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It's Night Market Season in San Francisco

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It's Night Market Season in San Francisco


San Francisco is deep into a night market renaissance. The trend kicked off in earnest last year when thousands descended on events like the Chinatown Night Market and the Undiscovered SF Filipino Block Party (coming to SoMa later in the year). Now, nearly every week, you can find an event that beckons with live music, stellar food and intriguing opportunities for fun. We’re highlighting five evening events that are especially popular during summer when the longer days and cool nights provide ideal opportunities to explore.

The March installment of the (now monthly) Chinatown Night Market, featuring a Chinatown adorned with paper lanterns and rife with dragons

Civic Joy Fund

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Modeled after markets in Asia, last year’s inaugural event was such a hit that organizers decided to make it a regular thing. Now, the Chinatown Night Market happens every second Friday of the month, beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Grant Street. Local vendors line the street under swaying red lanterns, selling a variety of delicacies and treats, from dim sum and sushi to milk tea and pastries. As you browse, listen for the clang of symbols and thundering drums as festive dragon and lion dancers sweep through the market. Many of the historic stores in Chinatown stay open late for the event.

Every second Friday, 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Grant Ave. from Sacramento St. to Jackson St. Free

The packed streets of San Francisco's Financial District during May's Bhangra & Beats

The packed streets of San Francisco’s Financial District during May’s Bhangra & Beats

Odell Hussey

With DJs, dancing and drum collectives tearing up the streets, Bhangra & Beats never fails to draw a crowd. The night market began in the Financial District last year to celebrate South Asian Bhangra music, blending in other international dance music genres. This year, each Friday brings a theme this year: July 12 incorporates Afrobeats, and September 13 honors Latin Heritage Month. The last date, November 15, culminates with the city’s first-ever Diwali celebration. 

But it’s not all dancing — there’s food and revelry, too. Expect tasty Indian street fare, open-air bars and local merchants selling vintage clothing, jewelry and textiles. Keep the adventure going by getting an intricate mehndi tattoo and check the website for official after-parties at nearby restaurants.

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July 12, September 13 and November 14 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Battery St. at Clay St. Free but RSVPs are recommended

Last year's inaugural Sunset Night Market, which drew upwards of 10,000 attendees

Last year’s inaugural Sunset Night Market, which drew upwards of 10,000 attendees

Kevin Kelleher and Emily Trinh

Six blocks of local food, merchants, artists and performances will light up the Sunset District on Fridays once again this year, bringing life to a quieter corner of the city. Inspired by the bustling markets of Taipei, the popularity of last year’s inaugural market blew away organizers, who are feverishly working behind the scenes to bring more of everything, including doubling the size of the event. “As we saw more than 10,000 attendees last year, we want to ensure we can scale up to accommodate the demand,” said Lily Wong, the director of community engagement for Wah Mei, one of the organizers. Though the dates have not yet been set, you can expect a late summer or early fall start.

Fridays, Irving St. Free

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Local artists, creatives and performers are venerated at this monthly self-guided walking tour of the galleries in the Tenderloin and Lower Polk neighborhoods. Explore new artistic works while taking in occasional live music, sipping cocktails at openings and experiencing spontaneous performances or whatever intriguing event pops up along the route. This year, the Art Walk (which is organized by Moth Belly Gallery) gets a little spring in its step, thanks to a small grant from the city, which means more collaborations and more art each month. Bookshops, restaurants and other stores along the route often stay open later during the walks.

Every first Thursday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Free

Join a warm-up at Embarcadero Plaza, then cruise along the shoreline and watch the sun dropping toward the horizon as the sky turns dark. While not exactly a night market, we’ll bend the rules for the famous Midnight Rollers Friday Night Skate, a unique way to enjoy the city. Welcoming both inline skaters and classic rollers, the group gathers every Friday night to skate the mean streets of Sam Fran, meeting at the Plaza across from the Ferry Building. The loop route passes by the Palace of Fine Arts and Victorian homes of Union Street before heading through the Broadway Tunnel toward Union Square and back to the Ferry Building. Described as a “12-mile skate tour/party through the City” on its website, this event is not for the timid, but there’s a beginner skate event every Thursday that is shorter and mostly flat.

Every Friday, 8:30 p.m. Ferry Building Plaza at the foot of Market St. at the Embarcadero. Free

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Grace Jidoun is a Los Angeles-based journalist who writes about food, culture, and travel. Her pieces have appeared in Glamour, Money, Epicurious, Insider, Clean Plates, AAA Publications, Bon Appétit, Smart Mouth, and more. She also covers entertainment as a features writer for NBC Insider, SYFY Wire, Bravo, and Atlanta Black Star.





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San Francisco, CA

San Francisco Giants Reportedly Discussing Shipping Star Outfielder to Mets

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San Francisco Giants Reportedly Discussing Shipping Star Outfielder to Mets


Right now, it’s a mystery regarding what the San Francisco Giants are going to do ahead of the July 30 trade deadline.

Whatever direction they take is going to impact this franchise moving forward.

This is a market favoring the selling teams with so many contenders searching for additions who can help them get into the playoffs and potentially make a championship run. While the Giants don’t have a ton of attractive pieces, anything they sell will likely get them an inflated package in return.

Blake Snell is the one name who multiple teams around the league would love to get their hands on since he’s started looking like the elite pitcher he’s been throughout his career.

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However, it seems like if San Francisco is going to sell, they are already having conversations regarding one particular player.

According to Mike Puma of The New York Post, they have discussed a trade that would send their star outfielder Michael Conforto back to the New York Mets.

This is a prime example of the Wild Card race being so tight that multiple teams are looking to add players. The Mets entered this season with the plan of trying to contend in the present, but also looking ahead to the future.

When they got off to a horrendous start, it seemed like they would pull the plug on their year.

Instead, they have fought their way back and hold the top Wild Card spot in the National League. Now, they reportedly are looking to add someone like Conforto who can help them get into the postseason.

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For the Giants, the veteran outfielder has been seen as a player who could be on the move. He’s in the final year of his $36 million deal he signed heading into 2023, so if they don’t move him right now, they would lose him for nothing.

The emergence of Heliot Ramos in the outfield and Tyler Fitzgerald as a utilityman might make this decision much easier. San Francisco could sell off some of their fringe pieces like Conforto while still keeping this roster in tact for a late playoff push.

New York would only be getting Conforto as a rental, but the fact he spent seven seasons with them at the Major League level and slashed .255/.356/.468 during his tenure, should give them confidence he can come in and provide solid at-bats.

The Giants likely wouldn’t get a whole lot back in return, but something is better than nothing.





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San Francisco Giants Rotation Faces Key Decision This Weekend

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San Francisco Giants Rotation Faces Key Decision This Weekend


The San Francisco Giants will cram four games into three days at home against the Colorado Rockies, thanks to a doubleheader on Saturday.

With that, the Giants face a decision at the back end of that four-game series, according to reporting from NBC Sports Bay Area.

The first three starters are set, but Sunday’s game will likely be “Jordan Hicks’ last start or Alex Cobb’s first,” per the outlet.

Cobb is nearly ready to return from his injury rehab and after a strong start to the season while Hicks has trailed off in terms of performance, putting manager Bob Melvin in a bit of a spot.

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Hicks has been a reliever most of his Major League career, but when the Giants signed him in the offseason they said they would convert him into a starter, something he wanted.

The early returns were promising.

He went 2-0 in his first six starts and kept his ERA under 2.00. Cobb and Robbie Ray started the season on the injured list. Blake Snell hit the IL after the season’s first three weeks. So Hicks’ performance was a great lift.

But the quality of those starts has gradually dropped. He went 2-2 with a 3.99 ERA in May, followed by an 0-2 June in which he had an ERA of 5.24. His three starts in July have been terrible — an 0-3 record and a 8.31 ERA.

NBC Sports Bay Area reported that the Giants would give Hicks one more start before a discussion about his role. But his last start on Tuesday — in which he gave up four earned runs and was unable to get out of the fourth inning — may have given them cause to reconsider.

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Whether Hicks starts on Sunday may depend entirely upon Cobb’s readiness.

San Francisco had hoped Cobb would return earlier than this. He had offseason hip surgery and was expected to miss a portion of the regular season. But while doing rehab work for the hip he felt mild shoulder irritation before throwing a bullpen session on April 16. That landed him on the 60-day injured list four days later and took him out of the mix until at least late May.

He wasn’t ready to make a rehab start until June 30.

In his last rehab start this past weekend he was sharp, tossing five innings and not allowing a run. More importantly, he threw 60 pitches.

A return to the rotation would give the Giants another veteran arm as they try to stay in the playoff race and allow them to move Hicks to the bullpen.

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As for the rest of the series, the Giants will start Kyle Harrison on Friday, followed by Blake Snell in Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader and rookie Hayden Birdsong in Game 2.  



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San Francisco slashes homeless outreach team budget

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San Francisco slashes homeless outreach team budget


In March, the most recent month of immediately available data, HEART responded to 1,303 incidents, or 98% of calls the team received. But of those incidents, 700 were considered settled because the person was “gone on arrival,” and 125 were referred to the police, the Department of Public Works, the Emergency Medical Services Agency or another street team run by the city.

According to the March data, HEART placed one person in a shelter, referred four to an emergency shelter and placed two in a triage center. The team also resolved 210 American Disability Act violations, meaning encampments were moved to make space for pedestrians.

In a statement, the Department of Emergency Management and Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing said HEART completed more than 1,000 needs assessments and connected over 700 people to “benefits including shelter” with a team of 24 people.



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