The Grateful Dead: A Living Ecosystem

When The Lesh family talk about the Grateful Dead, they liken it to “a great, old tree — roots reaching into the traditions that came before it, a trunk shaped by the original members, and branches still growing through the musicians, artists, and communities it continues to inspire.” 

But a tree doesn't exist alone. It's part of an ecosystem — one built over decades by musicians and bands, but also by fans, artists, venues, dancers, creators, vendors, and communities, each carrying the music forward, reshaping it, and passing it on. 

Our weekly concert series traces those roots. Across six concerts, we celebrate the traditions that shaped the Dead's sound — blues, psychedelic rock, jazz, electronic, classical, bluegrass, singer / songwriter — and explore how they continue to live, evolve, and connect with the music being made today. 

Each concert is a new branch: rooted in tradition, connected to community, reaching somewhere unexpected. 

This isn't just where the Grateful Dead came from — it's the story of a living ecosystem that grows every time musicians play the songs, audiences gather to tell the stories, and a new generation discovers the music. 

Come explore the roots. Come experience where the music came from, what it became, and where it might grow next.

Learn more and get tickets here!

Free Grahame Lesh Concert on September 7th

Forever Grateful, Golden Gate Park opens September 5th with a full weekend of festivities running through Labor Day, including a free concert by Grahame Lesh & Friends on Monday, September 7, in Robin Williams Meadow, adjacent to the exhibition space.

Check out more info about the concert here!

Furthur's Homecoming & Special Fundraisers on September 12th

Please join us for a special Haight Street Art Center fundraiser marking the homecoming of Ken Kesey's Furthur bus to San Francisco and the opening of Forever Grateful, Golden Gate Park, an extraordinary counterculture exhibition.

Enjoy an intimate evening in the company of the artists, archivists, and fellow travelers who have kept this story alive for sixty years.


Your ticket supports HSAC's ongoing work preserving and presenting the art and history of San Francisco's countercultural legacy.

Buy Ticket Here!

Furthur Bus has arrived at Forever Grateful, Golden Gate Park

Furthur Down the Road Foundation and Haight Street Art Center today announce— Furthur — the original psychedelic hand-painted 1939 International Harvester school bus that carried Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters across the country in 1964 — will leave its barn home on the Kesey family farm in Oregon for the first time since 1969, when the Pranksters drove it to the original Woodstock festival. In mid-August, the bus will travel to San Francisco for its first-ever public exhibition, arriving as the exhibition centerpiece of Forever Grateful, Golden Gate Park, the Haight Street Art Center's second Grateful Dead focused exhibition of 2026, open September 5 – October 25 in the park's County Fair Ground Building.

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Forever Grateful at Golden Gate Park

Tickets On Sale Now!

Haight Street Art Center announces Forever Grateful at Golden Gate Park, the second exhibition in a two-part exhibition series honoring the enduring legacy of the Grateful Dead. Coming September 5, 2026.

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Forever Grateful at Haight Street Art Center

The Haight Street Art Center is proud to present Forever Grateful, a landmark exhibition that pays tribute to the timeless legacy of the Grateful Dead.

NOW AVAILABLE: Virtual 3D Tour

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New Screen Printing Classes for 2026!

New classes just opened! We have hands-on classes that take you through the basics of creating screens and printing a final product, as well as more advanced classes. Screen print posters and t-shirts. Sign up today!

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Haight Street Art Center

celebrates the advancement of poster and graphic art and artists. Drawing upon the influence of San Francisco’s countercultural histories, we provide experiences with art, music, exhibitions and public programs to create community, encourage personal exploration and inspire action toward positive cultural change.

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Thursday-Sunday, 12-6pm

Location

215 Haight St, San Francisco CA 94102

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