The Portola Garden Tour has been celebrating the Portola’s private and public gardens since 2006. The neighborhood was officially designated as San Francisco’s Garden District in 2016. This year’s Portola Garden Tour features private and public gardens. In addition to neighborhood favorites, there are new gardens that have been created by gardeners enjoying their outdoor space during and since COVID 19.
The annual Portola Garden Tour is a great way for residents in The Portola to give back to their community. They get to know their neighbors and introduce people who live in other areas of San Francisco and beyond to discover this wonderful enclave. To date, the Portola Garden District Scholarship, the beneficiary of the tour’s fundraising, has awarded 28 scholarships and ten work projects in the Portola to students in the Environmental Horticulture and Floristry Department at City College of San Francisco.
Tickets are $20 each and all proceeds go to the Portola Garden District Scholarship, benefitting students in the Environmental Horticulture and Floristy Department at CCSF. Tickets are available now: click here.
What: Portola Garden Tour featuring 20 plus private and public gardens
When: Saturday, Sept 27, 2025, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: The Portola, San Francisco’s Garden District
Cost: $20 for one ticket; reduced rate for CCSF students. Tickets on sale now: Click here. Map of gardens included with ticket.
Once home to flower-growing enterprises and farms, The Portola is San Francisco’s Garden District. With its high level of homeownership, southern exposure, and diverse population of newcomers and old-timers, the neighborhood has redefined itself. The Portola is one of The City’s most diverse neighborhoods with a rich history. Maltese, Italian and Jewish immigrant families settled in The Portola in the late-19th century, followed by African-American shipbuilders who moved to San Francisco from the south during World War II. In the decades since, Latinos, Filipinos, Chinese, Vietnamese and others have planted roots in The Portola, a neighborhood that welcomes all. The Portola is located in the southeastern sector of San Francisco roughly bordered by Silver Avenue to the north, Mansell Street to the south, San Bruno Avenue to the east and McLaren Park to the west.
The Portola Garden Tour began in 2006 as a fund-raiser for the Portola Branch Library at Goettingen and Bacon streets. When the library opened in 2009, the community decided to continue the popular event as a fundraiser, and created The Portola Garden Scholarship at City College San Francisco for Environmental Horticulture and Floristry Department students to encourage. the green movement and environmental awareness. The first scholarship was awarded in 2010 and has grown to two or more per year and pays for work projects in The Portola that employ City College students. Donations to the Portola Garden District Scholarship can be made directly by check to Portola Garden District Scholarship: CCSF, c/o Steven Brown EF/H, 50 Frida Kahlo Way, San Francisco, CA 94112.
Contact: Ruth Wallace, Portola Garden Tour
Rwallace57@gmail.com
(415) 420-6185
Portola Garden Tour 