eNews from SF Recreation and Parks- July 31, 2024

[SF Recreation and Parks]

Updates, news and events in San Francisco parks   Highlights, News & Announcements   Restoration of GGP’s Middle Lake Creates Hub for Wildlife & People Golden Gate Park’s Middle Lake has officially reopened after a renovation restored 2 acres of glistening water where a dry lakebed and invasive species stood for decades. Middle Lake is part of the Chain of Lakes, a historical system of water management initially developed by Park Superintendent John McLaren in the late 1890s. Made up of North, Middle and South lakes, the Chain of Lakes were created over sand dunes and seasonal ponds to utilize the Westside Basin's freshwater resources. In addition to expanding the lake size and rehabilitating the historic cascade, the project also focused on creating a scenic trail around the 14-acre area. It also removed more than 3 acres of invasive vegetation, replacing it with some 10,000 native plants to the benefit of resident and migratory birds; reptiles and amphibians including the protected California red-legged frog; and smaller mammals such as coyotes, gray foxes, and raccoons. Learn more at the link below. Environmental Restoration at Middle Lake    Stern Grove Playground Renovation Begins Last week, we kicked off the Stern Grove Playground renovation! The project will include new furnishings, accessibility improvements, and a complete makeover of the children’s play area with tree-like play structures, natural timber logs, climbing nets, swings, and a nature exploration area. A special thanks to Supervisor Joel Engardio, San Francisco Parks Alliance, Stern Grove Festival, Miller Company Landscape Architects, Minerva Construction, and San Francisco Public Works for helping us break ground. The renovation of Stern Grove Playground is part of the Let’sPlaySF! Initiative, a partnership between the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and the San Francisco Parks Alliance to transform 13 timeworn play areas across San Francisco. For more information, click the link below. Stern Grove Playground Renovation   California Kahve to Take the Reins of GGP Carousel & Kiosk We're thrilled for California Kahve to take the reins of the Golden Gate Park carousel and its food and beverage kiosk this week! We look forward to a fresh spin on the historic carousel and Koret Children's Quarter with top-notch coffees, teas, smoothies, sandwiches, and pastries in the park. Read more from SFGATE on what's in store at the link below. Cafe Coming to GGP Carousel   Local Power Soccer Player Vies for National Team Spot Check out the recent piece by Mission Local that highlights the Golden State Ducks, a power soccer team supported by Rec and Park and BORP Adaptive Sports and Recreation that is based out of Eureka Valley Recreation Center. Power soccer is an adaptive sport, played in specially modified power wheelchairs. The piece profiles Stanley Kuang, a member of the Ducks who has been playing the sport for more than a decade. He is currently competing for a spot on the U.S. national power soccer team, recently attending an unofficial trial for Team USA. Read the full piece at the link below. Photo Credit: Scot Goodman Golden State Duck Gets Shot at National Team   El Farolito Soccer Wins at Kezar, Heading to National Championship Congratulations to El Farolito Soccer Club on punching its ticket to the National Premier Soccer League championship game! They did this with a dominant performance last weekend beating Duluth FC 3-1 at Kezar Stadium. El Farolito will now face Motown FC in the championship game in Madison, New Jersey on Saturday, August 3 at 4 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. Learn more about El Farolito's journey to the championship at the link below. El Farolito Heads to National Championship   Jerry Day in McLaren Park on August 3 Join the Friends of the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater (40 John F Shelley Drive) in McLaren Park for the 22nd Annual Jerry Day on Saturday, August 3 with entry at 11 a.m. and the first act at 11:30 a.m. The free event will feature Melvin Seals and JGB, Stu Allen and Mars Hotel, Grahame Lesh, Elliott Peck, and Alex Jordan. Come out for more music in McLaren with this quintessential San Francisco concert! For more information, click the link below. Jerry Day   Buchanan Street Mall Carnival Block Party on August 3 Join community partners for the Buchanan Street Mall Carnival Block Party (Between McAllister and Turk streets) on Saturday, August 3 from noon to 5 p.m. The event will feature a job fair hosted by Success Centers; carnival games and treats; free haircuts and braiding; Keshcares hygiene giveaways and more. Come out for a day of family fun and learn more about the planned renovation of the park at the link below. Buchanan Street Mall Renovation Project   SF Live: San Cha, Healing Gems & Peña in Golden Gate Park August 3 Join SF Live, El Rio and Illuminate for its San Cha, Healing Gems and Peña show on Saturday, August 3 from 2 to 6:30 p.m. at the Golden Gate Bandshell (75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive). The free event will start with sets by DJ Brown Amy and drag performances by Dulce de Leche and Per Sia. The show will continue with performances from Peña, Healing Gems, and Per Sia. For more information, click the link below. SF Live   Activity and Class Schedule for Civic Center Plazas Check out all of the amazing drop-in activities and scheduled classes available at the reimagined UN Plaza and surrounding Civic Center area. From the Heart of the City Farmers' Market and live music at Fulton Plaza to All the Way Live's 1 vs. 1 breaking battle at UN Plaza on Saturday, August 3 from noon to 6 p.m., we have something for everyone to get out and play in San Francisco's core. See the workout class schedule from Rae Studios at UN Plaza, as well as the full amenity list and schedule at the link below. Civic Center Plazas   Adaptive Bike Program in Golden Gate Park on Saturdays San Francisco's free Adaptive Bike Program is in Golden Gate Park on Saturdays through October 26. In partnership with the BORP Adaptive Sports and Recreation and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, we're providing hand cycles, foot trikes and tandem bikes for use on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. These adaptive cycles will be available at the Music Concourse behind the Bandshell (75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive) and next to the accessible parking lot. No reservations are needed, with availability first come, first served. For more information, call (510) 848-2930 or email sfcycling at borp.org.   Outside Lands Meadow & Road Closures Begin in Golden Gate Park Outside Lands is just around the corner from August 9 to August 11! Please note that meadow and road closures in Golden Gate Park began earlier this week, including at Middle Drive to accommodate the load in/load out for the festival, along with the Polo Field and McLaren Path. JFK Drive will be closed from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning Monday, August 5. See the map above for bike and car detours in Golden Gate Park. For more information and to stay up to date, click the link below. Outside Lands 311   Koshland Park Survey Thank you to everyone who came to our community meeting at Hayes Valley Playground to discuss improvements to Koshland Park. In case you missed it, you can still provide feedback through our survey at the link below. Additional questions? Email recparkpartnerships at sfgov.org. Koshland Park Survey   Department on the Status of Women Needs Assessment Survey The San Francisco Department on the Status of Women (DOSW) is conducting its Community Needs Assessment and wants to hear from City and County of San Francisco employees about their experiences in San Francisco. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and will inform DOSW’s programming priorities. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey and support gender equity programming across San Francisco at the link below. DOSW Needs Assessment Survey   Apply for the Chinatown Artist Registry; Workshops on August 6 & 13 The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) invites artists and artist teams residing in the United States to submit qualifications for the Chinatown Artist Registry to be considered for upcoming public art opportunities in the neighborhood. Artists with a meaningful connection to Chinatown––including current or former residents, those with relationships to the area, those who share its culture and values, or those with other significant ties––are encouraged to apply. Note that there will be application workshops on Tuesday, August 6 at 5 p.m. and Tuesday, August 13 at 5:30 p.m. RSVP at the link below. The Chinatown Artist Registry will be used to select artists to be commissioned for a range of public art projects associated with current and upcoming construction in the neighborhood, including improvements to Portsmouth Square. For more information and to apply, click the link below. Chinatown Artist Registry   Kezar Pavilion Community Meeting on August 24 Join us for a Kezar Pavilion Renovation Project community meeting on Saturday, August 24 from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The meeting will be hosted as an open house workshop outdoors by the Flywheel Coffee kiosk and bocce courts (601 Stanyan Street). Give feedback on the design and input on future programming. For more information, click the link below. Questions? Contact Alexis Ward at (628) 652-6641 or by email at alexis.ward at sfgov.org. Kezar Pavilion Meeting   Coyote Pupping Season and Ambassadors in our Parks Have you spotted our Rec Park Coyote Ambassadors and their life-sized friend at your local park? During pupping season (spring to fall) they set up shop at parks to teach visitors how to coexist with San Francisco's native coyote population. Ambassadors have tons of information on the local history of coyotes, their environmental impact, common behaviors, and what to do if you cross paths with these wild locals. If you see our ambassadors, stop by to say hello, pick up a pamphlet, and grab a bandana with some of our best coexistence tips! For more information, visit our living with urban wildlife page at the link below. Living with Urban Wildlife   Rec and Park Job Openings Looking for a career change? Want to get outside with one of the best park systems in the country? Join the Rec and Park team! We're hiring for a number of positions from including a community development assistant for our Urban Ag team, as well as lifeguards, recreation facility assistants, custodians and more. Click the link below to see current openings. Questions? Email rpd_recruitment at sfgov.org. Rec and Park Jobs   Upcoming Events   Civic Center Soundtrack Concert Series on August 1, 2 & 6 Civic Center Soundtrack, a free concert series by Illuminate Live, is at Fulton Plaza between San Francisco Main Library and the Asian Art Museum this spring and summer. These diverse musical performances will be held every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. On Thursday, August 1 from 2 to 5 p.m., we have Charlie Bishop, The Iron E Rock Music Show Progrm, and Three Flower Jam. Morgan Vallat, Sweet Undertow, and Troubadour Fools wrap up the week at the plaza on Friday, August 2 from noon to 3 p.m. Next week we have Gaby, Keepers of Humanity, and Wrob on Tuesday, August 6 from noon to 3 p.m. For more information and the full concert schedule, click the link below. Illuminate Live   San Francisco Bay Area Pro-Am at Kezar Pavilion on August 1 The legendary San Francisco Bay Area Pro-Am basketball league is at Kezar Pavilion (755 Stanyan Street) this summer. The league features many talented hoopers ranging from professionals to college players, with league alumni including Steph Curry and Jason Kidd. Attend these free games with the last regular season one on Thursday, August 1 beginning at 8 p.m. For more information, including the full schedule, click the link below.  SF Bay Area Pro-Am Basketball League   Hip Hop on the Plaza at UN Plaza on August 2 Check out the August schedule for All the Way Live Foundation's Hip Hop on the Plaza at UN Plaza (Market and Hyde streets). The next will be held on August 2 from 4 to 7 p.m. and will feature a breaking workshop starting at 4:30 p.m., followed by a dance session with Bboy Vitamin D and DJ Powerserge. For more information, click the link below. All the Way Live Foundation   Illuminate Live at the Golden Gate Bandshell on August 2, 4 & 7 Join us for free concerts with Illuminate Live at the Golden Gate Bandshell (75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive). For Friday Happy Hour on August 2, we have a tribute to Jerry Garcia from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Reggae Sunday on August 4 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. will feature DJ Guid8nce, Irie Dole, and Rocker-T. Next week, we have a Market to Bandshell Singer/Songwriter Wednesday produced in association with Sunset Mercantile on August 7 from 4 to 7 p.m. with Alex Sanders, Dumpster Love, and The Bunkermen.  For more information and the full concert schedule, click the link below. Illuminate Live   Birding for Families at Blue Heron Lake in Golden Gate Park on August 3 San Francisco Nature Education (SFNE) is hosting a bird walk field trip in Golden Gate Park on Saturday, August 3 from 10 a.m. to noon at Blue Heron Lake (50 Blue Heron Lake Drive). SFNE volunteers will lead these walks for children ages 4 to 12. Youth must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. For more information and to register for this field trip, click the link below. SF Nature Education   Pack Games & Parade at Civic Center Plaza on August 3 Join Pack Walk SF for its Pack Games and parade on Saturday, August 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Civic Center Plaza (355 McAllister Street). With the Olympics in Paris, your pup can join the Pack Games opening ceremony parade, run the the agility course, join in the Olympics costume contest, and visit dog-centric vendors. The parade starts at 10 a.m. adjacent to the Helen Diller Civic Center Playgrounds. The costume contest will begin at 11 a.m. For more information and to RSVP, click the link below. Pack Games & Parade   The Whale's Tail Music Lineup for August 3 & 4 The Whale’s Tail, Golden Gate Park's seasonal watering hole, is open from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, and select holidays all summer and will feature a revolving schedule of live music, as well as food trucks, street art and games. It is located at the 14th Avenue East Meadow just west of the Rose Garden on the JFK Promenade.   The seasonal destination is a collaboration between Rec and Park, Non Plus Ultra, Illuminate, and SF Live. For more information, including the music lineup for Saturday, August 3 and Sunday, August 4, click the link below. The Whale's Tail   Pickling Workshop at Alemany Farm on August 4 Join Rec and Park's Urban Agriculture and Community Gardens Program Director and Master Pickler Mei Ling Hui at Alemany Farm (700 Alemany Boulevard) this Sunday, August 4 for a pickling workshop from 10 a.m. to noon. You’ll learn the basics of pickle making and tips to make sure your pickles are safe, crunchy and delicious. Both vinegar, or “quick” pickles and fermented pickles will be covered, where you’ll make your own jar of quick carrot pickles and fermented cucumber dills to take home for fermenting. Bring a knife and cutting board. For more information and to RSVP, click the link below. Pickling Workshop   Dahlia Dell Hillside Ribbon Cutting on August 4 Join the Dahlia Society of California for its ribbon cutting ceremony on Sunday, August 4 at noon to celebrate a recently improved Dahlia Dell hillside garden (Pompei Circle and the JFK Promenade) in Golden Gate Park. There will be free guided tours at 11 and 11:30 a.m. leading up to the ceremony. An improvement project that was completed in February repaired the garden's terraces and retaining walls, as well as upgraded its pathways to increase accessibility. Additionally, the viewing area for the garden was improved to ensure that all visitors could admire San Francisco's flower in bloom. With the flowers experiencing their first bloom since completion of the project, be sure to come out and celebrate at the dell! A special thanks to the Dahlia Society of California, San Francisco Parks Alliance and Miller Company Landscape Architects for making this project possible. For more information, click the link below. Dahlia Dell   Sunday Streets Bayview on August 4 Sunday Streets comes to the Bayview on August 4 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 activities. For more information, including details on how to volunteer, click the link below. Sunday Streets Bayview   Golden Gate Park Band: NERT & First Responders Show on August 4 Join the Golden Gate Park Band for its concert celebrating Neighborhood Emergency Response Teams (NERT) and First Responders on Sunday, August 4 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Golden Gate Bandshell (75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive). Dr. German Gonzalez will lead an eclectic program of favorites and the revival of a piece commissioned for the band in 1936 by the Federal Music Project. For more information, click the link below. Golden Gate Park Band   Storytime with Bay FC at the SF Public Library on August 6 Join the San Francisco Public Library and Bay FC for a storytime at the Main Branch (100 Larkin Street) on Tuesday, August 6 at 4 p.m. Two players from the team will take part in this storytime at the children's center on the second floor. Attendees will also have a chance to enter a raffle for sets of tickets for Bay FC's match on Friday, September 20. Bay FC is the new women’s professional soccer franchise representing the Bay Area in the National Women’s Soccer League. For more information, click the link below.  Bay FC Storytime   National Night Out in Parks Citywide on August 6 Join the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) and our Park Rangers for National Night Out on Tuesday, August 6. Every first Tuesday in August, police departments across the nation invite neighborhoods to host block parties that feature music, cookouts, youth events and more! We have plenty of these going on in our parks, including at Balboa Park, Boeddeker Park, JFK Promenade by Skatin' Place, Mission Bay Kids Park, Mission Playground, and the Panhandle! For more information, visit SFPD's website at the link below. SFPD   Tool Care Workshop at In Chan Kaajal Community Garden on August 10 Join our Urban Agriculture team for its tool care workshop from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at In Chan Kaajal Community Garden (278 Shotwell Street). Staff will teach participants how to care for their garden tools to help ensure their effectiveness and longevity. Participants are invited to bring their own hand tools (no power tools) from home to perform maintenance. For more information and to RSVP, email communitygardens at sfgov.org.   Summer Rose Care Workshop at the GGP Rose Garden on August 11 Join the San Francisco Rose Society for its Summer Rose Care workshop on Sunday, August 11 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Golden Gate Park Rose Garden (Funston Avenue and the JFK Promenade). Learn how, when and why to cut back your roses and participate in free rose cuttings. For more information, click the link below. SF Rose Society   Programming   Bean Sprouts Family Days at the San Francisco Botanical Garden Join the San Francisco Botanical Garden (1199 9th Avenue) for Bean Sprouts Family Days, held from Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. Help start seeds and explore all of the growth that happened in the garden over winter. Grab some tools at the garden's welcome station or bring your own to dig, water, pick, build and explore. Heavy rain will cancel programs. All programs are free of charge with admission and no preregistration is required. For more information, click the link below. Bean Sprouts Family Days   Chess Club Thursdays in Glen Park Join the San Francisco Public Library and Rec and Park for chess club Thursdays from 4 to 6 p.m. Sessions take place at the Glen Park Branch Library (2835 Diamond Street) on the first, third and fifth Thursdays of the month, while sessions on the second and fourth Thursdays take place at Glen Canyon Park Recreation Center (70 Elk Street). These sessions are for players of all skill levels including kids (6 and older), teens and adults. Improve your memory, concentration and logical thinking skills through this time-honored game! For more information, contact the recreation center at (415) 239-4007.   Drop-In Wheelchair Basketball at Glen Canyon Park Recreation Center Glen Park Recreation Center (70 Elk Street) is hosting a free drop-in wheelchair basketball session every Saturday from 3 to 6 p.m. in partnership with BORP Adaptive Sports and Recreation. All ages are welcome. You don't have to have a mobility disability to participate, but you must be able to maneuver a wheelchair. Wheelchairs are available (will fit people at least 5-feet tall). Let's get hooping! Additional questions? Contact the recreation center at (415) 239-4007.   Sundays at the Beach on the Great Highway: Chair Yoga on August 4 Join the Friends of Great Highway Park for its Sundays at the Beach programming. These free activities, from live music to mat yoga, will be hosted four times a month. The next program will be chair yoga on Sunday, August 4 from 2 to 3 p.m. at Irving Street and the Great Highway. For more information, click the link below. Chair Yoga   Swing into Stories at Garfield Playground on August 6 The San Francisco Public Library's (SFPL) YouthMobile is coming to parks around the city. Movement and play are essential building blocks in fostering literacy and a love of reading and the SFPL is bringing stories and song to San Francisco's parks through its Swing into Stories program. It takes place at a different park each Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to noon. The next will take place on August 6 at Garfield Playground (Treat Avenue and 26th Street). Join us for a high-energy story time in our beautiful outdoors!  The YouthMobile offers a diverse selection of children’s library materials available for check-out with an SFPL library card. From the city’s only kid-focused bookmobile, staff circulates materials, creates library cards and provides the public with information about library services and programs. For more information and the Swing into Stories schedule, click the link below.  Swing into Stories   Movie Night at Glen Canyon Park Recreation Center on August 6 Join our staff at Glen Canyon Park Recreation Center (70 Elk Street) for classic movie nights! The next will take place on Tuesday, August 6, beginning at 6 p.m. and will feature the 1938 film "Sinners in Paradise." Come out to meet your neighbors and to enjoy these vintage films. For more information, contact the recreation center at (415) 239-4007.   Rec & Park Swag Rec & Park Branded Athletic Gear for Summer Ready to get active in our parks this summer, but need to revamp your workout wardrobe? We have you covered! Whether you're playing basketball at Sunset Recreation Center or doing Zumba at UN Plaza, we have everything from shorts to hoodies. Check out our full catalog through Squad Locker at the link below!  Squad Locker   Rec & Park Swag Middle Lake Reopening Video Our Video of the Week highlights the recent improvements made to Middle Lake in Golden Gate Park. To celebrate its reopening, we held a tour earlier this week for members of the biodiversity roundtable, Middle Lake project partners, and Rec and Park commissioners. They explored the upgraded park features including the cascade, native plants and wildlife habitats, trails and more. Be sure to visit this revitalized park gem soon! Environmental Restoration at Middle Lake   San Francisco Recreation and Parks | sfrecpark.org         SF Recreation and Parks | McLaren Lodge-Golden Gate Park 501 Stanyan Street | San Francisco , CA 94117 US Unsubscribe | Constant Contact Data Notice
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mail.digitalkingdom.org/pipermail/house/attachments/20240801/1f15f66e/attachment-0001.htm>