eNews from SF Recreation and Parks- May 17, 2023

[SF Recreation and Parks]

Updates, news and events in San Francisco parks   Highlights, News & Announcements   Merced Heights Lower Terrace Reopening Celebration on May 19 You're invited to a reopening celebration for the lower terrace of Merced Heights Playground (801 Shields Street) on Friday, May 19 from noon to 1 p.m. The event will feature brief remarks, a senior fitness demonstration, refreshments, recognition wall unveiling and more. The scope of work for this improvement project includes new features such as a plaza, exercise equipment, dog play area, butterfly and hummingbird garden, as well as a redone natural lawn, accessibility improvements and more. For more information about the project, click the link below. Merced Heights Lower Terrace Project   Free Community Swim Day at MLK Pool on May 20 With summer just around the corner, families in Bayview-Hunters Point will come together on Saturday, May 20 for a free Community Swim Day at Martin Luther King Jr. Pool (5701 Third Street). The free event goes from 1 to 4 p.m. and will feature swimming from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., as well as aquatic activities, lawn games, giveaways, and information on swimming resources for residents. The event is in celebration of National Water Safety Month in May, as well as the pool’s reopening in late March following upgrades to its roof and other repairs. Water safety for children, particularly in Bayview-Hunters Point, is a major focus for Rec and Park. Its popular Bayview Safety Swim and Splash (BSSS) program is currently wrapping up its spring session. Based out of MLK Pool, BSSS is a free learn-to-swim program for elementary school students living or attending school in the 94124 ZIP code. The program, which launched in 2022 as a partnership between Rec and Park and the YMCA of San Francisco, ensures that Bayview-Hunters Point youth develop confidence in the water and acquire lifelong skills, including floating, breathing, and how to swim to safety if needed. Swing by Saturday to learn more! The BSSS program was developed through the India Basin Waterfront Park Project and its Equitable Development Plan. Learn more at the link below. Community Swim Day   SF Joins KABOOM! in National Effort to End Playspace Inequity Mayor London Breed announced today that the City of San Francisco will partner with KABOOM! in the national nonprofit’s five-year plan toward achieving playspace equity in 25 priority places across the United States.  Through the initiative, KABOOM! and the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department will lead an ambitious $10 million plan to address gaps in access to quality, nature-rich children’s playspaces in communities that disproportionately lack resources. The initiative, which also counts on the collaborative San Francisco Children & Nature, will be rolled out in two phases.  Under the first phase, KABOOM! will lead a fundraising campaign with a goal of $2.5 million, with the City matching that amount, to improve four playgrounds located in the City’s Equity Zones—which are defined by the State of California as communities with a high concentration of one or more vulnerable population characteristics.  Using Equity Zone metrics ensures the project supports closing disparities and improving quality of life for the most vulnerable communities. Other factors, such as lower access to nearby nature, facility condition, and cost estimate will also be taken into consideration when selecting which playspaces will be upgraded. The first four sites to undergo playspace transformation will include Silver Terrace Playground, Tenderloin Recreation Center, Randolph-Bright Mini Park, and Purple Playground in Crocker-Amazon. The launch of this phase marks the first step in the long-term plan to ensure every child in San Francisco has a nature-rich place to play in their community.  Under the second phase of the initiative, KABOOM! will again lead a fundraising campaign with a goal of $2.5 million, with the City matching that amount, to improve four more playgrounds. Details on those sites will be announced at a future date. For more information, click the link below. Ending Playspace Inequity   Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Chow Fun on May 20 Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month throughout the month of May. Check out the APA Heritage Foundation's celebration guide to expand your bookshelf, find inspiration, and discover events including Chow Fun's 8-day Asian dine-around which ends on Saturday, May 20 with a closing event at the Geneva Car Barn and Powerhouse (2301 San Jose Avenue). For more information and to see the full celebration guide, click the link below. Celebration Guide   AANHPI Heritage Month: India Basin's Chinese Shrimping Industry In honor of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, we’re sharing the history of the Chinese shrimping village that was located at India Basin. Beginning in the 1860s, Chinese immigrants began camping on the south end of India Basin and harvesting shrimp from the Bay. These shrimpers sailed the waters of India Basin, slinging their nets along the mudflat, with the shrimp washing into the nets when the tides shifted. Their catches became popular items in both restaurants and homes in San Francisco, while supporting the dozens of families that lived in this village. In 1939, the shacks and docks that made up this village were burned down by the San Francisco Health Department under eminent domain to make way for the Hunters Point Shipyard. It destroyed a nearly 70-year-old industry in this area, wrecking the livelihood of these shrimpers.  As a part of the India Basin Waterfront Park Project and its Equitable Development Plan, we seek to create a park that reflects the history of India Basin and its diverse generations of Bayview-Hunters Point residents whose stories have been obscured. We aim to honor these shrimpers, who built a flourishing community and were a significant part of this area's history, through interpretive signage and visual narratives at the new park. We also plan to host community shrimp boils at the new park to honor their legacy in this neighborhood. Read more about the Chinese shrimping industry in San Francisco from FoundSF at the link below. Chinese Shrimping Villages in SF   San Francisco Plans to Expand Summer Concerts in Golden Gate Park Read the recent article from the San Francisco Chronicle's Datebook, in which Mayor London Breed unveiled a new plan to bring more summer concerts to Golden Gate Park starting next year. The proposal calls for two or three days of headliner-driven events on the weekend following the annual Outside Lands music festival. Read more at the link below and learn how it would help supplement Rec and Park's services ahead of a two-year budget deficit. Proposal for Summer Concert Series   SFGATE's Guide to San Francisco's 37 Mini Parks Check out SFGATE's recently published guide to San Francisco's 37 mini parks, which play an important role in providing residents with access to green space citywide. >From hidden hilltops to epic playgrounds, check out the guide and mini park recommendations at the link below. SFGATE's Mini Park Guide   Upcoming Events Ikebana Tropical Paradise Demonstration in Golden Gate Park on May 19 Join Ikebana International's San Francisco Bay Area Chapter for its next demonstration on Friday, May 19 at noon in the County Fair Building (1199 9th Avenue) in Golden Gate Park. Ikebana, or Japanese flower arrangement, is an ancient Asian art vibrantly practiced in contemporary interpretations by this organization's members. Come see the tropical paradise demonstration from these talented arrangers with tea and treats to follow. For more information, click the link below. Ikebana SF   Illuminate Live at the Golden Gate Bandshell May 19, 20, 21 and 24 Get out to the park this May for the free concert series, Illuminate Live, at the Golden Gate Bandshell (75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive). Swing by Friday Happy Hour on May 19 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. for Evan Wardell's Psychadelic Bandshell Show featuring Coywolf, Rose Haze, and The Green Door. On Saturday, May 20 we have the Rockin' the Bandshell show from noon to 4 p.m. featuring JW Blunt, Loser Soup, Michael Michael Motorcycle, and Scary Scare. For Reggae Sunday on May 21 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., we have DJs Irie Dole and Guid8nce with special guest Fadda Leo of Guerilla Takeover Sound. Next week, we have Singer/Songwriter Wednesday on May 24 from 4 to 7 p.m. featuring Karyn Ann, Hayley Lynn, and Todos Santos. For more information, click the link below. Golden Gate Bandshell   Bay Bridge Bowl Power Soccer Tournament on May 20 The Golden State Ducks, Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program (BORP), and Rec and Park present the Bay Bridge Bowl power soccer tournament on Saturday, May 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Gene Friend Recreation Center (270 6th Street). Power Soccer is an adaptive sport, played in specially modified power wheelchairs. The round robin tournament will feature a fun end of season twist, as well as lunch for athletes and staff. Swing by and watch the Bay Area's top power soccer clubs compete! The Golden State Ducks are a local power soccer program that practices at Gene Friend Recreation Center and is a collaboration with BORP and Rec and Park. The program welcomes beginner and experienced players and participants can enjoy practice play or high-level tournament competition. For more information, click the link below. Golden State Ducks   Francisco Park Volunteer Day on May 20 Join the Francisco Park Conservancy (Bay and Larkin streets) for a volunteer day on Saturday, May 20 from 10 a.m. to noon. Come garden with your neighbors and help with plantings, weeding and cleanup. For more information and to sign up, click the link below or email volunteer at franciscopark.org. Francisco Park Volunteer Day   Heron Watch at Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park on May 20 San Francisco Nature Education is hosting free heron watch events at Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park throughout the spring nesting season in April and May on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The next will take place on Saturday, May 20. Volunteers and interns will be available to help spot the herons and their chicks, while answering questions about this type of bird. Bring binoculars if you have them. For more information, click the link below.  (Photo Credit: Helene Sobol) SF Nature Education   Mobile Rec at Margaret Hayward Playground on May 20 Mobile Rec is coming to Margaret Hayward Playground (1016 Laguna Street) on Saturday, May 20 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with our rock wall available for aspiring climbers to reach new heights! For more information, click the link below. Mobile Rec   SF Girls Chorus: Chorus School Spring Concert on May 20 Join the San Francisco Girls Chorus for its Chorus School Spring Concert on Saturday, May 20 beginning at 2 p.m. at the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater (40 John F. Shelley Drive). All four levels of the San Francisco Girls Chorus will perform their repertoires, including the premiere of Spells for Girls by Composer-in-Residence Lisa Mezzacappa. For more information and to purchase tickets, click the link below. Chorus School Spring Concert   Sunday Streets Kicks Off in the Bayview on May 21 Sunday Streets' 2023 season kicks off in the Bayview on Sunday, May 21 from noon to 5 p.m. The event will transform Galvez Avenue between Phelps and Mendell streets into a car-free community space for residents, where visitors can enjoy a day of free outdoor recreation together, including Rec and Park's Mobile Rec rock wall, as well as an India Basin Waterfront Park resource table. For more information, including information on how to volunteer, click the link below. Sunday Streets Bayview   Golden Gate Park Band: Adventure Day! on May 21 Join the Golden Gate Park Band for its free Sunday concert series at the Golden Gate Bandshell running through the summer. The next show is Adventure Day! on May 21 from 1 to 2:35 p.m. Dr. Craig McKenzie will lead a concert full of excitement and adventure, including familiar pieces from movie scores. For more information, click the link below Golden Gate Park Band   Book Discussion Group Featuring Benjamin Bac Sierra on May 23 Swing by Glen Canyon Park Recreation Center (70 Elk Street) for its recurring book discussion group on Tuesdays from 1 to 3 p.m. On Tuesday, May 23 this group will host local author and City College of San Francisco Professor Benjamin Bac Sierra. He will participate in a question and answer session on his acclaimed novel Barrio Bushido. For more information, call (415) 239-4007 or email joan.m.gallagher at sfgov.org.   Eureka Valley Dog Play Area Meeting on May 24 Join us and the Eureka Valley Dog Owners Group for a community meeting to discuss improvements to the Eureka Valley Dog Play Area. The next meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 24 at 6 p.m. at the Eureka Valley Recreation Center (100 Collingwood Street). Help shape the future of this park and provide feedback! For more information, as well as to provide feedback via survey, click the link below. Eureka Valley Dog Owners     We Players: Adventures with Alice in Golden Gate Park May 28 and 29 We Players is in Golden Gate Park this spring with a whimsical and witty Wonderland and Looking-Glass mash-up entitled Adventures with Alice. The performances are currently taking place Thursday to Sunday with the final available dates on May 28 and 29. Performances begin at the stables and end at the Portals of the Past. For more information and to purchase tickets, click the link below. We Players: Adventures with Alice   Programming Giants Academy Registration Open for Summer Program The Giants Community Fund is partnering with the Rec and Park to introduce a new competitive baseball and softball academy beginning this summer. The eight-week program running from June 12 through August 5 will be free for all families involved! The academy will provide the opportunity for youth players from middle to high school levels to work on their game in the offseason with weekday practices and Saturday games. For more information and to register, click the link below. Giants Academy   Natural History Walk at Heron's Head Park on May 24 Swing by the EcoCenter in Heron's Head Park (32 Jennings Street) for drop-in Natural History Walks on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month from 1 to 3 p.m. The final one is on May 24. Learn more about native fauna and flora, as well as the park's unique wetland ecosystem. For more information, call (415) 676-1394 or email ecocenterhhp at sfgov.org.    San Francisco Nighthawks Kick Off Season at Kezar Stadium on May 21 Our Video of the Week promotes the San Francisco Nighthawks first game of the summer season at Kezar Stadium against FC Davis this Sunday, May 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. Admission is free! It will also be Bayview United Night, where you can donate new and used soccer equipment in exchange for coupons from local sponsors. Bayview United is San Francisco's first primarily Black youth soccer team for boys and girls, grades K-6. Since 2019, this equity driven Rec and Park program aims to increase access in the Bayview-Hunters Point community to the world’s game Established in 1995, the San Francisco Nighthawks call Kezar Stadium home. They are an American women's soccer club and a founding member of the Women's Premier Soccer League, the second tier of women's soccer in the United States and Canada. For more information, click the link below. SF Nighthawks    San Francisco Recreation and Parks | sfrecpark.org         SF Recreation and Parks | McLaren Lodge-Golden Gate Park, 501 Stanyan Street, San Francisco , CA 94117 Unsubscribe house at digitalkingdom.org Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by rpdinfo at sfgov.org powered by Try email marketing for free today!
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