Latest news with #FillmoreJazzFestival
CBS News
24-04-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Pacifica World Dog Surfing Championships may not happen this year, organizers say
The organizers of the World Dog Surfing Championships in Pacifica said the event is at risk of not happening this year. On Wednesday, organizers told KPIX that the cost to hold the event has increased each year for the last four years. "The costs to hold it in Pacifica had increased by 100% over a 2-3 year period, and this year those costs have increased by yet another 42%," a spokesperson said. In an Instagram post, organizers said they had previously covered the financial losses but that it was not something they could do again. They have started a fundraiser for the event and said they need at least $10,000 to be raised. The city of Pacifica said the increased costs were in response to a more in-depth look at how much the city spends to support the event. "Following last year's event, with its large crowds and traffic, City staff conducted a more in-depth review of the actual costs incurred by the City to ensure that this year's permit fees, which total $7,456.57, accurately reflect those expenses," said City Manager Kevin Woodhouse. Woodhouse said also said that "historically, the total local costs to the city for this event has been understated." Woodhouse listed several other factors for the cost increase. The event places a significant strain on beach parking and regional traffic, requiring Public Works crews to maintain site safety, cleanliness, and restroom facilities during periods of exceptionally high use. Large crowds necessitate a Police presence for crowd control and public safety. Due to the event's scale, the Police Department must develop an Event Action Plan (EAP), requiring additional administrative time and resources. In their Instagram post, organizers said they have until May 1 to raise the money. The event is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 2, 2025, at Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica, but organizers said it may be held elsewhere in the future. "In the future we probably will have to move it from Pacifica to somewhere else in the Bay, or maybe even outside of the Bay Area," a spokesperson said. "We've got similar issues as other live events like the Fillmore Jazz Festival just had. No one wants to go in the red holding these live events and then have debts."
CBS News
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Fillmore Jazz Festival back on for 2025 after receiving pledges of support
Less than a week after organizers announced that the Fillmore Jazz Festival would not be held this summer due to financial constrains, officials on Monday were happy to announce that the event is back on thanks to pledges of support. The annual free street celebration in the Fillmore District traditionally held on the Fourth of July weekend (or the weekend that falls closest to the holiday) had been cancelled due to "overwhelming overhead costs," according to organizers who said they were still in debt from last year's event. The initially announced plan was to scrap the festival this year and work towards holding it again in 2026. That changed after the announcement of the cancellation spurred offers to help the festival. "I was contacted by a representative of Chris Larsen and Avenue Greenlight , who generously stepped in to offer the financial support we needed to bring the festival back," said Fillmore Merchant Association President Timothy Made' Omi in a press release issued Monday . "We have also received commitments from District 2 & District 5 Supervisors Stephen Sherrill and Bilal Mahmood." The announcement also noted that organizers are keeping an eye toward the future by launching the Fillmore Jazz Festival Preservation Fund and asking the public for help . "Your donations will help preserve the legacy of the festival for years to come—ensuring its vitality, prosperity, and future in the heart of San Francisco," the statement said. Organizers are also looking for additional sponsors as well as volunteers to work the event. The 2025 Fillmore Jazz Festival is set to take place July 5-6.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fillmore Jazz Festival back on after crypto billionaire steps in to help
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — First it was off, now it's on again. The 2025 Fillmore Jazz Festival will take place as planned after a crypto billionaire philanthropist came to the long-running festival's aid. Last week, festival organizers announced the festival was canceled this year due to financial reasons. According to festival organizers, city fees, talent, security, medical support, staffing and city-mandated standard operating procedures pushed the event's budget to well over $500,000. Zara to open flagship store in SF's Union Square, mayor says The festival, which is held for two days over Fourth of July weekend, was effectively on hold until 2026 as of last week. However, following news of the cancellation, Timothy Made' Omi, president of the Fillmore Merchant Association, said he was contacted by a representative of Chris Larsen and Avenue Greenlight. Larsen, founder of the crypto company Ripple, 'generously stepped in to offer the financial support' needed to bring the festival back, Omi said. 'I am thrilled to announce that the 2025 Fillmore Jazz Festival is officially back on and will take place July 5th and 6th,' Omi said. While festival organizers say that support from Larsen and Avenue Greenlight will be enough to produce this year's festival, they are still seeking support to maintain it over the long term. A GoFundMe has been launched to keep the Fillmore Jazz Festival Alive. Through the nonprofit, Avenue Greenlight, Larsen has previously donated $2 million to support San Francisco's struggling retail districts. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Fillmore Jazz Festival postponed to 2026 "due to lack of funding"
SAN FRANCISCO — It's considered the largest free jazz festival on the West Coast, but this year, the Fillmore may be filled with silence. The Fillmore Merchants Association announced the cancellation of the jazz festival this week due to a lack of funding. But Ricardo Scales, the man known as the "Black Liberace," is vowing to let the show go on. It wasn't a coincidence that Scales developed a passion for music. His mother, Patient Scales, started teaching him at the age of 5, and he hasn't stopped tickling the ivories since then. After decades of playing at iconic venues throughout the Bay Area, he's now using his talent to try to save the Fillmore Jazz Festival. "It doesn't have to stop and I feel that canceling it is a no no," Scales said. As the Minister of Music at Jones Memorial United Methodist, Scales knew of a way to keep the event going this year. "The church, when you really think about it, is a concert hall," he said. "You have seats. There's a stage. There's a piano and there's some microphones. So let the show go on." He will be calling musicians with Bay Area roots to perform at several different churches in the Fillmore District. There might be a minimal charge this year to pay for basic costs and to raise money for next year. "Show will go on," Scales said. "No matter where we're at, we're going to still do the show. That is how you survive, and people will come." News of the jazz festival being postponed until 2026 quickly started spreading in the Fillmore. "It's going to be bad," Fillmore Lee Washington said. "It's going to be sad that it's not going on this year." The Fillmore Merchants Association says revenues from sponsorships and grants haven't returned to pre-pandemic levels. It's a free event that those in the community look forward to every year. "It's a money situation," Washington said. "I can't do nothing about it because I'm broke." The Fillmore is an area filled with a rich history of local music and artists. "Fillmore was like Harlem to New York," Scales said. "The Fillmore is that to San Francisco." Scales said that he's just applying lessons he's learned over the years to keep a vital event going through tough times. "Somebody is always knocking you down," he said. "In the music business, there's this and that and that and this. The only way you can survive is, you don't quit. You don't give up."
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Beloved San Francisco jazz festival canceled for 2025
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — The 2025 Fillmore Jazz Festival has been cancelled, according to a statement on the event's website. The beloved two-day festival, which typically takes place over 12 blocks of the Fillmore neighborhood, won't take place this year due to lack of funding. 'Producing a free two-day festival in San Francisco incurs hundreds of thousands of investments in production, security, recycling, staffing, staging, city fees, musicians, marketing, porta-potties and much more,' read a statement on the event's website. 'The non-profit association is in debt due to production costs.' 'Really Stupid Park': SF commuters use Great Highway park-naming contest to vent With this year's festival no longer viable, festival organizers are turning their focus to next year's festival. 'We need to save the Fillmore Jazz Festival — after all these years of gifting jazz to San Francisco — we need to give back. We need to be loyal and support each other for all to be successful,' said Jones Memorial United Methodist Minister of Music Ricardo Scales. The largest free jazz festival on the West Coast, the Fillmore Jazz Festival was launched in 1986. Illustrious performers to have graced its stages over the years include Lonnie Smith, Lady Memphis, Pete Escovedo, Jules Broussard, and Brendy Boykin. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
