This weekend, a new music festival is set to take over Bayview. Highlighting local artists and musicians, the Southside Festival is a free two-day music event born out of an unusual collaboration between two District 10 nonprofits—one in Bayview, and one in Potrero Hill.
Hosted by nonprofits Imprint.City (Bayview) and Bay Bridged (Potrero Hill), the 2017 Southside Festival takes place at Laughing Monk Brewing and Seven Stills Distillery on Saturday, noon-7pm, and Sunday, 2-4pm.
Tyra Fennell, Imprint.City's executive director, told us that the partnership was formed to build a stronger connection between the District 10 neighborhoods.
“For too long, Caesar Chavez Avenue has been functioning as the invisible wall along Third Street," she said, "disconnecting the Bayview neighborhood from the economic vitality experienced in other neighborhoods in District 10."
With their own experience as the producers of Potrero's Phono Del Sol festival, Bay Bridged helped secure participating musicians and heavily promoted the event.
During the all-day festival on Saturday, nine local bands will be featured. Laughing Monk and Seven Stills will serve up food and drink specials for festivalgoers.
On Sunday, art will take center stage. The day will start with the unveiling of a new mural from artist Cameron Moberg of Sprayview.
When Hoodline caught up with him, he was still painting the piece. “I’m about 14 hrs into painting," said Moberg, who added that the mural would be ready by the time the festival takes place.
"The mural includes the old Candlestick Stadium and the famous Bayview shipyard crane," he continued. "The turtle represents good things taking time. In this case, it ties into our specific community working and building it together to make it great."
Fennell hopes that the Southside Festival will only be the beginning for the Bayview District's burgeoning art and music scene.
“[We want] to build arts programming and leverage strategic partnerships across the district such as the Bay Bridged," she explained. "[and] attract residents along the entire Third Street continuum to the Bayview."
