If you’re hungry for good live music that doesn’t break the bank, you’re in luck. San Francisco’s free Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival, often called Hardly Strictly or HSB, returns the first weekend of October.

The long-running, all-ages music festival features a packed lineup of country, folk, jazz and bluegrass performers — with no tickets or RSVPs required.

But a free festival means big crowds, which can make for a hectic weekend in Golden Gate Park, especially with the bag checks that have been implemented in recent years. Read more to learn how to best plan for attending Hardly Strictly in October, or jump straight to:

When is Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2025, and where is it in Golden Gate Park?

Hardly Strictly will be held Oct. 3–5 at Hellman Hollow and Lindley and Marx me

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