The free Bèla Fleck and SF Symphony concert at Stern Grove is Sunday, July 12 at 2 p.m. — and the lottery closed a month ago. Your remaining options, ranked.

Banjoist Bèla Fleck joins the San Francisco Symphony at Stern Grove this Sunday, July 12, for a free outdoor concert that's been the most in-demand ticket in the city since the lottery closed on June 7. The show is at 2:00 p.m., Sigmund Stern Recreation Grove, Sloat Boulevard at 19th Avenue. Here's what's actually left.

The show itself. Fleck — who has spent decades bending the banjo across bluegrass, jazz, and classical idioms — arranged Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue for banjo and orchestra specifically for this performance. Conductor Edwin Outwater leads the SF Symphony through that and works by Bernstein, Mussorgsky, and Barber. The combination is genuinely unusual: an outdoor free show built around a piece that almost never sounds like this.

Your remaining options, in order of likelihood:

Community Box Office, Saturday July 11. The festival holds back roughly 1,500 tickets — about 15 percent of the 10,000-person capacity — for in-person distribution on a first-come, first-served basis the day before each concert. For a show this size, that means getting to the grove early on Saturday. Confirm the exact start time and location at sterngrove.org before you go; the festival publishes specifics closer to each show date.

Donation tables, $200–$4,000. Reserved seating is available through the festival's donor program, with table packages at several price points. It's a different experience than spreading a blanket on the lawn, but it's a confirmed spot. Details at sterngrove.org.

Don't pay a scalper. Mission Local documented free Stern Grove tickets being resold for up to $50 this season on secondary markets. Stern Grove's marketing director, Molly Fremgen, has been blunt: "We absolutely do not support the resale of tickets under any circumstances." Beyond the ethics — a QR code bought secondhand may not scan, and you'll have no recourse at the gate.

Getting there. Leave the car at home. There is no public parking at Stern Grove, and the surrounding streets are strictly enforced on show days — towing is real. Take Muni: Metro lines M Ocean View and K Ingleside stop nearby, as do buses 23-Monterey and 28-19th Avenue. Plan your ride back in advance; rideshare surge after the show can be brutal.

If you're in: Arrive by noon. Blanket spots fill fast and the natural amphitheater means you don't need to be in front to hear well — find a clear sightline on the lawn and let the bowl do the work. The grove stays cool, so bring a layer. Food and drink are sold on-site, but you're also welcome to bring your own picnic.