to visit in San Francisco is!