“Frisco, welcome to the city of the fog…”

That’s how San Francisco rapper Frak starts out his first bars in a new song – a love letter to the city that shaped him.

From Bay Area poetry slams to national television, Frak has built a career around quick wit, improvisation, and sharp punchlines. The San Francisco native first gained recognition in the battle rap scene before appearing on MTV, BET, and VH1’s Wild ‘N Out.

But during Jewish Heritage Month, the artist says his work is also deeply connected to identity and culture.

“I think Jewish heritage had a big impact on my music,” Frak said. “The self-deprecation, the cynicism, the humor all that stuff in my culture has been worked into my craft.”

Frak says his perspective was shaped by his family’s immigrant roots. His parents came to the United States from Peru and Hungary, experiences he says influenced both his worldview and his creative voice.

“Jewish culture isn’t a monolith,” he said. “It’s brought so much joy and humor to my life.”

Now, Frak is expanding beyond traditional rap performances with immersive live productions that combine hip-hop, theater, gaming, and comedy.

“We built a huge game cartridge, and this whole stage became a video game world,” he explained.

His latest project, Four Square, transforms concertgoers into active participants, blending music, storytelling, and audience interaction into what he describes as a larger creative mission.

“I’ve been blessed to have a platform now to make amazing music, do rap battles, be on Wild ‘N Out, even do comedy and political satire,” Frak said. “My goal is to bring it all together and also bring the community together.”

Longtime collaborator Kaly Jay says that vision has always been central to Frak’s work.

“We’ve been doing this since we were 14 years old,” Kaly Jay said. “To still be doing this, it’s a blessing.”

He added that Frak’s ability to connect different creative communities across the Bay Area is part of what makes the work resonate.
“In a city many people say has lost its artistic identity. There are still so many artists making things happen,” Frak said. “We still have the culture.”

Frak’s next immersive Four Square performance is scheduled for August 14 at The Independent in San Francisco. 

Two of San Francisco’s favorite summer events return to the city’s streets next month.

The merrymaking begins with one of the longest running street festivals in San Francisco.

Union Street Festival(Courtesy of Sunset Mercantile)

The two-day long Union Street Festival, presented by Sunset Mercantile in partnership with the Union Street Association, brings together neighbors, locals, and visitors alike to celebrate local business, culture, and community on June 6th and 7th from 11am to 7pm

That weekend, the charming and walkable Cow Hollow neighborhood’s Union Street will transform into an open-air market between Fillmore and Gough with live music, dance, food, art, cocktails and mocktails, plus family-friendly games and activities.

Don’t miss out on San Francisco traditions like the iconic Waiter Relay Race on June 7th at 12pm. The high-energy, crowd-favorite competition where local restaurant, bar, and hospitality teams run a relay race while balancing trays is an only-in-SF-style homage to the city’s vibrant service industry and community spirit.

Just two weeks later, on Saturday, June 20th, and Sunday, June 21st, from 11am to 7pm, is the 70th anniversary of the North Beach Festival, presented by Zoox.

North Beach Festival(Courtesy of Sunset Mercantile)

The heart of the festival is at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and Green Street, and this year it will be bigger than ever with more than 200 vendors spread out across 11 blocks. Along with live music, delicious food, and outdoor bars featuring craft beer, wine, and cocktails, you’ll find activities for all ages, including jewelry making, live silk screening, and a kid-friendly zone with Legos, bubbles, chalk drawing, and more.

The Blessing of the Animals, a cherished San Francisco tradition where pet owners are encouraged to bring their furry friends for a special ceremony, will be held at 1pm on both Saturday and Sunday. There’s plenty to do while you’re in the neighborhood, too, like checking out the epic views from Coit Tower and browsing the stacks at City Lights Bookstore.

Even if Karl gets his way, the summer vibes at both events will be powerful enough to cut through the June gloom.

// Learn more at sunsetmercantilesf.com

SAN FRANCISCO – The children in one of San Francisco’s most historically challenged neighborhoods now have a new playground to call their own. The park has undergone its first major overhaul since it was opened in 1995, and is now officially kid approved.

Revitalized family-friendly space 

What we know:

The children of San Francisco’s Tenderloin welcomed visitors to the newly renovated Tenderloin Children’s’ Playground. Upgrades include a new basketball court, new mini-soccer field just in time for the World Cup, and a new climbing structure that will thrill a new generation of kids.

Azzam Alameri, the District 5 youth commissioner, grew up just blocks from Tenderloin Children’s Playground and he remembers the outdated old park. 

“It’s a drastic difference. Before, it was very desolate. It was very dark,” said Alameri.

Now he said the kids would have a destination. “I can relate to these kid,” Alamaeri said. “This place is like their safe spot. Their parents can drop them off and have not too many worries about the neighborhood and have them be kids, you know.”

The park reopened earlier than anticipated following a $3.8 million public private partnership. Sarah Madland from San Francisco Recreation and Parks said: “For more than three decades, Tenderloin Rec has not received a full renovation. But, with the support of our park partners, today we are celebrating this completely reimagined space.”

Upgrade ‘long overdue’

Supervisor Bilal Mahmood said the upgrade was long overdue. “This is a neighborhood with 3,500 hundred kids and it deserves to see the same love as the rest of the city does as well.”

The park drew fans big and small, including Mayor Daniel Lurie. “I want to be brief because I want to go up there,” he said, pointing to the top of the slide. 

The new park brought out the kid in Mayor Lurie who couldn’t resist a quick climb into the structure, and a slide to the bottom. The mayor says this park is only the beginning. “This community deserves all of this and so much more and so, this is just a start.”

What’s next:

  Until now, the park was only available Monday through Friday, but now it will be open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to welcome as many kids as the park can hold.