As Christmas approaches and Hanukkah begins Thursday evening, Castro businesses are rolling out the holiday welcome mat, as members explained at their final meeting of the year December 7.
All are welcome to attend the annual Castro menorah lighting in Jane Warner Plaza Monday, December 11, at 6 p.m. The event is sponsored by Congregation Sha'ar Zahav, the LGBTQ synagogue, the Castro Merchants Association, and the Castro Community Benefit District.
"It's really a very fun, sweet event," said Andrea Aiello, a lesbian who is executive director of the Castro CBD.
"It's probably more religious than the holiday tree lighting," she added, referring to the November 27 lighting of the holiday tree on the 500 block of Castro.
As the Bay Area Reporter previously reported, the menorah lighting features singing and other activities to commemorate the Jewish Festival of Lights.
In other holiday news, Castro Merchants President Terry Asten Bennett, a straight ally who co-owns Cliff's Variety, said she is collecting new, unwrapped toys until Wednesday, December 20, at her business, located at 479 Castro Street.
The toys will be given to children as part of the San Francisco Police Department's toy drive at Mission Station.
Greg Carey, a gay man who is the chair of Castro Community on Patrol, said that last year some 900 kids got gifts.
"All of the toys are in the conference room and the kids are not allowed to have their parents with them so they can actually pick what they want and not what momma thinks they should have," Carey said, adding he was in the conference room last week and it was "already filled with boxes."
Asten Bennett said that she's already collected six barrels full of toys "but want to fill a lot more."
There will be no merchants' meeting next month, she added, saying the monthly event returns February 1. She hopes the LGBTQ neighborhood's merchants make lots of money as the holiday shopping season kicks into high gear.
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