Major San Francisco Event Sunday 2023 Zappos Bay to Breakers
Some 20,000 participants, many in costumes, are expected to take part in Bay Area’s most historic and beloved events on Sunday; Residents are advised to plan and expect delays; alternate routes are available; more information at www.BaytoBreakers.com.
What:
The 112th running of the iconic Zappos Bay to Breakers road race returns this weekend. City of San Francisco residents and visitors can expect road closures and delays on Sunday from the waterfront from the San Francisco Bay in downtown all the way to Ocean Beach. The streets will reopen on a rolling basis as soon as the last participant has passed and all course support materials have been removed.
When:
Sunday, May 21 6:00 am – Citywide Road Closures begin 8:00 am – Official Race Start Time 2:00 pm – Majority of Course Reopens
Where:
Start: Main and Howard St. Finish: 21291 Pacific Coast Highway San Francisco, California
More:
Zappos Bay to Breakers features a challenging USA Track and Field-certified 12-K (7.46 miles) course. Starting at the base of the San Francisco Bay, the course rises steeply along the City’s famous Hayes Street Hill. Around the 2.5-mile mark runners climb an 11.15 percent grade between Fillmore and Steiner streets, bringing them to the highest point in the race, approximately 215 feet above sea level. The remainder of the course gradually flows alongside the Panhandle and through Golden Gate Park and ends at the Pacific Ocean.
MEDIA ADVISORY / COVERAGE REQUEST TODAY / SUNDAY, MAY 14 (1pm – 4pm)
WHAT: “Union Square in Bloom” Kickoff
WHERE: The Stage at Union Square
WHEN: Sunday, May 14 (1pm – 4pm) * 1pm – 2pm: Food, salsa music and dance instruction * 2pm: One-of-a-kind couture “Union Square in Bloom” Dress by Ukrainian designer Vasily Vein unveiled in fashion show * 2:30pm – music, dancing and food vendors continues
WHY: Enlivens The Heart of San Francisco This Spring & Summer Area Hotels, Restaurants, Bars and Merchants Burst With Floral Décor in 2nd Annual Event Celebrating District’s Floral History with Wide Range of Events: Bloom + Bubbles Passport, Family-Friendly Activity Passport, Room in Bloom Packages
Grand Blooming Unveiling on May 14th, Featuring a Delightful Mother’s Day Salsa Dancing and Music Celebration
18 April 2023 – San Francisco, CA: Like fresh spring bulbs bursting forth following a long, damp winter, Union Square in Bloom returns for its second year with spectacular oversized floral displays cascading from area hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops, along with special offerings highlighting Union Square’s rich floral history and blooming rebirth. This May, leading up to a grand Mother’s Day Celebration, you can take a curated passport through all the blooms & attractions. Union Square will be in “full bloom” with numerous vibrant floral displays, welcoming residents, workers, and visitors to the heart of San Francisco.
This event honors its rich floral roots while nurturing the growth of innovative traditions through a colorful floral display to welcome residents, workers, and visitors to the heart of San Francisco. The “Blooming,” a tribute and the seed of new traditions, will be completed and unveiled in a special event on May 14, from 1pm – 4pm, fittingly named The Roots of Creation: A Mother’s Day Celebration. Centered around the floral artistry of the Union Square stage, the event is sponsored by the Union Square Alliance (www.visitunionsquaresf.com).
“Union Square in Bloom is about bringing bright color, beauty and positive energy to San Francisco’s iconic center,” said Marisa Rodriguez, CEO for the Union Square Alliance. “Dozens of vibrant floral displays and interactive programming will create a cohesive theme throughout the district. This is just the beginning of a strong tradition we hope to build on year after year.”
Rodriguez’s optimism is given proof by increased tourism, newly opened retail outlets in the district, and the popularity of last month’s American Tulip Day which brought over tens of thousands of people to the Square to take home free tulips.
“Union Square has a long history as a hub for floral art and engagement,” says Rodriguez. “For decades, flowers, particularly daffodils, were handed out to visitors walking through Maiden Lane. This year is truly the time to say that Union Square is back, and ready to show off its budding treasures.”
The Union Square district is embracing the season with a variety of vibrant and engaging events, programs, and promotions, including a Mother’s Day celebration, a Family-Friendly Activity Passport, a “Bloom + Bubbles” Passport, available on and Room in Bloom Hotel Packages. The passport books will be available to download from the Union Square Alliance website by May 11, 2023.
For the next several weeks, dozens of area businesses are planting the seeds for a floral explosion culminating Mother’s Day weekend. On Mother’s Day Sunday, May 14 (1pm–4pm) the Union Square stage will feature local Salsa music performers and dancers, plus opportunities for dancing in the plaza in a florally transformed space.
Also launching on Mother’s Day weekend is unique Union Square in Bloom passports, encouraging visitors to explore the floral displays, and visit shops and restaurants. The Activity Passport includes a family-friendly adventure of discovery, floral education, and interactive games. The “Bloom + Bubbles” Passport showcases floral-inspired beverages at local hotels, restaurants, and bars.
Local businesses and community partners taking part in the Union Square in Bloom by installing floral décor at their entrances or interiors, along with blooms in public spaces include: A.C.T ▪ Axiom Hotel ▪ Bus Stop by Macy’s ▪ Beacon Grand ▪ Canterbury Hotel ▪ Chancellor ▪ CK Contemporary ▪ Garden Party SF ▪ Grand Hyatt ▪ Handlery Hotel ▪ Herbert Hotel ▪ Hilton/Parc55 ▪ King George Hotel ▪ Maiden Lane ▪ Mastro’s Steakhouse ▪ Neiman Marcus Rotunda ▪ New Delhi Restaurant ▪ Union Square Inn ▪ Scheuer Linen ▪ SFO United Lounge ▪ Stratford Hotel ▪ TAJ Campton ▪ The Barnes ▪ The Donatello Hotel ▪ Westin St. Francis ▪ Union Square Alliance Building ▪ Union Square Plaza Stage
Participants in the “Bloom + Beverage” Program and other special offers are: Beacon Grand ▪ E&O Kitchen and Bar ▪ Harlan Records ▪ Hawthorn ▪ Hilton – CityScape ▪ Iron Horse Cocktails ▪ Macy’s Wine Bar ▪ New Dehli Restaurant ▪ Parc 55 – Cable 55 ▪ Sam’s Cable Car Lounge ▪ Sool Bar & Lounge Food Program ▪ E&O Kitchen ▪ The Barnes ▪ The Westin St. Francis’ Clock Bar, and Zingari Restaurant and Bar.
Room in Bloom Hotel Packages – Select district hotels, including the historic Westin St. Francis and the newly renovated Barnes Hotel, offer ‘Room in Bloom’ packages featuring a seasonal bouquet upon arrival. Sponsors for the 2nd Annual Union Square in Bloom include Macys and United Airlines.
“Union Square is bursting in beauty and excitement,” said Rodriguez. “Whether it’s a bloom trail guide for youth, floral fashion shows for the adults, or special ‘staycation’ hotel packages for the whole family, Union Square will be the place to celebrate the beauty and diversity of San Francisco this spring and summer.”
As Union Square in Bloom specific events, additional sponsors and programs are added, updated information will be available online at www.visitunionsquaresf.com.
About the Union Square Alliance: The Union Square Alliance serves members and creates a high-quality visitor experience by managing and activating public spaces, attracting new investment, and advocating for the District’s future success. Union Square is the vibrant heart of San Francisco and an international destination where visitors come to enjoy exceptional retail experiences, luxury hotels, world-class cultural institutions, and great public spaces found only in the City by the Bay. A lively 27-block community surrounding Union Square Park in the heart of San Francisco makes up the Union Square Alliance. It is generally bordered on the north by Bush Street, on the east by Kearny Street, on the south by Market Street and on the west Taylor Street. For more information on the Alliance, go to www.visitunionsquaresf.com
12 May 2023 —San Francisco CA: It was an artful experience for San Francisco’s Rainbow Honor Walk (www.rainbowhonorwalk.org) the nonprofit that highlights the contributions of LGBTQ pioneers with sidewalk plaques in the city’s Castro District when an exhibit of works by the late acclaimed artist Beth Van Hoesenraised over $ 45,000. The exhibit, “Beth Van Hoesen: Punks & Sisters” ran January 17 – February 25 of this year at the City’s Altman Siegel Gallery. When Hoesen, a longtime resident of San Francisco’s Castro District, died in 2010, her estate donated a significant number of her works to the Rainbow Honor Walk for sale to benefit its work.
“Thank you, Beth Van Hoesen. Thank you to Diane Roby who administered her artistic estate. Thank you, Altman Siegel Gallery and especially thank you Peter Goss, our longtime supporter and board member who helped to facilitate the sale of the Rainbow Honor Walk’s Beth Van Hoesen artworks,” says DonnaSachet, Rainbow Honor Walk Board President. “The work of the Rainbow Honor Walk, celebrating with members of our LGBTQ family who walked the walk before us has never been more important than now, in a time when, sadly, our values, and our lives, are under threat.”
To date, the Rainbow Honor Walk —working with the San Francisco Department of Public Works—has installed 44 plaques along Market Street, Castro St, 19th Street, and Collingwood Avenue.
When a volunteer committee of community members proposed the Rainbow Honor Walk, they received the unanimous support of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to create the sidewalk monument. Comprised of 3 foot x 3 foot bronze plaques embedded in the sidewalk, the Walk salutes the groundbreaking achievements of noted LGBT individuals throughout history. The first 20 honorees were announced in 2011. In 2012 the Rainbow Honor Walk board solicited design proposals from around the world. An independent jury of artists and cultural leaders selected the winning design by architect Carlos Casuso of Madrid, Spain. The plaques were manufactured by Mussi Artworks of Berkeley, California with creative oversight of the process spearheaded by Lawrence Noble, head of the sculpture department at San Francisco’s Academy of Art University. The first 20 plaques were installed in September 2014 with additional plaques added in 2017, 2019 and last year bringing the total of in-sidewalk plaques to 44. In February 2022, the next 24 honorees were announced with design of their honorary plaques commencing this year.
The Rainbow Honor Walk will eventually extend from the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy on 19th Street at Diamond down to Castro Street—the LGBT community’s “Main Street”—and will continue up Market Street with additional extensions on 18th Street. On Market Street, San Francisco’s main thoroughfare, the Walk will continue to the LGBT Center at Octavia Boulevard.
All funds for manufacture of the Rainbow Honor Walk are raised privately, with each plaque costing approximately $6000.
Individuals interested in contacting the Rainbow Honor Walk may do so by email at info@rainbowhonorwalk.org or by mail to Rainbow Honor Walk, 584 Castro Street, #113 San Francisco, California 94114. Contact can also be made via Facebook by searching “Rainbow Honor Walk”. Information can also be found online, and donations made, through the Rainbow Honor Walk website at www.rainbowhonorwalk.org.
Unveiling of Floral Couture Dress Thursday, May 11 in San Francisco’s Union Square.
World Renowned Fashion Designer Vasily Vein Unveils One-of-a-Kind “Union Square in Bloom” Gown at Nieman Marcus.
Ukrainian Designer Now Based in Sausalito
10 May 2023, San Francisco, CA: What’s more fashionable than a spring day? The answer: an original couture creation a la a spring day by local internationally acclaimed designer Vasily Vein to honor this year’s 2nd Annual“Union Square in Bloom” initiative. Created by and spearheaded by the Union Square Alliance (www.visitunionsquaresf.com), “Union Square in Bloom” celebrates the area’s long history of floral creativity and display, including its rich fashion forward traditions. The dress will be unveiled in a special fashion show event on Thursday, May 11 (5pm – 7pm) at the Nieman Marcus Rotunda on Union Square and modeled by Sonya Molodetskaya.
“Union Square in Bloom highlights our vibrant community’s passion for creativity and style,” saidMarisa Rodriguez, CEO of the Union Square Alliance. “We’re honored to have Vasily Vein’s stunning design as a centerpiece of our celebration.”
“Union Square in Bloom” has expanded during its second year with spectacular over-size silk floral displays cascading from area hotels, restaurants, bars and shops and special cocktail and menu offerings that highlight Union Square’s floral history and blooming rebirth.
Starting in early May and culminating with a spectacular Mothers’ Day celebration, Union Square will be in “full bloom” with dozens of colorful floral displays to welcome residents, workers and visitors to the heart of San Francisco The “Blooming” will be completed and unveiled in special events through September, May 14, from 1pm ‘til 4pm dubbed The Roots of Creation: A Mother’s Day Celebration centered around the floral artistry of the Union Square stage with a wide range of music and dance performances.
Also launching on Mother’s Day weekend is unique Union Square in Bloom passports, encouraging visitors to explore the floral displays, and visit shops and restaurants. The Activity Passport includes a family-friendly adventure of discovery, floral education, and interactive games. The “Bloom + Bubbles” Passport showcases floral-inspired beverages at local hotels, restaurants, and bars.
“I am honored to contribute to the blossoming spirit of Union Square,” said Veins, known for his one-of-a-kind creations for legions of San Francisco’s most fashionable. “My Union Square “Bloom” gown reflects the beauty and vitality of this iconic neighborhood.” Vasily Vein Art Design exploded onto the fashion world in 2009 after moving to the States from the former Soviet Union. Acclaimed for creating exquisite gowns for San Francisco’s philanthropic society at such events as the annual Opera, Symphony and Ballet openings, Vasily has long expressed an environmental “green” conscience in his work by using vintage fabric and sustainable fabrics as much as possible.
Vasily’s designs have been featured in the pages of Marie Claire, Estetica, The San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Magazine / Modern Luxury, the Nob Hill Gazette, the New York Social Diary, Forbes Lifestyle, Haute Living among others. Vasily makes his home in Sausalito.
About Union Square Alliance:The Union Square Alliance serves members and creates a high-quality visitor experience by managing and activating public spaces, attracting new investment, and advocating for the district’s future success.
Union Square is the vibrant heart of San Francisco, an international destination where visitors enjoy exceptional retail experiences, luxury hotels, world-class cultural institutions, and great public spaces found only in the City by the Bay. A lively 27-block community surrounding Union Square Park in the heart of San Francisco makes up the Union Square Alliance. It is bordered on the north by Bush Street, on the east by Kearny Street, on the south by Market Street, and on the west by Taylor Street. For more information on the Alliance, go to www.visitunionsquaresf.com.
Media Contact: CSF Communications Director: Alexandra Liss / alex.lissCSF@gmail.com / (415) 767-6886
MEDIA ADVISORY / COVERAGE REQUEST THURSDAY, MARCH 11 (10:30AM – 1:30PM)
City Civic Corps and Levi Strauss & Co. Partner for Habitat Restoration at India Basin
WHAT: San Francisco, CA – This Thursday, May 11th, the City Civic Corps, a program funded by the $2M Civic Joy Fund, is partnering with Levi Strauss & Co., to host a community habitat restoration event where over 100 San Francisco volunteers will come to India Basin Shoreline park. The City Civic Corps is a program co-created by Tipping Point founder, Daniel Lurie and local business owner and respected civic leader, Manny Yekutiel. The idea came about based on the adage “many hands will make quick work.”
This Thursday’s City Civic Core meetup is all about habitat restoration of San Francisco Recreation & Park’s most newly renovated park. You can read about some of the Habitat Restoration plan for India Basin here:
Chip Bergh, President and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co. says, “this is our home. Levi Strauss & Co. was founded here in 1853 and this city helped make us what we are today. That’s why we’re more committed than ever to working alongside our employees, nonprofit partners, businesses and community members to be a positive force for change for the next 170 years.”
Amidst a climate of political polarization, it is crucial for the Civic Joy Fund’s fundraising efforts to remain apolitical and maintain an unwavering focus on the programs at hand. By doing so, the individuals and corporate partners who contributed to this effort are able to come together in a spirit of collaboration and support for the shared goal of advancing these programs for the benefit of the wider community.
The volunteers will all share a lunch together after they volunteer. Chef Hugo will be curating a delicious box lunch for all the attendees.
WHY: City Civic Corps is one of the many programs from the Civic Joy Fund, designed to help revitalize San Francisco through civic engagement.
India Basin Park is currently undergoing development to become a 64-acre waterfront park that will feature a wide range of amenities. The park will eventually connect 1.7 miles of the Bay Trail, making it a valuable addition to San Francisco’s public spaces.
Some of the planned features of the park include a boat launching pier, several fields and sports facilities, a nature playground, and plenty of water access. This transformation is particularly notable because it is taking place in an area of San Francisco that has historically been overlooked and underutilized.
WHEN: Thursday May 11, 10:30am-1:30pm
WHERE: India Basin Shoreline park. The meet up point will be at Hunters Point Blvd & Hawes st, 950 Galvez Ave San Francisco, CA 94124.
