Latest news with #CivicJoyFund
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
How San Francisco's Castro is hoping to bring back its legendary Halloween celebration
San Francisco's Castro district is hoping to reclaim its place as the city's Halloween hub by reviving a long-dormant tradition — this time with a modern twist. Organizers plan to host a special edition of the monthly Castro Night Market on Oct. 31, again transforming the historic LGBTQ+ neighborhood into a festive nighttime celebration on Halloween. 'The last couple of years, Civic Joy Fund has pushed to bring Halloween festivities back to the Castro — a neighborhood where San Franciscans have traditionally celebrated the holiday — in a safe, joyful way that supports small businesses in the neighborhood,' a spokesperson for the nonprofit said Monday, Aug. 11. The night market, typically held on the third Friday of each month, will shift to Halloween this year, as the calendar brings the holiday to a fifth Friday. Organizers hope to expand the event's footprint along 18th Street and include live entertainment stages, pending city approval. The effort follows years of scaled-back Halloween activity in the Castro after a series of violent incidents, including a mass shooting in 2006, led city officials to shut down the legendary street party. The tradition began in 1948 with a children's festival hosted by Cliff's Variety and grew into one of San Francisco's most prominent LGBTQ+ events by the 1970s. Since 2023, the neighborhood has seen a more subdued but growing return of Halloween celebrations, supported by merchant grants and community groups, including the Civic Joy Fund — the nonprofit, co-founded by Manny Yekutiel, owner of Manny's café in the Mission, and Mayor Daniel Lurie, to revitalize San Francisco's commercial corridors. Permitting and programming details are still in progress, but organizers are optimistic. 'Our partners at CG Events are currently working on the permitting for the event, so nothing is set in stone as of yet,' the spokesperson added.
San Francisco Chronicle
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bay Area summer 2025: Beat the heat with cool events and activities
Though the temps in the city and areas prone to routine seasonal fog are keeping their cool, this summer around the Bay Area is shaping up to be a scorcher. Find relief with foggy local beaches. Hike a favorite trail to a grassy knoll for a picnic lunch, visit a museum or see a movie. Dive into local pools and water parks like Hurricane Harbor in Concord, the Dublin Wave or South Bay Shores at California's Great America. And don't miss the opportunity to go out after sunset, with cool night markets, movies in the park and more offering a welcome respite from the daytime heat. Check out the Chronicle's guide to beating the heat with cool indoor and outdoor events and activities: Enjoy the ocean's cool influence at the weekly after-hours event at the zoo with live music, family-friendly activities, outdoor bars for adults over 21, animal interactions and more. Daytime zoo visitors may stay and attend at no additional charge. 5-7 p.m. Friday, July 18. Through Aug. 29. $14, under 12 free. Playfield Lawn, Sloat Blvd. at the Great Hwy., S.F. Zoo, S.F. 415-753-7080. Summer of Music SF Sponsored by Civic Joy Fund and produced in partnership with Noise Pop, this free series offers a full lineup of live, local bands performing alongside the food, artisan vendors, family-friendly fun and chill energy of San Francisco's monthly Castro, Chinatown, Glen Park, Noe Valley, North Beach, Richmond, Valencia and SOMA neighborhood night market events. 4-8 and 5-10 p.m. on select Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. Free. See website for schedule. Various locations throughout San Francisco. San Anselmo Live on the Avenue The small North Bay town goes big every weekend with a downtown event featuring two stages of live music, closed streets, children's activities, late shopping and dining. Scheduled performances include Lavay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, Brian Melvin, the Wreckless Strangers, Shana Morrison, Scott Amendola Trio, Sgt. Splendor with Eric McFadden, Sun Ra cellist Kash Killion, Jinx Jones, Pride and Joy, El Radio Fantastique, Super Diamond and others. National Carousel Day: 'A Spin Around the World' Head over to the Creativity Museum (adjacent to Yerba Buena Gardens) to enjoy free rides on the 1906 Le Roy Carousel, carousel-themed workshops from the Museum of the African Diaspora, the Mexican Museum and American Bookbinders Museum, live music from René y Familia, shaved ice, games and more. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, July 19. Free. Le Roy Carousel, Creativity Museum, 221 Fourth St., S.F. 415-820-3320. Blankets & Blockbusters at Thrive City Explore an interactive kids zone or a couples arts and crafts station. Spread out a blanket and get some snacks to enjoy during outdoor screenings of 'Wicked' in July and '10 Things I Hate About You' in August. Enjoy classic boardwalk amusements, then rock out to live music and entertainment as local bands, DJs, magicians and acrobats perform on Saturday-Thursday evenings on the beachfront stage throughout summer. Settle in with fresh saltwater taffy, corn dogs and other boardwalk snacks for family-friendly movies every Friday night on a shoreside big screen in front of the colonnade. Bring a beach blanket or low-back chair for seating. Magicians and Acrobats 8:30-9:30 p.m. Monday-Wednesday; Live music 8:30 p.m. Thursday; Movies 9 p.m. Friday; DJ dance parties 8:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Through Aug. 7. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, 400 Beach St., Santa Cruz. 831-423-5590. 626 Night Market The sprawling food festival is set to include more than 200 diverse food and merchandise vendors, games, live music and entertainment for all ages. 3-11 p.m. Friday, July 25; 1-11 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, July 26-27. $5-$25. Alameda County Fairgrounds, 4501 Pleasanton Ave., Pleasanton. Summer Stride at the San Francisco Botanical Garden Celebrate summer with San Francisco Public Library at an afternoon event featuring live drumming and dance workshops with Duniya Drum and Dance Company, storytelling from children's authors Monica Wesolowska and author-illustrator Kenard Pak, hands-on screen-printing with Haight Street Art Center, collaborative art activities, nature play, STEM activities, button-making and an all-ages book giveaway. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, July 26. Free. Terrace Lawn, San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers, 100 John F. Kennedy Dr., S.F. 415-661-1316. Oakland Ice Center Indoor skating is available year-round at this rink, owned and operated by the parent company of the San Jose Sharks. $11-$23; see website for daily public skate schedule. 519 18th St., Oakland. 510-268-9000. Summer at Snoopy's Home Ice The cool and spacious ice rink, located in Peanuts cartoonist Charles M. Schulz's hometown, offers year-round ice skating with campy Swiss chalet vibes. A robust summer schedule includes drop-in classes, camps, public skates, a toddlers-on-ice program, team and pickup hockey games, night skate events and more. The onsite Warm Puppy Cafe offers refreshments. See website for schedule. Free-$20. Snoopy's Home Ice, 1667 W. Steele Lane, Santa Rosa. 707-546-7147. Yerba Buena Skate The downtown skating rink on the Yerba Buena Gardens campus offers daily public skate hours year-round. World Dog Surfing Championships Hang ten with man's best friend. Scheduled activities include a dog surfing competition, informational tents, activities and more. Participants will receive a goodie bag with treats for pups. 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2. Free admission. Linda Mar Beach, 5000 Pacific Coast Hwy., Pacifica. Cat Video Fest 2025 All hail our fuzzy overlords. Cool cats are featured on the big screen in the air-conditioned North Bay theater as part of a curated compilation of short films. A portion of proceeds from the Smith Rafael Film Center screenings will benefit Jake's Place Cat Rescue. 4:15 p.m. Aug. 2; 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 3-4. $14.50. Smith Rafael Film Center, 1118 Fourth St., San Rafael. 415-454-5813. San Jose Jazz Summer Fest Keep cool at a three-day festival featuring high-caliber jazz performances on multiple indoor and outdoor stages. Proceeds will benefit the music nonprofit's educational programming and year-round concerts and festivals. This year's stellar lineup includes Ghost-Note, Dave Binney Action Trio, Louis Cole, Common, Malo, Carl Allen, Butcher Brown, Mary Stallings, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, John Pizzarelli, Tyreek McDole, Marina Crouse, Lalah Hathaway, Femi Kuti, Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca, Ray Obiedo, Lilan Kane, Mavis Staples, Stella Cole and many others. 4-9:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8; 10 a.m.- 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10. $30-$680. Plaza de César Chavez Park, 194 S Market St., San Jose. Blue Muse and the Celestial Voice Sound Bath Experience Release anxiety and chill out while soaking up sympathetic vibrations from crystal singing bowls, gongs, chimes and more, amidst the florid tranquility of the Conservatory of Flowers' Orchid Pavilion. 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24. $48. Orchid Pavilion, Conservatory of Flowers, 100 John F. Kennedy Dr., S.F. 415-661-1316.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SF mayor announces $100K prize to ‘reimagine' Market Street
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has announced a $100,000 competition to reimagine Market Street. Co-sponsored by the Urban Land Institute San Francisco and the Civic Joy Fund, the competition is calling 'for ideas to reimagine the future of a great American street,' according to the competition's web page. Bay Area city named best place to raise a family: study Submissions for ideas for Market Street are not limited to SF residents. The initiative describes itself as an 'international call for ideas that identify new urban possibilities' for the street that cuts through downtown SF, 'responding to the disruptions caused by the pandemic, remote work, and other cultural changes.' The competition's website says it is open to 'residents, business owners, urbanists, optimists, visionaries, community builders, students, professionals' and 'all who have a vision toward the future.' The $100,000 prize will be administered by the jury to a pool of winners. The jury panel for the competition includes former San Francisco Chronicle urban design critic John King and iPhone designer Jony Ive, among others. 'We need your help. We have to reimagine Market Street. This is a world-class boulevard, and we need world-class ideas,' said Mayor Lurie in a video message. 'No matter how big, no matter how small, I want you to submit some great ideas. We have the Urban Land Institute and the Civic Joy Fund partnering up. We've got Jony Ive and John King and a whole host of other judges. We need your help. Let's go San Francisco.' Once San Francisco's main business and traffic artery, Market Street has been closed to traffic apart from buses, bicycles and robotaxis, since 2020. Recently, there has been a push to reopen the roadway to cars. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Epoch Times
18-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Night Activities in the San Francisco Bay Area That Don't Include Alcohol
For people looking to go out at night and have a good time without alcohol, here are some places to go and activities happening in and around the San Francisco Bay Area. Ocean Beach Cafe 'The cafe part was the bait—get people in the door so they could lay eyes on something they never knew existed,' Joshua James, owner of Ocean Beach Cafe, told the Epoch Times via email. 'Something that was becoming the biggest subject in the food and beverage industry.' That something is the world of non-alcoholic beverages, where James seeks to do more than just remove alcohol—he aims to reimagine what drinking could be and taste like. His intention is to have Ocean Beach Cafe be a beacon in the modern sobriety movement. From his 'The alcohol industry has totally been disrupted as the pendulum swings towards wellness, and they are not getting their previously guaranteed new customers because Gen Z is The front entrance to Ocean Beach Cafe in San Francisco. Courtesy of Joshua James James, a bartender with over 20 years of experience, said he always felt like he had a lot of potential but never really tapped into it. Related Stories 1/3/2025 1/25/2025 With that, in 2020 he decided to take a year off drinking alcohol, to see what would happen. 'That one change made me wildly productive, for the first time in my life. I realized I loved getting things done,' he said. He set a goal to make 50 non-alcoholic beverage review videos on YouTube, to see where it would take him; and 30 videos in, he walked into a deli that was permanently closing during COVID. He took the location and turned it into a non-alcoholic bar and retail bottle shop called Ocean Beach Cafe. 'I'd written 10 business plans before, but this was the one I saw all the way through,' he said. Joshua James, owner of Ocean Beach Cafe in San Francisco. Courtesy of Joshua James He said the cafe does 'Tasting Bazaars' at least twice a month, always on Saturdays. These are free tastings and usually feature 3 to 5 brands. There are also non-alcoholic mixology classes and temperance tastings via reservation, he said. The cafe also holds a #KeepOceanBeachClean event every Saturday starting at 10 a.m., with free food and drink given to volunteers starting around 11:30 a.m., made possible by a grant program from Civic Joy Fund, he said. Although it's not at night, he said that is the cafe's most well-attended event. Also, the cafe is on 'Meetup has been successful and indicative of the sheer amount of interest in socializing without alcohol as the default!' he said. Night Hikes at Mount Diablo State Park Although the night hikes are infrequent and limited in space, this is one not to miss. 'Night hikes on Mount Diablo are a rare and special treat and hikers can only enjoy them by either camping overnight on the mountain or by joining one of our docent-led hikes since the park closes at dark and it is not permitted to hike in the park without a docent to accompany you,' Stephen Smith from the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association told The Epoch Times via email. Dusk on Mount Diablo. Courtesy of Steve Smith Currently, the website Smith said, 'During the summer months we have many wonderful sights that can only be seen at night. A special plant whose blooms only open at dusk is the This plant can be seen on the Soap root with a bumblebee. Courtesy of Steve Smith He said the most coveted sighting is the nocturnal bird known as the common poorwill, which they look out for on the These birds are often heard before they are seen, with their distinctive 'poor-will' calls echoing through the night air. Smith said another special sight is the scorpions, which have an undeserved reputation. He said most visitors never see scorpions and are surprised to find out there are at least three species living on Mount Diablo, with the most common being the California forest scorpion—the largest in the area at up to two inches long. 'Once again, its ability to inflict a 'deadly' sting is a complete He said the scorpions only come out at night to hunt for other scorpions, insects, and small arthropods; and if you wish to see these fascinating creatures, join one of the summer night hikes and watch as an ultraviolet flashlight is used to locate them and cause them to glow in the dark. On the night hikes, he said, bats like the little brown bat come out at dusk to hunt insects and can be seen flitting about. Owls can often be heard hooting, especially the familiar hoot-hoo-hoot of the A scorpion under black light. Courtesy of Steve Smith Smith assured that the night hikes are safe and the terrain is a wide fire road, which is fairly smooth. He said to bring a flashlight, and he added that guides often provide several black lights to view scorpions along the way. He said none of the night animals are dangerous and all of them are trying to avoid people; the hikes are led as a group with safety in numbers, and several docents are on hand to guide. Food Truck Markets Pickleball For people looking to play pickleball, there are many At Paul Moore Park in San Jose, there are six At Memorial Park in Milpitas, there are six At West Valley College in Saratoga, there are six dedicated courts. Play hours open to the public are Mon–Thurs 2 p.m. to 10 p.m and Fri–Sun all day, though the times are subject to change. The college is located at 14000 Fruitvale Ave, Saratoga, 95070. The courts have lights, restrooms, and a $3 parking fee. At Mitchell Park in Palo Alto, there are 15 public Red Door Escape Room This is where friends or family members work as a team to race against the clock, discover clues, solve puzzles, and accomplish tasks with the goal to escape the room they are (pretend) trapped in. Depending on the location, Red Door has 30-minute and 60-minute games with different themes and challenge levels, which can be played with two to eight players. Their last episodes start a little after 10:30 p.m. The Red Door Escape Room has 4 locations: In In In In the Red Door Escape Room in Concord. Helen Billings/The Epoch Times Game Nights Black Diamond Games in Concord on Thursday nights The Game Parlour, a board game cafe in San Francisco, is It's Your Move, a game store in Oakland,
