SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Old Car Picnic returns to Golden Gate Park on Saturday, Oct. 17, bringing vintage cars, trucks, motorcycles and bicycles onto the grass at Hellman Hollow for its 38th annual gathering.
For people who simply want to walk through and look at the vehicles, admission is free. The organizer charges participants who bring an eligible display vehicle: $40 for cars and trucks, $20 for motorcycles and $10 for bicycles.
What time is the San Francisco Old Car Picnic?
The official event site lists the gates as open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17.
The picnic is at Hellman Hollow, also known historically as Speedway Meadow, along John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park. San Francisco Recreation and Parks lists the picnic area at 800 John F. Kennedy Drive, just west of Transverse Drive.
Is the Old Car Picnic free?
Yes for spectators. The organizer explicitly lists spectator admission as free.
People bringing display vehicles pay an entry fee. Cars and trucks are $40, motorcycles are $20 and bicycles are $10. The event is a fundraiser benefiting programs for people with developmental disabilities.
Which vehicles can enter the meadow?
The organizer limits display vehicles to model year 2001 or older and says vehicles larger than a three-quarter-ton pickup are not allowed on the meadow.
There are also event-specific driving rules. Participating vehicles must approach the meadow from the west on JFK Drive, or enter the park from Fulton Street at 30th Avenue and turn left onto JFK Drive. The organizer says there are no vehicle in-and-outs once a display vehicle is on the meadow.
Burnouts, tire spinning, speeding and other unsafe driving are prohibited. The organizer says police and park officers will be on duty and that traffic and parking violations can be cited.
Where should spectators park?
Parking is the weak point for anyone planning to drive. San Francisco Recreation and Parks describes parking at Hellman Hollow as street parking with limited availability.
That matters because the event begins early and concentrates both participants and spectators around one section of JFK Drive. Drivers should not assume they will find a space immediately beside the meadow.
If you are bringing a display vehicle, follow the event's special vehicle-entry directions rather than an ordinary map route to the picnic area.
How do you get there by Muni?
SF Recreation and Parks recommends public transportation for Golden Gate Park and lists several Muni routes serving different sides of the park, including the 5 Fulton, 5R Fulton Rapid, 7 Haight/Noriega, N Judah, 28 19th Avenue, 29 Sunset and 44 O'Shaughnessy.
Hellman Hollow is in the western half of the park, so the best route depends on where you are coming from and how much walking you want to do. Check the SF News Today transit desk before leaving rather than assuming normal service will be unchanged on event day.
The park also operates a free shuttle along JFK Drive with a stop at Transverse Drive, near Hellman Hollow. Weekend shuttle service normally runs during daytime hours.
Can you bring food or use the picnic area?
The event is a picnic as well as a vehicle gathering. The organizer encourages visitors to bring food and cameras. Hellman Hollow has restrooms, picnic tables and built-in grills in designated picnic areas.
The event asks visitors to clean up after themselves, dispose of hot coals in the containers provided and respect the grass. Amplified music is not allowed by the event organizer.
What should you know before going?
The most useful distinction is simple: you do not need to pay just to attend and look at the vehicles. The fees apply to people bringing participating vehicles onto the meadow.
Arriving by transit avoids the limited street-parking problem, while drivers bringing eligible vehicles should follow the organizer's prescribed JFK Drive approach.