This Week's Top Stories

Fisherman's Wharf

Alioto's Plaza Opens at Fisherman's Wharf, Giving the Waterfront a New Public Heart

The Port of San Francisco officially unveiled the new outdoor plaza on September 2, replacing the long-shuttered Alioto's Restaurant with open seating, lagoon views, and a pop-up beer concession.

San Francisco marked a turning point for Fisherman's Wharf on September 2 when Mayor Daniel Lurie and members of the Alioto family joined the Port of San Francisco for a ribbon-cutting at Alioto's Plaza, a new public space on Taylor Street built where the iconic Alioto's Restaurant once stood. The restaurant had opened in 1924 and closed permanently in 2022 after the pandemic; its three-story building was demolished in January 2026. The finished plaza features picnic-table seating, benches oriented toward San Francisco Bay, landscaping, and wave-shaped sculptural seating.

Fleet Week

Fleet Week Returns to the Northern Waterfront, October 4–12, with Blue Angels Back in the Sky

San Francisco Fleet Week 2026 brings a full schedule of free ship tours, military band concerts at Pier 39 and Ghirardelli Square, and a three-day Blue Angels air show over the Bay.

After the 2025 air show was grounded by a federal government shutdown, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels are confirmed to return to San Francisco Fleet Week 2026, running October 4 through 12. The full festival puts the northern waterfront — Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, and Aquatic Park — at the center of one of the city's biggest fall events. The marquee air show runs Friday through Sunday, October 9–11, from noon to 4 p.m. over the Bay between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz.

North Beach

158th Italian Heritage Parade to March Through North Beach on October 11

Actor Joe Mantegna returns as grand marshal for the nation's longest continuously running Italian-American parade, stepping off from Fisherman's Wharf and ending at Washington Square.

San Francisco's Italian Heritage Parade marks its 158th year on Sunday, October 11, with a 12:30 p.m. procession through North Beach. The free event is the oldest continuously running Italian-American parade in the United States, tracing its roots to 1868. Emmy-winning and Tony-nominated actor Joe Mantegna returns for a consecutive year as Grand Marshal, joined by Civic Grand Marshal Bernard 'Bernie' Orsi, a Bay Area philanthropist and founder of Orsi Family Vineyards in Sonoma County's Dry Creek Valley, according to Hoodline.

Upcoming Events

Wednesday, October 7 – Monday, October 12

Fleet Week Ship Tours at Piers 27 & 35

📍 Piers 27 & 35, San Francisco Waterfront · 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM (varies by day)

Wednesday, October 7 through Sunday, October 11

Fleet Week Military Band Concerts at Pier 39 & Ghirardelli Square

📍 Pier 39 and Ghirardelli Square, Fisherman's Wharf area · Various times

Friday–Sunday, October 9–11

Fleet Week Blue Angels Air Show

📍 San Francisco Bay (between Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz); viewable from Fisherman's Wharf waterfront · 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Friday, October 9

Fleet Week Parade of Ships

📍 San Francisco Waterfront (Golden Gate Bridge to the Bay) · 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Saturday–Sunday, October 10–11

Saints Peter and Paul Church Annual Bazaar

📍 Saints Peter and Paul Church, 666 Filbert Street, Washington Square, North Beach · 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

More from the Neighborhood

Verdi Building Site Now on Market as Buyers Weigh What Comes Next

The partially demolished Verdi Building at 659 Union Street — the burned-out shell long known to neighbors as the Coit Liquors building — and the adjacent parking garage at 1636 Powell Street…

Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District Reports Strongest Visitor Numbers Since Pre-Pandemic

Fisherman's Wharf crossed 1 million visitors in a single month for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data released by the Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District…