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SF’s New Monthly Block Party: “Downtown First Thursdays”

Every 1st Thursday Through April 3rd.
Thursday, February 6, 2025 - 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm | Cost: FREE
Second Street (South of Market) | San Francisco, CA

Free / Learn More

SF’s New Monthly Block Party: “Downtown First Thursdays”

Get ready, San Francisco, for the return of this brand new free monthly party coming back to Downtown SF.

A new, free, all-ages street party comes to Downtown SF every first Thursday of the month, from 5-10pm. Free kids activities, disco, two outdoor bars, live music, DJs, drag, food trucks, retail vendors, and more every first Thursday of the month.

December 5th Highlights

DEC. 5TH SPECIAL GUEST PERFORMER
DJ Set by Rebecca Black, presented by Another Planet Entertainment.
7-9pm on Howard and 2nd St.

UGLY SWEATER CONTEST
Ring in the holidays and take your favorite ugly sweater for a spin at DFT as part of our Ugly Sweater Contest! Dress to unimpress. Register by selecting the “Ugly Sweater” ticket type and meet at the Howard and 2nd St. stage at 6:15pm. **First 20 people to RSVP and arrive by 6:00pm at the stage will be eligible to participate!**

RSVP to Dec 5TH DFT and enter giveaways:

  • RSVP for free for a chance to meet Rebecca Black Thursday December 5 before her set at Downtown First Thursdays
  • RSVP by Wednesday Dec 4 by 12:00pm for a chance to win.

Show your DFT Dec 5th Eventbrite Registration and unlock:

  • Happy hour specials all night at Yokai
  • Happy Hour specials all night at Wine Down: $5 OFF all Carafes, Pitchers, and Cheese & Meat Feasts, $9 Select Wine, $7 Select Beer
  • Happy hour specials all night long from 5 PM – 10 PM at the Seven Square Taproom at The Clancy.
  • Happy Hour Specials all night at Press Club.

Hotel Deals: RSVP also gets you access to:

  • Discounted hotel stays from partners like the W San Francisco, The Clancy, and the Hyatt Regency Downtown SOMA. [Check RSVP confirmation email for more info!]

FREE MUSEUM ENTRY ON DEC 5TH:

SFMOMA
Free entry for Bay Area Residents from noon-8pm

Get some holiday shopping done while supporting the Bay Area creative community at the 2024 Small Press Book Bazaar! From artist books and zines to posters, T-shirts, and mixtapes, you’re sure to find something unique for everyone on your list — including yourself!

At 6 p.m., head to Wattis Theater on Floor 1 to hear Bay Area artist, trailblazing media pioneer, and influential educator Doug Hall discuss his newly published memoir, This Is Doug Hall.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Free with Registration
Check out YBCA from 5-8pm to explore Nicky Nodjoumi: The Personal is Political and Nahid Hagigat: Etched in Time.

Downtown First Thursdays is put together by Into the Streets, the group that organizes Bhangra & Beats, and the Civic Joy Fund, who did Summer of Music and SF is a Drag.

Happening every month until April 2025, they’ll close some streets on Second Street south of Market. They’ll set up open-air beer gardens operated by 111 Minna and Natoma Cabana and they’ll also make dance floors in alleys and set up stages for bands. The goal is to get 10,000 people from San Francisco to come every month.

Downtown First Thursdays
Every First Thursday
May 2, 2024 – April 3, 2025 | 5-10p
Second St. + Howard St., Downtown San Francisco (SoMa)
Free | All Ages – RSVP

  • Get ready for disco in the streets, DJs, live music, drag, martial arts, fashion, street performances, and many more surprises.
  • “The Biggest Disco Ball West of the Mississippi” < true as far as we know. 🙂
  • The event takes place on 2nd Street (between Market and Folsom) and along neighboring alleyways on Jessie, Minna, and Natoma Streets.
  • Nearby transportation: Montgomery Station (MUNI & BART)

Activations & Stages

  • 111 Minna Gallery – KALW will host conversations, music, and more inside 111 Minna Gallery from 5pm-10pm.
  • Discoteca on Minna Street (Outside 111 Minna Gallery) – Grace Towers will host an outdoor street discoteca on Minna Street, featuring Bay Area Performers and DJs playing a wide range of music genres including disco, salsa, reggaeton, house y más!
  • The Art Car Stage (2nd at Howard st.) – OASIS Nightclub & Cabaret will start the party with drag, DJs, and more in the early evening and set the stage for special guest performers–brought to you by The Midway and Another Planet Entertainment–to close out the night.
  • Dance Hall (Outside Natoma Cabana on Natoma at 2nd Street) – Yerba Buena Gardens Festival and A LITTLE x will bring you live music to get down to. Grab your partner and head to the Dance Hall for salsa, funk, and more grooves to keep you moving in the streets.
  • Jams on Jessie (Jessie Street at 2nd Street) – Jessie Street comes alive with bands and live music brought to you by Noise Pop, plus some fun surprises and wandering street performances.
  • Outdoor beer gardens – (Three locations – 21+) Enjoy delicious drinks outside at: Minna Street outside of 111 Minna Gallery and Natoma Street outside of Natoma Cabana (90 Natoma St.), 2nd Street outside of Tequila Mockingbird (86 2nd. Street).

 

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San Francisco–are you ready to party downtown?

Into The Streets is excited to announce the launch of a FREE, all-ages monthly party taking place the first Thursday of every month from 5-10pm in the streets of Downtown San Francisco, in partnership with the Civic Joy FundThe East Cut CBDYerba Buena CBD, and 111 Minna Gallery.

This new street party will run monthly from May 2, 2024 to April 3, 2025, bring thousands of people downtown, and feature an exciting lineup of music, performance, food, shopping, and art.

Get ready for disco in the streets, DJs, live music, drag, martial arts, fashion, street performances, and many other surprises still to be announced!

The fun takes place on 2nd Street (between Market and Howard) and along neighboring alleyways on Jessie, Minna, and Natoma Streets.

Grab a free ticket and register your email to be the first to know about what’s coming to downtown!

Interested in being a vendor? We’re looking for food, retail, and more to make the streets come to life with the best of San Francisco. Visit www.intothestreetssf.com/vendors to sign up for updates on vending opportunities for this event.

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.


Cost: FREE
Categories: *Top Pick*, Block Party, Eating & Drinking, Fairs & Festivals, In Person, Kids & Families, Outdoors, Sponsored
Venue: Second Street (South of Market)
Address: San Francisco, CA