- 1840 – When California was part of Mexico, land later to become parklands was part of RanchoCañada de Guadalupe la Visitación y Rodeo Viejo, granted by Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado
- 1868-1904 – Subdivisions drawn up for development
- 1904 – Daniel L Burnham proposes creating a multi-acre park in current site of McLaren Park & Portola District housing
- 1926 – SF Board of Supervisors passes resolution directing land purchases to create 550 acre Mission Park in current site of McLaren Park & Portola District housing
- 1927 – SF Board of Supervisors, SF Park Superintendent, staff & others host a celebration dedicating park to John McLaren, the city’s Superintendent of Parks; hundreds of new trees had already been planted to transform the landscape
- 1928 – Bond initiative fails
- 1928-1946 – City continues buying up properties for park land
- 1932 – Park Commission reduces plan park acreage to 428 acres and again to 361 acres
- 1939 – WPA work force completes installation of a long system of foot paths, hiking, fire, and equestrian trails, culverts, roadways and view drive. Also completes the planting of over 10,000 trees of the eucalyptus, cypress and pine varieties
- 1944 – The Board of Supervisors recommends reducing park acreage to 241 acres; the Planning Department recommends park acreage be 413 acres
- 1946 – From 1946 -1958 John McLaren Park’s present 318 acres created with final land purchases completed in 1958 and acreage approved by Resolution No. 5557
- 1958 – Pool opens in southeast corner next to future Herz Playground
- 1961 – Gleneagles 9-hole Golf Course constructed on 60 acres
- 1963 – Mansell, Visitacion, Brazil and Persia Streets constructed
- 1964 – Shelley Drive completed; park lake and drainage structures constructed; McNab Lake was designed as a model yacht basin using California state funds
- 1965 – Louis Sutter and Herz Playground constructed
- 1970 – SF Recreation Department completes construction of a multi-purpose outdoor Greek-style amphitheater
- Amphitheater opens in 1971 providing “excellent acoustics” & seating for 700
- Press reports amphitheater adds “a new cultural dimension to San Francisco”
- 1971 – Tennis courts constructed
- 1975-77 3rd, 4th, 5th SF Blues Festival held in the amphitheater
- 1978 – SF Blues Festival outgrows amphitheater; moves to GGP Band shell, then Kezar, then Fort Mason until holding final Festival in 2008
- 1978 – The Mansfield-Burrows Playground opens
- 1981 – The Wilde Reservoir Overlook Tower constructed
- 1983 – Large Group picnic area developed for 172 people; with large barbeque, built-in tables and benches, sink with running water and serving table
- 1994 – Friends of McLaren Park/FOMP formed
- Fiscal sponsor is SF Parks Trust
- 1995 -Yosemite Marsh, is designated a “significant natural resource area” by the city. The marsh is the start of a creek, now covered by homes and streets, that runs down to the bay
- 1996-1999 – SF Parks and Recreation installs ADA compliant restrooms, seating and pathways at amphitheater
- Project removes amphitheater lighting and hillside stage electrical panels
- 2001-2002 – Community group Friends of Crocker Amazon & Outer Mission Residents Association sells T-shirts to raise funds for Crocker Amazon’s “Purple Playground”
- Estate of Jerry Garcia permits artwork image use for t-shirts sales as a way to support youth
- Fiscal Sponsor is Excelsior District Improvement Association
- T-shirts sold as the “Jerry Shirt” raises $5,000 for the playground
- 2003 – F.A.C.E./Friends & Advocates of Crocker Amazon & the Excelsior formed as a neighborhood booster group
- Focus: raising awareness of the neighborhood, its history & attractions
- Motto: Having Fun in the Neighborhood
- Neighbor Parks Council/NPC become its fiscal sponsor
- 2003 – F.A.C.E. members create idea of a birthday celebration for Excelsior native son Jerry Garcia as a neighborhood promotion
- August 3, 2003 – 1st “Jerry Day” celebration held
- Hosted by F.A.C.E.
- Attended by 50-75 people
- Cake & Cherry Garcia ice cream served during concert
- SF Examiner writes article about the event
- August 3, 2003 – 1st “Jerry Day” celebration held
- 2005 – July 21 – Resolution Number 0507-003 passed by SF Recreation & Park Commission
- “unnamed Greek style amphitheater in John McLaren Park…shall hereinafter be known as the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater”
- 2005 – August – 3rd “Jerry Day” held in the newly named Jerry Garcia Amphitheater; Crowd size doubles from previous year
- 2005 – October 29 – Official City Dedication of the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater
- Official Proclamation by Mayor Gavin Newsom
- Master of Ceremonies: Wavy Gravy
- Performers: The Jefferson Starship & Several Grateful Dead Tribute Bands
- Organized by Friends of McLaren Park, F.A.C.E. with support of District 10 & 11 community members, musicians and artists
- 2005 – F.A.C.E. member Tom Murphy elects to solely organize & promote annual “Jerry Day” concerts
- 2006 – SF Parks Trust becomes “Jerry Day” fiscal sponsor
- 2008 – July 15 – Friends of McLaren Park/FOMP holds preliminary meeting to form Friends of the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater
- 2009 – November 7 – D11 Supvr. John Avalos convenes McLaren Park community meeting to promote the park and Jerry Garcia Amphitheater
- December 6 McLaren Park Festival planning meeting held
- Meetings continue through December & January/February 2010
- 2010 – January, March, May – SF Recreation & Parks Department holds 3 Community McLaren Park Needs Assessment meetings
- 2010 – February 11 – F.A.C.E. and Friends of McLaren Park form “Friends of the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater/Friends of JG A”
- McLaren Park Festival planning meetings on event fees take place with SF Park & Recreation Permit Department & SF Parks Trust
- Amphitheater Summer concert series planned
- Friends of JG Amp/FOJGA work at 2 “Radio Alice’s Summerthing” Concerts in GG Park to raise money to lower permit fees
- 2010 – June 15 – Draft plans started for an amphitheater “Docent Program”
- 2010 – July – Plans scrapped to hold McLaren Park Festival due to high fee structure
- 2010 – December – F.A.C.E. sets meeting dates with Neighborhood Parks Council/NPC to discuss fiscal sponsorship of new umbrella group of neighbors and McLaren Park groups to be called the “McLaren Park Council”
- 2011 – Newly-formed group called “McLaren Park Collaborative” begins meetings
- 2011 – May – JG Amp meetings continue on permit fees with NPC & RPD Permits department
- 2011 – October – SF Parks Alliance created from the merger of Neighborhood Parks Council & SF Parks Trust
- 2012 – February – SF Parks Alliance sign fiscal contract for “Friends of the AMP/Amphitheater at McLaren Park” (renamed from Friends of the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater)
- 2012 – June – Friends of the AMP plan a “2013 Jerry Garcia Amphitheater Music Festival” & initiates Docent Program
- 2012 – November – Friends of the AMP co-founders Linda D’Avirro/Linda Litehiser attend meeting with RPD GM Phil Ginsberg & Dahlia Khoury discussing possible RPD/Levitt Pavilion proposal for the amphitheater
- 2013 – Gleneagles Golf Course signs nine-year lease extension and initiates pre-apprentice gardener program with Local 261
- 2013 – Mansell Corridor Project receives $1.7M in One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) funding, bringing a total of $5.1M in transportation funds for the project.
- 2013 – June
- Friends of the AMP plan “Saturday in the Park McLaren” fall concert series
- Creates Docent Manual, detailed Safety Program & full concert series design/programming/dates
- SF Parks Alliance awards small $2k grant to initiate Docent Program
- D9, D10, D11 Supervisors contribute $5k each in add-back funds to defray concert series costs
- SF RPD puts full support behind concert
- SF RPD Permits Dept. lowers fees
- Provides PR & printing support
- Videotaped October 12 concert
- Asks Friends of AMP to set dates for 2014 amphitheater concert series
- 2013 – September
- 1st McLaren Park Mountain Bike Festival – September 7th attracts over 300 participants
- Levitt Pavilion withdraws proposal; seeks larger venue
- 1st Saturday in the Park McLaren 6 concert series held
- 2013 – October
- Saturday in the Park 2014 concert dates submitted to RPD Permits Department
- Newly refurbished and improved Peru/Burrows Playground opens
- 2014 – September – October
- SF Shakes performs 5 shows of “The Taming of the Shrew”
- 2nd Saturday in the Park McLaren 7-concert series held
- 2015 – September-October
- SF Shakes performs 5 shows of “Romeo and Juliet”
- 3rd Saturday in the Park McLaren 4-concert series held
- 2015 – November – Mansell Corridor Project Groundbreaking Celebration held
- 2016 – June-October
- Annual Help McLaren Park Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser held in the Louis Sutter Roundhouse
- SF Shakes performs 5 shows of “Winter’s Tale”
- Saturday in the Park McLaren presents its 4th 6-concert series
- 2017 – February – Mansell Corridor reopens as a pedestrian and bike-friendly roadway separating the roadway
- 2017 – June – Annual Help McLaren Park Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser held in the Louis Sutter Roundhouse
- 2017 – August – October
- SF Shakes performs 5 shows of “Hamlet”
- 5th Saturday in the Park McLaren holds its 6-concert series
- 2017 – November – The SF Recreation and Parks Commission approves RPD’s Tier 1 Project Plan as part of the overall McLaren Park Visioning Plan
- 2018 – In the Amphitheater:
- Jerry Day concertgoers exceed 2,000
- SF Shakes performs 5 shows of “Midsummer Night’s Dream
- Sundown Cinema presents “Sing-Along Grease” movie
- 6th Saturday in the Park McLaren holds its 6-concert series held; Renames its series as “Live From the AMP”
- 2019 – Work begins on the Group Picnic Area & new playground and restroom
- 2019 – In the Amphitheater:
- SF Shakes performs 6 shows of “As You Like It”
- Sundown Cinema present “Bohemian Rhapsody” movie
- Do the Bay presents a 3-concert “Due South” series
- “Live From the AMP” presents its 3-concert series
McLaren Park Collaborative 