967 Mission St. between 5th and 6th St.
Sunday, June 26, 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. | Free
After 300 years of Spanish colonization, the Philippines reclaimed their independence and June 12, 2022 marked 124 years since the country was freed from Spanish rule. This year, San Francisco is having its very first “Philippine Independence Crawl” to commemorate the holiday and appreciate Filipino culture. Second to Chinese residents, the Filipino population makes up a fairly large part of the Asian community in San Francisco with over 3% .
Kultivate Labs is a non-profit dedicated to the economic development and arts organization in the Soma Pilipinas Cultural District. With their projects like Kapwa Gardens and Balay Kreative, Kultivate creates a space for Filipino artists to come create, showcase work and network with others in the area. What was once a parking lot owned by the City of San Francisco is now Kapwa Gardens – a beautiful, vibrant event space. This Sunday, they will be hosting the inaugural Philippine Independence Crawl where attendees will be able to immerse themselves into Filipino arts and culture.
“October is American Filipino History Month, but we don’t just flaunt that we’re Filipino once a year,” says Marissa Macayan, general manager of Kapwa Gardens. “We went through a lot for hundreds of years of being colonized. We continue to experience a lot of those effects of imperialism.”
These effects, Macayan said, followed Filipino immigrants from the Philippines to the United States. SoMa was one of the first Filipino neighborhoods in the nation and there was a “Manilatown” right next to Chinatown. However, in the 1970’s, the International Hotel, where low-income, elderly Filipinos lived, was demolished by developers.
“Our community is very strong and our community can still celebrate things that are very unique about us and very beautiful about that whole experience, even acknowledging the trauma and acknowledging some of that sadness,” she said.
To commemorate 124 years of decolonization and re-indigenization, there will be live music at 5M Park, piña textile art exhibitions from The Hinabi Project, delicious food with Filipino food vendors and more! You can walk freely amongst this crawl as there are no time restraints, other than the martial arts and dance workshops at the beginning of the day.
--Rosalie Tapavalu
SFPL Main Library, 100 Larkin St.
Tuesday, June 21, 2 - 3 p.m. | Free
It’s not every day that one has the chance to meet the musicians and instruments of the San Francisco Symphony, but the summer solstice is your chance. As part of the international French celebration known as Fête de la Musique, or Make Music Day, San Francisco Symphony cellist Amos Yang, bassist Charles Chandler, and violist Katie Kadarauch will play a free concert at the San Francisco Public Library’s main branch. They’ll also answer your questions about their music and “introduce” you to their instruments. Be like the French and allow music to take over your afternoon on the longest day of the year. Fête de la Musique is now observed in more 1,000 cities across 120 countries. Check out these other venues around the city that are making music. (CJC)
City Hall, 1 Doctor Carlton B Goodlett Place
Thursday, June 23, 9 - 11 a.m. | Free
In pricy San Francisco, below-market-rate housing, or BMR, is sought-after real estate for low-income renters and prospective first-time homebuyers who earn “low,” “moderate” or “middle-income” salaries. Yet with a 1 in 70 chance of securing one of these coveted listings and somehow being in a position to afford a 20% down payment yet not make too much money, acquiring one of these properties can feel out of reach for even those who perfectly qualify. And as of May, 305 units of below-market-rate housing sit empty as a result of a pandemic-era induced bureaucratic quagmire. Securing housing can be especially difficult for military veterans, who comprise 13% of the U.S. adult homeless population, according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. If these housing issues matter to you, the group OneVet OneVoice is holding a rally at San Francisco City Hall to demand a policy that gets veterans into affordable housing in the city and makes them a priority. (CJC)
Manny’s, 3092 16th St.
Thursday, June 23, 6 - 7 p.m. | $0 - $32
Sometimes the enormity of the climate crisis can feel like an impossible issue to solve, and one’s individual role in fighting against climate change can feel negligible in the grand scheme of things. But don’t despair quite yet! Ryan Panchadsaram, co-author of Speed & Scale: An Action Plan for Solving Our Climate Crisis Now, has a plan for the future that may help you feel less daunted by it all. Panchadsaram discusses the current state of the climate crisis and what you can do to make the change you wish to see in the world. (CJC)
Dolores Park, 19th & Dolores St.
Friday, June 24, 10:30 a.m. - 8 p.m. | Free
SF Trans March returns after a two-year hiatus. Start the day with a Señora Felicia Flames Intergenerational Brunch, and soak up the wisdom of trans elders and the fire of trans youth. From there, head over to the Trans March Resource Fair to find local services. There’s also a community stage where performers and speakers will entertain. At 6 p.m. attendees will gather with signs and megaphones to march, rain or shine—or fog—from Dolores and 18th streets to Taylor and Turk streets.
P.S. There’s an after-party at El Rio for attendees 21+ that lasts until 2 a.m. Tickets are $25 if you purchase tickets beforehand and $30 at the door. (CE)
Richmond/Senator Milton Marks Branch Library, 350 9th Ave.
Friday, June 24, 2-3 p.m. | Free with registration
If you’ve been thinking about taking a self-defense course, the San Francisco Public Library has you covered. The workshop is developed for seniors and teaches you how to defend yourself in everyday situations like riding public transportation. It’s co-taught by Eskabo Daan Filipino Martial Arts and Self Defense for The People. Bonus: The course doesn’t require attendees to be physically active, and skills are taught in a simple way. Registration is required by calling or visiting the library. (CE)
Bayview YMCA, 1601 Lane Street
Saturday, June 25, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. | Free
The Bayview comes together to celebrate Black families with free services from local businesses, including hair cuts, hair braiding, family portraits and local eats from Vegan Hood Chefs and J&D BBQ. Sway to the songs of a live DJ, navigate a bouncy obstacle course, try your hand at inflatable games or a dominoes tournament, and enjoy free food and swag throughout the afternoon. (CJC)
Patricia’s Green in Hayes Valley, 50 Fell St.
Sunday, June 26, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Free
There’s no better time to support LGBTQIA+ businesses than Pride Month, and no better Sunday activity than to shop. Put them together, and you’ve got yourself a Sunday afternoon at the HEAD WEST PRIDE Marketplace along Patricia’s Green in Hayes Valley. It’s the perfect location to shop for handmade, locally sourced and eco-friendly products. There are also several community booths for shoppers to visit that are hosted by majority AAPI and BIPOC-owned businesses. It’s the second market out of only four this year at the Hayes Valley location, but the market has several more dates at the SF Ferry Building coming up. (CE)