Article Contributed by Shore Fire Media
Published on 2026-07-09
Mayor Lurie Announces New Immersive Grateful Dead Exhibition, Free Grahame Lesh Concert in Golden Gate Park
Mayor Daniel Lurie today announced “Forever Grateful, Golden Gate Park,” a new immersive exhibition that will transform the County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park into an immersive celebration of the music, art, and community that made the Grateful Dead a defining part of San Francisco's cultural identity. The exhibition will open September 5, kicking off with a free concert on Labor Day Weekend from Grahame Lesh and Friends, the group headed by the son of Grateful Dead founding member Phil Lesh.
“Forever Grateful, Golden Gate Park” continues Mayor Lurie’s work to bring San Franciscans and welcome visitors through arts, culture, and major events. Last year’s “Summer of Music,” featuring one weekend of Dead & Company shows, drew tens of thousands of people to the city and generated over $150 million in local economic activity. Mayor Lurie built on that progress by bringing a new season of live music to Golden Gate Park along with free opera performances in Crane Cove Park, continuing SF Music Week, and launching SF LIVE, a free online show guide and events calendar to support arts institutions by boosting ticket sales. With San Francisco also hosting the Super Bowl and six FIFA World Cup matches this year, visitors are returning in record numbers, accelerating the city’s economic recovery.
“Art and music define San Francisco, and they have for decades, thanks to groups like the Grateful Dead and the community they created,” said Mayor Lurie. “When we celebrate that legacy, we celebrate not only one period of our history but also the creative energy that still makes San Francisco special today. The Summer of Music was so special last year, and I hope everyone will come out to enjoy Grahame Lesh’s free show on September 7 and celebrate our city’s incredible history and bright future.”
Featuring legendary works of art and ephemera, performers, large-scale projections, multimedia installations, hands-on experiences, and interactive storytelling, “Forever Grateful, Golden Gate Park,” will invite visitors to step inside the story of one of San Francisco's most influential bands. Opening weekend festivities will culminate Monday, September 7, with a free performance by Grahame Lesh and Friends in Robin Williams Meadow between 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM. Following opening weekend, the ticketed exhibition will remain on view through October 25.
“The Grateful Dead's story is inseparable from Golden Gate Park and San Francisco,” said Sarah Madland, San Francisco Recreation and Park Department General Manager. “Bringing this immersive experience to the County Fair Building invites visitors to step inside that history while creating new memories in one of the world’s great urban parks.”
Created by the Haight Street Art Center in partnership with the award-winning immersive performance company Third Rail Projects and the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, “Forever Grateful, Golden Gate Park” is anchored by Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters' legendary “Furthur” bus and Jerry Garcia's BMW, alongside original artwork, rare memorabilia, and multimedia installations. Live performers appear throughout the experience—from intimate one-on-one interactions to spontaneous encounters.
“There’s nothing like free music in San Francisco. It’s something that the Grateful Dead discovered early on in the ‘60s and something I got to witness and be a part of in the 2020s with my dad as a member of Phil Lesh and Friends,” said Grahame Lesh. “Music is for everyone, and I am honored to celebrate the band’s legacy and history in San Francisco—in Golden Gate Park—with all of you, the wonderful Deadhead community!”
The exhibition builds on “Forever Grateful,” now on view at the Haight Street Art Center through September 20, where more than 400 paintings, original lithographs, photographs, instruments, vinyl records, and rare ephemera chronicle the Grateful Dead's journey from 1965 to 1995. Together, the two experiences offer visitors both an extraordinary historical archive and a fully immersive celebration of the band's enduring cultural legacy.
“At Haight Street Art Center, we believe art has the power to preserve history and inspire connections across generations,” said Kelly Harris, Haight Street Art Center Executive Director. “Forever Grateful's second exhibition carries that mission to Golden Gate Park—one of San Francisco's most iconic public spaces and a homecoming for this story. Anchored by Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters' iconic ‘Furthur’ bus and Jerry Garcia's BMW, the exhibition brings visitors to where so much of the Grateful Dead's history actually happened.”
“Forever Grateful, Golden Gate Park” will run from September 5 to October 25 at the County Fair Building (Hall of Flowers) in Golden Gate Park. Tickets and more information are available on the Haight Street Art Center website.
