eNews from SF Recreation and Parks- March 12, 2025

[SF Recreation and Parks]

Email from SF Recreation and Parks Updates, news and events in San Francisco parks   Highlights, News & Announcements Great Highway Closes March 14, Naming Contest Open through March 16 San Franciscans have a once-in-a-generation chance to make history and leave their mark on the coast—by naming the city’s newest oceanfront park. The Great Park Naming Contest invites the community to dream up a name that reflects the spirit of this spectacular new space with categories including geography, nature, history and culture. We have received nearly 3,000 entries so far, with names ranging from The Coast Line and Waypoint West to the Tanhandle and Parky McParkface. You can submit your entry at this link. Once the name submission deadline passes on Sunday, March 16 at 5 p.m., there will be a virtual community meeting on Tuesday, March 18 at 6 p.m. to review nominations and gather feedback. It will be followed by a survey that will be open from Thursday, March 20 through Wednesday, April 2, where people can continue to provide feedback. With the Great Highway closing to private vehicles on Friday, March 14, click the link below for more information on timeline and implementation. Great Highway Project   Mayor Lurie Announces b. Patisserie Expansion at Union Square Mayor Daniel Lurie announced that renowned San Francisco bakery b. patisserie is expanding to Union Square, bringing its celebrated pastries to one of the city’s iconic locations. In collaboration with Rec and Park, b. Patisserie will open a kiosk in the plaza, offering a selection of its signature pastries, including the famous kouign-amann, for residents, workers, and visitors. Owned by award-winning pastry chef Belinda Leong and business partner Michel Suas, b. Patisserie has been a San Francisco institution since its opening in 2013. The bakery is known for its European-inspired pastries, earning accolades such as the James Beard Award for Outstanding Baker. Leong and Suas have signed a one-year lease for the café kiosk at 350 Powell Street, with an expected opening in late March. Rec and Park will seek a permanent tenant for the space later this year. For more information, click the link below. B. Patisserie at Union Square   Portsmouth Square Renovation Hits Major Milestone The reimagining of the historic plaza at the heart of Chinatown has taken a major step forward as the bid for construction for the Portsmouth Square Improvement Project officially opened, ushering in a groundbreaking this fall. Portsmouth Square, also known as “Chinatown’s living room,” has served as a vital community gathering place for more than a century. The renovation—funded in large part by the 2020 Health and Recovery Bond—will enhance the park’s accessibility, safety, and functionality while preserving its deep cultural and historical significance. The renovation will include community-identified priorities such as a large flexible outdoor event space, a new and expanded community clubhouse, an updated playground with adult fitness equipment, a large shade structure, improved accessibility, enhanced lighting, seating, and landscaping. Additionally, the project will include the removal of the existing pedestrian bridge over Kearny Street, and a complete upgrade to the underground garage’s waterproofing and drainage system. Construction is anticipated to begin in fall of 2025, with the park reopening to the public in late 2027 or early 2028. For more information on the Portsmouth Square Improvement Project and to follow updates on the bid process, click the link below. Portsmouth Square Project   Summer Day Camp Registration Opens on March 15 Summer Day Camp registration begins on Saturday, March 15 at 10 a.m. From classics such as Silver Tree and Pine Lake to the new Margaret Hayward and Superstar Adventure summer camps, we have something for everyone! To view camp offerings, click this link. For more information, class catalogs, and how to register the day of, click the link below. Registration Page   Buchanan Street Mall Groundbreaking on March 27 Join us for the groundbreaking of the Buchanan Street Mall Project on Thursday, March 27 beginning at 9:45 a.m. Buchanan Street Mall is a pedestrian walkway and city park that runs through a five-block section of the Western Addition, from Eddy Street to Grove Street. Its renovation, planned with neighbors and local community organizations, will transform the park into a safe, vibrant hub for recreation, arts, culture, and intergenerational connection. The event will have brief remarks followed by a shovel ceremony, which will take place on Buchanan Street between Golden Gate Avenue and McAllister Street. For more information, click the link below. Buchanan Street Mall Project   Women's History Month: Raylene Gorum's Lady Bayview Honors Big 5 With India Basin Waterfront Park at 900 Innes being completed last November, we wanted to highlight Raylene Gorum's completed mural on the pier of the new park: Lady Bayview.   Artist Raylene Gorum, whose family once lived in the neighborhood, was selected by the San Francisco Arts Commission to create a public artwork as a part of this project. Gorum’s Lady Bayview is intended as a talisman that reflects the community’s history and the legacy of five women who sought to save it. The piece pays homage to the Big Five of Bayview, a group of Black women leaders who, in the 1960s and 1970s, successfully advocated for housing, health and labor issues, a local theater and more. They are commonly identified as Elouise Westbrook, Ruth Williams, Bertha Freeman, Osceola Washington, and Julia Commer.   Their legacy is represented in this mural as a single guardian figure who holds a glittering, circular universe in her hands. She is dressed in a swarm of shifting wind barbs—which tell the direction and force of the wind—and a variety of ships that speak to the complex maritime and immigrant history of the waterfront. India Basin's history is marked by the turbulent tides of urbanization, and yet the site's memory is also buoyed by the ingenuity, resilience, and joy of the people who have lived, worked, and built community here.   Check out the Trust for Public Land's piece that last year highlighted Lady Bayview to learn more about this piece and the history of the Big Five. The Big 5 of Bayview   Request for Proposal for Mission Creek Pavilion Calling all entrepreneurs to the Mission Creek Pavilion! Rec and Park is accepting proposals for the operations and management of the Mission Creek Pavilion (290 Channel Street), in the beautiful new 12-acre Mission Creek Park. The Pavilion is a modern facility with picturesque views of Mission Creek. With floor-ceiling windows, and two adjacent patios, this building can be used for a café or other recreational use. The building is currently available for events and rentals, but due to community interest in a permanent amenity, we are launching an RFP process for a long-term vendor. The request for proposal (RFP) is now open and proposals are due by Monday, May 12. Interested parties can learn more and apply to the RFP at this link. To learn more about all of our parks in Mission Bay, click the link below. Mission Bay Parks   Randolph & Bright Mini Park Community Meeting on March 18 Rec and Park will be hosting a virtual community meeting on Tuesday, March 18 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. to discuss the planned improvements to Randolph and Bright Mini Park. Two concept plans for the site will be shared, featuring a nature-forward play space for children, seating areas, upgraded irrigation, improved pathways, new plantings, and enhanced fencing. Attend and give feedback on these designs for the new play space. For translation, interpretation, or other language services, as well as accessibility requests, please contact Peter Moore at (415) 496-6204 or pete.j.moore at sfgov.org. Providing at least 72 hours advance notice will help to ensure availability. Additionally, our second design survey is open through 5 p.m. on Friday, April 4. Take the survey at this link and help shape the future of this park. For more information, click the link below. Randolph & Bright Mini Park   Rec & Park Commission Meeting at Palega Rec Center on March 20 Join us for a special Recreation and Park Commission meeting at Palega Recreation Center (500 Felton Street) on Thursday, March 20 beginning at noon. Meet your commissioners and help shape the future of our parks. For more information, including the meeting agenda, click the link below. Additional questions? Please contact Commission Liaison Ashley Summers by email at recpark.commission at sfgov.org or by phone at (415) 831-2750. Rec & Park Commission   Embarcadero Plaza & Sue Bierman Park Renovation Project Survey Embarcadero Plaza and Sue Bierman Park will soon be revitalized into a vibrant, 5-acre waterfront park in the heart of San Francisco. Through a collaborative public-private partnership with BxP, Downtown SF Partnership, and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD), and through extensive community engagement, we want to create a design for the park that reflects the needs of residents, businesses, and visitors while supporting downtown’s economic recovery.   Share your thoughts by taking our first design survey, open through March 31, at the link below. Embarcadero & Sue Buerman Survey   Upcoming Events Illuminate Live at the Bandshell on March 14, 16 & 19 Join us for free concerts with Illuminate Live at the Golden Gate Bandshell (75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive) in Golden Gate Park. In honor of Women's History Month, March's concert slate features women or women-fronted musical groups. See the upcoming schedule below: March 14 | 4:30-7 p.m. Friday Happy Hour featuring Shana Morrison and Caledonia March 16 | 4:30-7:30 p.m. Reggae Sunday featuring DJ Guid8nce, DJ Sep, and Irie Dole March 19 | 4-7 p.m. Singer/Songwriter Wednesday featuring Anna May, Deborah Crooks, and Roo Harrigan Golden Gate Bandshell Concerts   SF Well Being Fair at Harvey Milk Center for the Arts on March 15 Rec and Park's Harvey Milk Center for the Arts (50 Scott Street), in partnership with Mukunda Studio, TendWell Collective and Rainbow Grocery, will host their Spring Renewal Well-Being Fair on Saturday, March 15 from noon to 5 p.m. This free, all-ages event features small group activities, info sessions, conversation circles, crafts, a well-being marketplace, and more. For more information and to RSVP, click the link below. SF Well Being Fair   Harvey Milk Photo Center: "Salt of the Earth" Exhibit Opening March 15 Come out to the Harvey Milk Photo Center (50 Scott Street) for its "Salt of the Earth" exhibit opening on Saturday, March 15 from 2 to 5 p.m. Artist Barbara Boissevain is a contemporary visual artist and photographer whose work focuses on the impact of human activity on the environment. "Salt of the Earth" is Boissevain’s ode to the San Francisco Bay, depicting the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, and telling a rare and hopeful story of combatting the effects of human-led climate change. For more information and to RSVP, click the link below. Salt of the Earth   Zumba Spring Fling Dance Party in Golden Gate Park on March 16 Join us for our seasonal Zumba dance party on Sunday, March 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Our Zumba instructors will spring into action to showcase their moves during this free, two-hour drop-in event at the County Fair Building (1199 9th Avenue) in Golden Gate Park. Swing by and bust a move! Be sure to bring a reusable water bottle and proper workout shoes. For more information, click the link below. Zumba in the Parks   Middle School Science Fair & Festival at the Randall Museum March 22 Judging for the 2025 San Francisco Middle School Science Fair kicks off at the Randall Museum (199 Museum Way) on Thursday, March 13. Winners will be announced during the museum’s Science Festival on Saturday, March 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Kids and their families can enjoy free live animal encounters, discover community partners from the science world, and more. For more information, click the link below. Randall Science Fair   Young at Heart Intergenerational Program Returns March 24 Our Young at Heart intergenerational program, which takes place at the Golden Gate Park Senior Center (6101 Fulton Street), returns on Monday, March 24 from 10 to 10:40 a.m. This event will feature a story time and a rainbow making craft activity. These programs aim to bring children, families, and seniors together in a unique way to share stories, participate in activities, and more. For more information and to RSVP, call (415) 518-7725 or email katherine.villasin at sfgov.org.   The Kids' Games at Kezar Stadium on May 4 Registration is now open for our Annual Kids' Games at Kezar Stadium (670 Kezar Drive) on Sunday, May 4 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This will be a free Olympic-style track meet for kids ages 5 to 14. The meet will feature the 50-meter dash, 100-meter dash and long jump. For details and to register, click the link below. Kids' Games   Programming and Regular Series Activity & 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 at Fulton Plaza to free skateboarding lessons at UN Plaza, 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   Programming at Union Square in 2025 Union Square Plaza (333 Post Street) is your 2025 destination for fun, free outdoor programming. Come out to the park Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for a kids zone, giant games, recess cart, and reading and chess pavilion or break a sweat, listen to music or discover a new hobby. This week we have live music, a cardio BollyX dance workout, chess and juggling lessons, crafts activities including DIY mini Victorian houses and felt and ribbon flowers, and more! This free programming is made possible through a grant from the Office of Mayor Daniel Lurie and San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development and Biederman Redevelopment Ventures. For more information and to view the programming schedule at the Square, click the link below. Union Square Programming   Bean Sprouts Family Days at the San Francisco Botanical Garden Come dig, smell, taste, build, and explore with the San Francisco Botanical Garden on Bean Sprouts Family Days presented by Kaiser Permanente. Come out for family fun in the Children’s Garden on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon and the first Saturdays of each month from noon to 4 p.m. Programs are free with admission to the garden with no pre-registration 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 Glen Park Recreation Center at (415) 239-4007.     Mobile Rec at Palega Recreation Center on March 15 Mobile Rec comes to Palega Rereation Center (500 Felton Street) on Saturday, March 15 at from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy free BMX biking, skateboarding and more. Skateboarding equipment will be provided. For more information, click the link below. Mobile Rec   Drop-In Wheelchair Basketball at Glen 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 for participants at least 5 feet tall. Let's get hooping! Additional questions? Contact Glen Park Recreation Center at (415) 239-4007.   Sundays at the Beach on the Great Highway: Tai Chi on March 16 Join the Friends of Ocean Beach Park for its Sundays at the Beach programming. These free activities, from mat yoga to live music, will be hosted four times a month. The next program will be Tai Chi on Sunday, March 16 from 10 to 11 a.m. on the Great Highway at Judah Street. For more information, click the link below. Tai Chi   Swing into Stories in San Francisco Parks The San Francisco Public Library's (SFPL) YouthMobile is coming to parks around the city. Movement and play are key to 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 (Storytime begins at 10:30 a.m.) with the next at Hilltop Park (Newcomb Avenue and Whitney Young Circle) on March 18. See the monthly schedule here: 1st Tuesday of the month Garfield Playground (Treat and 26th streets) 2nd Tuesday of the month Koret Playground in Golden Gate Park (by the carousel) 3rd Tuesday of the month Hilltop Park (Newcomb Avenue and Whitney Young Circle) 4th Tuesday of the month Redwood Grove Playground in McLaren Park (200 John F. Shelly Drive) 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 checkout 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 March 18 Join our staff at Glen Canyon Park Recreation Center (70 Elk Street) for classic movie nights! The next will take place on Tuesday, March 18 beginning at 6 p.m. and will feature the 1946 film "Behind Green Lights." Come meet your neighbors and enjoy these vintage films. For more information, contact Glen Park Recreation Center at (415) 239-4007.   Shred N' Butter Intro to Skateboarding Classes Starting March 26 Join our Shred N' Butter team this spring for its introduction to skateboarding classes for ages 8 to 12, which take place across the city at Fulton Playground (855 27th Avenue), Joe DiMaggio Playground (651 Lombard Street) and Waller Street Skate Park (751 Stanyan Street). Learn the basics of skateboarding including balance, pushing, turning and cruising on low impact ramps and surfaces, and more. These classes will also teach basic skateboard maintenance. For more information and to register, click the link below. Shred N' Butter   Women's Drop-In Basketball at Moscone Rec Center Begins March 27 Lace up the kicks and come out for women's drop-in basketball on Thursdays from March 27 through May 29 at Moscone Recreation Center (1800 Chestnut Street). There will be full court 4-on-4 pickup games for ages 18 and up from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Questions? Contact Moscone Recreation Center at (415) 292-2045.   Junior Giants Registration Begins on April 1 Registration for Junior Giants will open on Tuesday, April 1. This free, non-competitive baseball and softball summer league is for ages 5 to 13 and features lessons on integrity, confidence, teamwork, leadership, and more. The league will begin in mid-June. For more information and to register on April 1, click this link. For those interested in volunteering for this league, email sfrpd.jrgiants at sfgov.org. Early registration is available those who volunteer to be a head coach by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, March 16. Jr. Giants   Video of the Week Tulip Day in Union Square on March 22 Our Video of the Week comes the Union Square Alliance and highlights Tulip Day. The return of spring and summer in Union Square will officially arrive on Saturday, March 22, when the Union Square Alliance hosts San Francisco Tulip Day, an event that will transform Union Square into a tulip garden with 80,000 colorful American-produced flowers grown from Dutch bulbs. The event also kicks off San Francisco's annual Union Square in Bloom initiative, in which businesses celebrate the changing season with floral displays, food, cocktails, and events. For more information, click the link below. Union Square in Bloom     SF Rec and Park Job Openings Get Your SF Rec and Park Swag Here Volunteer with SF Rec and Park   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/20250313/6a6f1abf/attachment-0001.htm>