Circus Nights, Farmers Markets & a World Cup Finale
July 17–19, 2026
Hi parents,
By mid-July, weekends seem to settle into an easier rhythm. Farmers markets become part of the routine, dinner happens a little later, and there’s finally enough daylight for one more stop at the playground.
This weekend adds a few extras to that rhythm: a free circus under the sky, a musical your little one probably already knows by heart, and a World Cup final that will have Redwood City’s Courthouse Square buzzing.
Pick one or two things, leave room for the unexpected, and don't forget to enjoy the slower moments too.
Happening All Weekend
Wheels on the Bus: The Musical
6:30 pm–7:30 pm | 📍 Palo Alto Children’s Theatre, Palo Alto
An outdoor singalong musical built around the song your little one probably already has memorized. Bring a blanket for ground seating, and settle in for a lively evening under the summer sky.
Ages 2–8 | $20 per person | Get tickets
Friday, July 17
Family Storytime
11:00 am–11:30 am | 📍 Downtown Library, Palo Alto
Librarian Heidi leads a cheerful Friday morning storytime with songs, rhymes, and read-alouds. Geared toward ages 2 and up, but wiggly babies are welcome too.
Ages 0–5 | Free | Learn more
Movie Night + Field Day: Zootopia 2
6:00 pm–10:00 pm | 📍 Orange Memorial Park Meadow, South San Francisco
The summer’s first Movie Night begins with lawn games and field-day activities, followed by free hot dogs at 6:30 pm while supplies last. The movie starts at dusk, around 8:30 pm, so bring a blanket or low chair and settle in.
All ages | Free | Learn more
Circus Bella: AH HA!
6:00 pm | 📍 Salesian Boys & Girls Club, San Francisco
Circus Bella brings acrobats, aerialists, jugglers, and a live six-piece band to North Beach. There’s no assigned seating, so bring a blanket or low chair and arrive early if you can.
All ages | Free, suggested donation | Learn more
Music on the Square: Native Elements
6:00 pm–8:00 pm | 📍 Courthouse Square, Redwood City
Redwood City’s Friday-night tradition continues with Native Elements, a horn-driven reggae group that has been part of the Bay Area music scene for nearly two decades. Bring dinner, a blanket, and settle in for an easy summer evening.
All ages | Free | Learn more
Saturday, July 18
Downtown Palo Alto Farmers’ Market
8:00 am–12:00 pm | 📍 Gilman Street, Palo Alto
A Peninsula staple since 1981, with seasonal produce, fresh bread, flowers, and live music throughout the morning. Kids tend to enjoy the fruit samples almost as much as the grown-ups enjoy the coffee and slow wander.
All ages | Free to browse | Learn more
Kids Rock!: Lori & RJ
10:00 am–12:00 pm | 📍 Courthouse Square, Redwood City
Redwood City’s kid-focused concert series returns with live music, an inflatable playland, and MC Andy-Z keeping everyone moving. High-energy, easygoing, and genuinely fun for grown-ups too.
All ages | Free | Learn more
Happy Birds
11:00 am–12:00 pm | 📍 Hiller Aviation Museum, San Carlos
Parrots, macaws, and cockatoos perform tricks, impersonations, and even a little opera. Arrive early for good seats, then stay to explore the museum’s planes, cockpits, and hands-on exhibits.
All ages | Included with museum admission | Learn more
Circus Bella: AH HA!
1:00 pm and 3:00 pm | 📍 PROXY Hayes Valley, San Francisco
Circus Bella makes its second stop of the weekend in Hayes Valley’s outdoor plaza. With two performances to choose from, this one offers a little flexibility if your morning plans run long.
All ages | Free, suggested donation | Learn more
World Cup Third-Place Match Watch Party
2:00 pm | 📍 Courthouse Square, Redwood City
Watch the tournament’s third-place match on the big screen, with climbing walls, inflatables, lawn games, and other Fan Zone activities surrounding the square.
All ages | Free | Get details
Portola Valley Summer Music Series: Fog City Swampers
5:30 pm–8:00 pm | 📍 Portola Valley Town Center, Portola Valley
A relaxed lawn concert with classic rock covers, food trucks, and the farmers market open alongside it. An easy option for turning dinner and music into the evening plan.
All ages | Free | Learn more
Sunday, July 19
Belmont Farmers Market
9:00 am–1:00 pm | 📍 Belmont
A well-loved Peninsula market with California-grown produce and an easy, small-town feel. Pair it with breakfast and a nearby playground stop for a low-key Sunday morning.
All ages | Free to browse | Learn more
Feathered Friends: Birdwatching and Nature Art for Families
8:30 am–10:30 am | 📍 San Francisco Botanical Garden, San Francisco
A guided morning of birdwatching basics followed by a nature-art activity using materials gathered along the way. Small, hands-on, and led by a local birder and art educator.
Ages 6–12 with an adult | $50 per pair | Register
Paint-A-Plane
10:00 am–12:00 pm | 📍 Hiller Aviation Museum, San Carlos
Kids can help paint a real Cessna Cardinal, explore open cockpits, build paper helicopters, and try other hands-on aviation activities. One of those wonderfully specific Peninsula experiences that is hard to find anywhere else.
Ages 3–12 | Included with museum admission | Learn more
Storytime with Anna: Steve the Dung Beetle
10:30 am–11:30 am | 📍 The Foster Museum, Palo Alto
A gentle Sunday storytime with songs, an egg-carton bug craft, and a story about the tiny creatures that help keep ecosystems running. Walk-ins are welcome.
Ages 0–6 | Free | Learn more
Sunday Streets: Mission
11:00 am–4:00 pm | 📍 Valencia Street, San Francisco
Ten car-free blocks of Valencia Street turn into one large neighborhood playground, with bikes, live music, dance performances, activities, and local vendors along the route.
All ages | Free | Learn more
World Cup Final Watch Party
12:00 pm | 📍 Courthouse Square, Redwood City
The tournament wraps up on the big screen in Redwood City, with climbing walls, inflatables, lawn games, and a full Fan Zone surrounding the square. A festive way to close out the World Cup and the weekend together.
All ages | Free | Get details
Little Joy
Summer has a way of making ordinary places feel new again.
A picnic dinner at the park. Picking the ripest peach at the farmers market. Letting the kids stay outside for ten more minutes because the sun is still up.
You don’t always need a big plan to make the weekend feel special. Sometimes it’s the smallest, most ordinary part that everyone remembers.
It’s a full weekend if you want it to be, and a quiet one if you don’t. That’s part of the beauty of July.
Wherever you land, I hope there’s a little sunshine, a little mess, and plenty of good company.
Hope you find a little pocket of joy this weekend.
Akriti