Mayor London Breed, center, greeted visitors who attended the annual Castro Holiday Tree lighting ceremony at Bank of America Plaza at Castro and 18th streets Monday, November 28. Spearheaded by the Castro Merchants Association, the yuletide tradition in the city's LGBTQ neighborhood kicked off the all-important holiday shopping season as businesses look to recover from the economic hardships brought about by the COVID pandemic. The evening featured the San Francisco Gay/Lesbian Marching Band (the city's official band), political leaders, and Santa.
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