The countdown to fall is on. But before you begin mourning the loss of extra daylight hours and jacket-free nights, consider just how many events there are to look forward to around the Tenderloin and Mid-Market over the next couple of months. To help you plan ahead, here are a few of the many community gatherings on the horizon.
2 Blocks of Art
4-8pm Friday, Sept. 18
The fifth annual Sixth Street art walk is just a few weeks away. Hosted by Urban Solutions and the Central Market Community Benefit District, the event gives local artists the opportunity to showcase their work in retail spaces, vacant storefronts, galleries and community centers from Market to Howard. It's a great opportunity to peek inside spaces that are normally boarded up, and get to know neighbors like 1AM, Bindlestiff Studio and Inks of Truth.
Civic Center Free Live Concerts
12-1pm, Wednesdays through Oct. 28
Thanks to the folks at People in Plazas, you can catch a free concert every Wednesday at Civic Center/Alioto Plaza through the end of October.
In September, the diverse lineup includes R&B, Latin jazz and steel drums. Come October, SF Opera, SF Symphony and SF Jazz will take turns entertaining the crowds.
Visit the People in Plazas website to keep up to date on the weekly schedule.
Photo: People in Plazas / Facebook
Folsom Street Fair
11am-6pm Sunday, Sept. 28, Folsom St. from Eighth to 13th Streets
While the Folsom Street Fair doesn't exactly happen in the Tenderloin or Mid Market, there's one good reason for neighbors to visit the annual event—even if leather and bondage aren't necessarily your thing. Every year, the organizers award grants to local nonprofits using a portion of the proceeds, and this year, Hospitality House is one of those beneficiaries.
Surely they'd love it if all of their neighbors popped in and spent a few bucks for the cause, or even joined the army of volunteers they're now required to assemble to staff the event. To learn more about volunteer opportunities with Hospitality House at Folsom Street Fair, head on over to the nonprofit's Facebook page.
Needles to Thread: Dancing Along These Lines in Continuum Alley
Thursday, Oct. 1 — Saturday, Oct. 10
If you think you've been seeing people floating in the air in Continuum Alley (off Golden Gate between Hyde and Leavenworth), you're not crazy. Choreographer Jo Krieter and her team of dancers have been practicing aerial dance in preparation for a series of free performances in the alley this October. Commissioned by the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Needles to Thread tackles the "issue of wage security for women through the story of San Francisco’s garment workers past and present."
There will be 12 opportunities to catch the live performance over two October weekends. But you might already be able to catch a preview by simply strolling by.
TNDC Celebrity Pool Toss
6-9pm Wednesday, Oct. 7th
The Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation hosts an evening of eats, drinks and revelry by the pool every October at the Phoenix Hotel (601 Eddy St.) to raise funds for its programs supporting the neighborhood's children and families.
The highlight of the night: tossing "local celebrities" into the pool. Celebrities signed up to take the plunge this year include Stewart Canning, development director for the San Francisco Symphony; Kevin Causey, president of the St. Francis Foundation; and Fred Blackwell, CEO of the San Francisco Foundation.
In exchange for a $500 to $10,000 donation, sponsors receive the honor of throwing them in. For those who'd prefer to sit safely on the sidelines, single tickets can be purchased for $125 each. Visit TNDC's website for more details.
Looking forward to other neighborhood events this fall? Share them in the comments.
