San Francisco city officials recently cut the ribbon on the newly renovated Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, located at John McLaren Park in the city’s Portola District.
The amphitheater’s reopening this past Saturday comes after $1.45 million worth of renovations have been completed, including an expanded area for food trucks and portable toilets, as well as new benches, bike racks and handrails among other improvements.
In addition, increased storage capacity has been added underneath the amphitheater stage and in the green room.
The renovations were completed just in time for the start of the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, which holds free performances at the park through September.
“I am so excited to be at the reopening of the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater,” San Francisco Mayor London Breed said in a statement. “This venue has played such an important role in our city’s artistic culture and development, bringing live performances not only to this neighborhood but to all in San Francisco to enjoy. It is great to see the Amphitheater filled again with people having a good time right here in the heart of McLaren Park.”
Construction on the renovations began in 2018 and were paid for with the voter-approved Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond.
The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival’s Free Shakespeare in the Park staging of “Pericles: Prince of Tyre” will be performed at 2 p.m. Friday-Sunday at Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, John McLaren Park, 100 John F. Shelley Dr., San Francisco, and 4 p.m. Oct. 2-3 and Oct. 8-10 at Memorial Park Amphitheater, 21163 Anton Way, Cupertino. For more information, visit sfshakes.org.