San Francisco's Stern Grove Festival then and now: Fun photos show changing SF

Stern Grove through the years:

A free concert at Sigmund Stern Grove July, 1939 Stern Grove through the years:

A free concert at Sigmund Stern Grove July, 1939 Photo: Photographer Unknown, The Chronicle Photo: Photographer Unknown, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 82 Caption Close San Francisco's Stern Grove Festival then and now: Fun photos show changing SF 1 / 82 Back to Gallery

Surrounded by massive redwood, fir trees, and eucalyptus, Stern Grove has long been a haven for the arts and its revelers.

The Stern Grove Festival, held annually in the Sigmund Stern Grove, perhaps exemplifies that which makes San Francisco exceptional: grassy parks, frigid summer days, free music and arts performances, and community.

In the summertime, San Franciscans flock to the Stern Grove Festival to splay out on the grass, drink a few beers, and listen to music under the sun (and fog) – and they've been doing so since 1938.

Stern Grove was purchased by Rosalie M. Stern and gifted to the city in 1931, in memory of her husband Sigmund. Stern found herself enamored with the Grove's natural acoustics and was determined to preserve the site as a park for free performances.

In 1932, the San Francisco Symphony played an inaugural concert at the Grove, and six years later, the nonprofit Stern Grove Festival Association was dedicated to ensure that concerts would be free to the public for years to come.

This year, Stern Grove Festival enters its 80th season, and in celebration of the summer-long series, we've dug through the San Francisco Chronicle archive to experience the festival through the years.

From brass bands in the 40s to a birthday cake that served thousands in the 80s, these snapshots of Stern Grove provide a glimpse into a city that has changed immensely in the past 80 years, but never lost its fun-loving spirit.

Read Michelle Robertson’s latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.