San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge is celebrating a big birthday this year. It's turning 75! This Memorial Day weekend, locals and visitors will come together for the Golden Gate Festival.
On Sunday, May 27, the Golden Gate Festival will take place as the main event of a year-long celebration of the bridge's 75th anniversary.
The festival, spanning the waterfront from Fort Point to Pier 39, will include several attractions to keep guests busy. There will be an auto show, concerts, dance shows, talks and speeches, outdoor art installations, a display of bridge artifacts, a film night with movies featuring the bridge, and a firework display over the bridge as the grand finale to an eventful celebration.
This is just one of many celebrations and new experiences revolving the bridge. Those planning on taking a trip to San Francisco at any time during the year can enjoy a new 'Bridge Pavilion' educational experience, a renovated Art Deco Round House which offers high-tech self-guided tours , a new GoGGBridge app and a new Golden Gate Overlook sightseeing spot in the Presidio offering panoramic views for guests.
One event that won't be taking place during the festival is the ability to walk over the bridge with no traffic. Between 750,000 and one million people crowded onto the bridge during the 50th anniversary celebration, causing the structure to flex under the weight. Festival organizers don't want to take any chances this time.
Several more events are planned for the rest of the year as part of the '75 Tributes to the Bridge' program from communities in the Bay Area.
The iconic red bridge is one of America's best-known icons. It has been featured in several movies and television shows over the years. The travel guidebook Frommers described it as "possibly the most beautiful, certainly the most photographed, bridge in the world."
The Golden Gate Bridge was completed in 1937. It is the world's longest suspension span, measuring at 8981 ft., or 1.7 miles and it attracts over 10 million visitors a year.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
