San Francisco's LGBTQ Castro neighborhood will see the first of six night markets next month, business owners were told at their monthly meeting Thursday. Night markets have become popular in the city ever since gay District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio launched one in his Westside Sunset district last year.
Now, they are popping up in various neighborhoods, including Chinatown and the Financial District. The inaugural Castro night market is scheduled for Friday, October 18.
This new addition to the neighborhood scene, other big events this fall, consideration of a Castro entertainment zone, and discussion of San Francisco's bond measure Proposition B were the main focus of the Castro Merchants Association's monthly meeting September 5.
As the Bay Area Reporter previously reported, Terry Asten Bennett, a straight ally who is the association's president, said just last month that the merchants were "currently in discussions with the city, the MTA [the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency], and the Civic Joy Fund about starting a Castro night market."
The Civic Joy Fund, co-founded by Manny Yekutiel, a gay man who is proprietor of an eponymous cafe and events space in the Mission neighborhood, seeks to revitalize San Francisco post-COVID, and has sponsored successful night markets in the Chinatown, Richmond and Sunset neighborhoods. A recent Sunset district night market drew a crowd of 20,000, according to San Francisco police.
"It's still unclear if it's feasible, or even desired," Yekutiel told the B.A.R. last month about the idea. "I think the Castro would be a great place to do a night market, because we have lots of proof people like to engage in the streets of the Castro. It's just a question of which streets, what hours, how much it would cost, and most importantly to me, is it something the merchants actually want, and the community?"
But it appears the plan is moving forward. There was no talk of any remaining logistical hurdles or potential for neighborhood opposition Thursday; instead, CG Events co-founder Chris Carrington, a gay man, was giving concrete details.
The night market is being produced by CG Events, which as the B.A.R. previously reported had taken over the Noe Street block parties the merchants sponsor at least four times per year.
Carrington said that the night markets will be set from 5 to 9 p.m. on the third Fridays in select months. In addition to the first one next month, others are tentatively scheduled for December 20, and then in 2025 on March 21, May 18, July 18, and September 19.
Castro Street itself won't be closed; rather, 18th Street will be closed from Hartford to Castro streets and then from Castro to Collingwood streets. The parking lot behind Walgreens will also be utilized, according to a flyer passed out at the meeting.
"This is all about getting the merchants involved and getting people out into the neighborhood," Carrington said. "We want to see vendors who are already in neighborhood life. We want as many people involved from the Castro as possible — merchants members will have priority in the market."
Carrington stressed that the night market itself is non-alcoholic, "but certainly the bars and the restaurants can sell alcohol."
The organizers are taking applications for food vendors, stores, artists, entertainers, and more for booths. People who want to inquire more about participating should email [email protected]
"We will be including a booth price," Carrington said. "It'd otherwise be a rental fee for a tent — if your business has a branded tent they'd like to put up, that's fine."
The San Francisco Chronicle recently reported that totaling the fees paid to organizers — an application fee, annual permit fees paid to the city, another application fee, and the actual annual catering permit mean selling even pre-packaged cookies at the recent Sunset night market would've cost the pretty penny of $1,535. Carrington didn't return a request for comment by press time as to how much the booth fees would be for the Castro event.
Carrington stressed to meeting attendees that the market probably won't draw 20,000 people — at least not yet.
"The Sunset market is a seven-block market," he said. "Our market is going to start as a two-block market, so we're not going to have a capacity for 20,000 people to start."
Carrington said that retail stores in the footprint should be proactive and take advantage of the opportunity to draw customers in.
"If businesses are closed at 6 p.m. then there's not going to be a lot of foot traffic into their business," he said. "Where I've seen success from other night markets is businesses doing specials and trying to draw people into their stores. It's a bit of a cooperation."
Other Castro fall events
CG Events is also producing a Halloween block party on Noe Street between Market and Beaver streets Sunday, October 27, from noon to 5 p.m. Carrington said that there'll be a "kids costume contest, a pets one, and an adults one. Each of those will take place at the top of the hour 2, 3, and 4 p.m. that day."
People interested in competing can sign up for the costume contests on site; there'll be prizes and trick-or-treating at various businesses.
"We'll provide the candy for you," Carrington assured.
As during CG's Pride event earlier this year, there'll be a "passport" available that people can take to surrounding businesses for deals.
Asten Bennett and others discussed a number of events happening before the night market starting with the Castro Art Walk, which is every first Friday, including September 6.
Greg Carey, a gay man who is chief of Castro Community on Patrol, a volunteer safety organization, told the merchants that on September 12 there will be a symposium with information tables from law enforcement agencies on hate crimes from 7 to 9 p.m. at Most Holy Redeemer Roman Catholic Church's Ellard Hall, 100 Diamond Street.
The following day, Friday, September 13, at 11 a.m., Mayor London Breed and former mayor Willie L. Brown Jr. will be making a joint appearance at the Castro rainbow flag at Harvey Milk Plaza, which has been landmarked as an art installation after the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance doing so for a second and final time September 3. It was Brown whom the late gay artist Gilbert Baker, co-creator of the rainbow flag, and his friend Jeff Sheehy, who would years later be appointed the District 8 supervisor, had approached with the idea of the oversized banner at the Castro Street Fair back in 1997, as Sheehy recounted in a Guest Opinion piece for the B.A.R.
The merchants periodically change the flag several times a year; September 13 will be the first such change since the passage of the local landmarking ordinance. (The retired flags are donated to nonprofits under a program the merchants started last year.)
"I need all your help — it's absolutely impossible for me to have the leverage to raise it [the flag] all by myself," Asten Bennett said.
Then, two days later, on Sunday, September 15, will be the Castro Stroll, which is competing with the Haight Street Fair, Asten Bennett said.
Castro may consider entertainment zone
Earlier this week, Breed and gay District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey introduced legislation to create four new entertainment zones downtown. The first, on Front Street, was announced in May.
These zones were made possible by legislation by gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) allowing businesses to sell alcohol to-go within the zones during special events. The law went into effect this year, according to the mayor's office.
"We've always known San Francisco has the best entertainment offerings in California, and it's great to see our city leading the state once again," Wiener stated in a news release. "I'm thrilled to see the city expand the Entertainment Zones to four new locations, giving San Franciscans new opportunities to enjoy the innovation and sense of community that make our city special."
Breed's office reached out to the office of District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who represents the Castro on the Board of Supervisors, to inquire if an entertainment zone would be feasible in the Castro.
"We don't do anything without reaching out to the community first, especially the [Castro LGBTQ] cultural district and the merchants, and so, hopefully, let's have a discussion about what it is," Mandelman legislative aide Adam Thongsavat said at the meeting. "My understanding is it's very flexible, district-by-district, so I wanted to invite Victor to share more."
Victor Ruiz-Cornejo, a gay man who's LGBTQ policy adviser to Breed, told the merchants that the special event at the Front Street zone will take place Friday, September 20, to celebrate Oktoberfest.
"You'll be able to see it for yourself," he said. "Think of, as a group, what street you would maybe want, does this have to be tied to a street closure inherently; or, excluding things specific, [such as] 'we don't want anything during the Castro Street Fair.' So I think whatever kind of parameters you might establish."
Ruiz-Cornejo said that there's flexibility around the street closure issue — people can be allowed to drink on the sidewalks while the street remains open to vehicular traffic, or the street could be shut down, depending on what the community wants.
Nate Bourg, a gay man who is the merchants' treasurer and the co-owner of The Academy event space where the association meets, said that any discussion of creating a new entertainment zone in the Castro would have to happen after outreach to bar and nightclub owners, specifically.
"We should find a way for nightlife owners to have input," he said. "They often don't attend this meeting, because it's quite early. I'm really curious what people think about this."
Thongsavat assured that nothing is finalized.
"If the feedback is 'thanks, but no thanks,' then we don't have to move forward," he said.
Money for Milk plaza, City Clinic
Brian Springfield, a gay man who is executive director of the Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza, joined Joseph Sweiss, a gay man who's working on the Yes on B campaign, to pitch the case for Prop B, which will require 66.66% affirmative votes to pass on the November 5 ballot.
The $390 million bond measure was placed on the ballot by Breed and the supervisors.
"This bond will invest in our critical infrastructure and advance projects that create jobs and prioritize important civic needs," the mayor previously stated. "It will create safer streets and smoother roads, deliver welcoming and vibrant plazas and public spaces, support families, and strengthen our public health institutions that serve all of our residents."
What specifically affects the Castro and LGBTQ communities, Springfield and Sweiss said, is that the bond contains $25 million for the revitalization of Harvey Milk Plaza and $27 million for the relocation and expansion of services of the San Francisco City Clinic, which is currently located in the South of Market neighborhood. City Clinic provides sexual health services and, while it does not exclusively serve the LGBTQ community, many queer people have utilized it over the years.
Sweiss assured Prop B will not raise taxes.
"What San Francisco does really well is its bond management strategy, so the reason it doesn't raise property taxes is because as old bonds expire, the city activates new ones," he explained. "Since 2006, the city has been committed to staying within that threshold."
Springfield said the measure needs a good push to get through, considering the high threshold.
"There's three ways you can help — No. 1: donate to the Prop B campaign," he said. "The other thing is voter education — it's as easy as putting signs in your window to get people to vote for Prop B. The more they see it, the more it will be in their brain to vote for Prop B. The third thing is to vote if you live in San Francisco; really, as Castro merchants, I hope you will support it for the investments in Harvey Milk Plaza."
Springfield recently co-wrote a Guest Opinion piece in the B.A.R. urging support for Prop B. It was co-authored by Jeffrey Kwong, a gay man who until recently was president of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, and Mawuli Tugbenyoh, a gay man, and Olivia Parker, a lesbian woman, are co-chairs of the Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club.
Updated, 9/9/24: This article has been updated to include the 11 a.m. start time for the rainbow flag dedication on Friday, September 13.
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