Palo Alto in August

August in Palo Alto has two halves. The first half still feels like high summer, with free concerts in the parks, long light evenings and quiet streets around Stanford. The second half is a ramp back to real life. Schools reopen in mid-August, commute traffic returns and the biggest street festival of the year fills University Avenue. In some years Stanford football kicks off before the month is out.

This guide covers the weather, what is in season and the August events to plan around. It also lists the school dates that change traffic and hotel prices, plus packing advice, booking tips, day trips and a weekend plan. We give dates only where organizers have published them. When a 2027 date is not out, we say so and link to the organizer.

August weather in Palo Alto

These are NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Palo Alto station (USC00046646), the same numbers our weather guide uses. Sun times are approximate, in Pacific Daylight Time.

August is nearly a copy of July. Mornings start in the mid 50s and afternoons reach the upper 70s, with a handful of hotter days. Gray mornings from the marine layer are common early in the month and usually clear before lunch. The bay breeze picks up in the afternoon. Days get shorter fast. By the end of the month the sun sets about 35 minutes earlier than it did on August 1, which matters if you plan an evening hike.

Rain is rare enough to ignore. If a storm or heat wave is coming, the National Weather Service Bay Area office will have it.

What is in season

Dry hills and fire weather

The foothills are at their driest and most golden. That look comes with risk. Fire danger climbs through late summer and peaks in the fall, when dry offshore winds can arrive. Watch for Red Flag Warnings, which can close some trails in the hills. Stanford may restrict access to the Dish for fire weather, heat or poor air quality. Smoke from fires elsewhere in California can also drift over the Bay Area, so check AirNow before a long run or ride.

Shorebirds return

Fall migration on San Francisco Bay starts early. Through August, more shorebirds such as willets, marbled godwits and western sandpipers arrive on the mudflats from their northern breeding grounds. Low tide at the Baylands is the time to look, when the mud is exposed and the birds are feeding.

Market produce

August is peak season at the farmers markets. Look for heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, melons, figs, peppers, eggplant and the last of the stone fruit, with early grapes and apples showing up late in the month. The downtown market runs on Saturday mornings and the California Avenue market on Sunday mornings, all year. See our farmers markets guide for details.

August events

Palo Alto Festival of the Arts

The big one. For a weekend in late August, University Avenue closes to cars and fills with artist booths, live music and food. The festival is hosted by the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce with the city as co-sponsor. The 43rd festival ran on August 22 and 23, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with about 250 booths and a street painting expo where artists chalk large works on the pavement over the weekend. Admission is free. The 2027 dates had not been announced when this guide was written, so check the Chamber of Commerce or the city calendar in early summer. Our downtown guide covers parking and places to eat nearby.

Go early on Saturday for the best choice of art and cooler air. Come late on Sunday to see the street paintings finished.

The last of the summer series

The free Twilight Concerts usually wrap up in early August. In 2026 the final show was a blues band at Rinconada Park on August 8. The city's Friday Family Movie Nights also run into mid-August. The 2026 series ended on August 14. Check the Twilight Concert Series page in late spring for the 2027 lineup. Our summer events guide covers both series.

Football and concerts

Stanford football can begin before Labor Day. In 2026 the Cardinal opened at home against Hawai'i on Saturday, August 29. Stanford's 2027 dates had not been released in October 2026, but the ACC has named the 2027 conference home opponents as Cal, Duke, North Carolina, Syracuse and Virginia. Our Stanford athletics guide explains tickets and game day logistics. For big touring acts, Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View runs its summer season through August and you can browse Shoreline concert tickets.

Holidays and school calendars

August has no federal holiday, but it has the biggest calendar change of the year. Palo Alto Unified's first day of school was Thursday, August 13, 2026. The 2027 to 2028 year starts on Thursday, August 12, 2027, per the district's published calendar. From that week on, morning and afternoon traffic near schools picks up sharply. Midtown, Embarcadero Road and the streets around Gunn and Palo Alto high schools get slow around drop-off and pickup.

At Stanford, the optional summer quarter ends in mid-August. The university lists August 14, 2027 as the end of the 2027 summer term. Campus stays fairly quiet until new students arrive in mid-September. Athletes, graduate students and staff return through late August.

Our guide to Palo Alto public schools has more on the district.

What to pack

• Summer clothes plus a layer. Mornings and evenings are cool and the art festival runs into the late afternoon breeze.
• Comfortable shoes. The festival covers nine blocks of pavement.
• Sun protection. A hat, sunscreen and sunglasses for the festival and the trails.
• A warm jacket for the coast or San Francisco. August fog is common there.
• A reusable bag for market produce and festival finds.

Hotel demand and booking tips

Early August is usually one of the easier times of the summer to find a room. Late August is different. The Festival of the Arts weekend draws visitors to downtown hotels. Business travel picks up again once schools reopen and Stanford's fall schedule begins to fill the calendar. If your trip includes a football weekend, rooms near campus go faster.

Book downtown early if you want to walk to the festival. Our guide to staying downtown lists the options within a few blocks of University Avenue. You can compare hotels for festival weekend and pick a refundable rate while dates firm up. Weekend rates at business hotels are often lower than weekday rates, so look at both.

Outdoor activities for August

1. Ride the Bay Trail. The San Francisco Bay Trail runs flat along the shoreline north and south of the Baylands. Go in the morning, before the wind.
2. Hike before 10 a.m. The Dish and Pearson-Arastradero have little shade.
3. Picnic at a concert in early August while the Twilight series lasts.
4. Watch for meteors. The Perseid meteor shower peaks around August 12 each year. City lights wash out faint meteors, so higher, darker spots along Skyline Boulevard do better. Check park closing times first.
5. Birdwatch at low tide. Returning shorebirds feed on the exposed mud at the Baylands.

Day trips that suit August

• Santa Cruz. Late summer is prime season at the Boardwalk and the beaches are often sunnier than up the coast at Half Moon Bay. Leave early to beat Highway 17 traffic. See our Santa Cruz guide.
• Monterey and Carmel. Cool coastal air and the Monterey Bay Aquarium make a good escape from a hot day. Humpback whales often feed in the bay in summer and fall. Our Monterey and Carmel guide covers the drive. You can also book a Monterey whale watching trip ahead.
• Redwoods. Big Basin and the groves of the Santa Cruz Mountains stay shady and cool.

If you only have a weekend

1. Saturday morning: farmers market on Gilman Street, then coffee downtown.
2. Late morning: the Festival of the Arts if it is that weekend. Otherwise walk the Stanford campus and the Cantor Arts Center, which is free.
3. Afternoon: a bike ride along the bay or a rest in the shade during the heat of the day.
4. Saturday evening: a Twilight Concert in early August, or dinner downtown.
5. Sunday: the California Avenue market, then a day trip to Santa Cruz or Monterey for cooler air.

Earlier in the summer, see Palo Alto in July.

Frequently asked questions