Mayor Lurie Signs Legislation Creating Five New Entertainment Zones Across San Francisco, Launches Castro Entertainment Zone

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today celebrated San Francisco’s economic recovery, signing legislation to establish five new entertainment zones across the city and launching the Castro Upper Market Entertainment Zone at the popular Castro Night Market. This expansion of a program with a proven track record marks a major step in Mayor Lurie’s work to revitalize neighborhood corridors, support small businesses, and activate public spaces.

Mayor Lurie and the Board of Supervisors are working collaboratively to advance major initiatives that support local businesses and bring life to San Francisco’s streets. The mayor is taking steps to support the nightlife industry through PermitSF and through legislation with Senator Scott Wiener to expand access to affordable liquor licenses. Concerts planned downtown and across the city, along with the continued momentum of the Vacant to Vibrant program, are creating the conditions for local businesses and communities to thrive.

“Entertainment zones bring joy and life to our streets block by block, and I’m excited to kick off the Castro Upper Market Zone and create five more entertainment zones, supporting local business while bringing fun to neighborhoods across our city,” said Mayor Lurie. “I’m thankful to President Mandelman for bringing this new entertainment zone to the Castro and to Supervisors Sauter, Dorsey, and Fielder for their work to get the new zones across the finish line. Together, we’re building community, supporting local businesses, and giving our neighborhoods the boost they need.”  

Kicking off today in partnership with Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman, the Castro Night Market supports neighborhood bars and restaurants by allowing them to serve alcoholic beverages to go during special events. Presented by the Castro Merchants Association, The Civic Joy Fund, and CG Events, the Castro Night Market features local food vendors, merchants, and live entertainment on the third Friday of every month through October.

Co-sponsored by District 3 Supervisor Danny Sauter, District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey, and District 9 Supervisor Jackie Fielder, the ordinance signed today designates new entertainment zones at Valencia Street, Pier 39, Ellis Street, Folsom Street, and Yerba Buena Lane. With these five new additions, there are now 21 entertainment zones adopted or pending across San Francisco, each one reflecting a citywide strategy to bring people back to San Francisco’s streets and reaffirm the city as a vibrant, year-round destination for arts, culture, and entertainment. 

“The Castro Night Market has been an amazing addition to the life of America’s best gayborhood. The entertainment zone will allow the night market to further support the neighborhood’s bars and restaurants and should have positive benefits for the Castro Street Fair later this year,” said Board President Mandelman. “Many thanks to the merchants and neighborhood leaders along with the city staff who worked so hard to make it a reality.”

"Pier 39's new Entertainment Zone means that residents and visitors alike will have more reasons to come enjoy the pier's iconic bayside setting. Our city relies on tourism for countless hospitality jobs and a sizable portion of our city budget,” said Supervisor Sauter. “To stay competitive against other tourist destinations, San Francisco is investing in new approaches like Entertainment Zones that showcase our city's restaurants, arts, and entertainment."

“I’m grateful to Mayor Lurie for signing this important legislation, which will give San Francisco powerful new tools to activate our public spaces and support small businesses,” said Supervisor Dorsey. “The Yerba Buena Lane and Folsom Street Entertainment Zones will be especially transformative. These areas are already cultural and commercial hubs—and now, with SOMA Nights and other activations, we can fully realize their potential to bring people together, celebrate our neighborhoods, and drive economic recovery in the heart of our city.”

Entertainment zones were authorized by Senator Wiener’s SB 76 in 2023 and SB 969 in 2024, which allow for cities and counties to designate outdoor zones where open containers of alcoholic beverages may be consumed on streets and sidewalks during permitted events. Since the launch of the state’s first entertainment zone on Front Street, events like Oktoberfest on Front, Nightmare on Front Street, and Let’s Glow SF have drawn over 21,000 attendees and driven revenue increases of up to 1,500% for participating businesses.

“San Francisco is at its best and most vibrant when people have the opportunity to enjoy themselves and come together as a community,” said Senator Wiener. “It’s terrific to see the success entertainment zones have had in bringing our community together, and I’m proud to see more and more popping up throughout the city thanks to my legislation and the leadership of our mayor and Board of Supervisors.”

“The Castro has always been a place where culture and community live loud and proud. That’s why we advocated for such a large entertainment zone footprint—it reflects the broad scope of our neighborhood and gives dozens of bars and restaurants more opportunities to shine,” said Nate Bourg, President of the Castro Merchants Association. “From beloved events like the night market and Castro Street Fair to new celebrations on the horizon, this zone sets the stage for even more vibrancy. We’re proud to be part of San Francisco’s great comeback.”

"The Mission District and Valencia Street Corridor have been hit especially hard and we’re grateful to the city for this progressive legislation. Once we launch the Valencia Street Entertainment Zone in June, residents and visitors will be able to enjoy to-go beverages while strolling the corridor and enjoy all the special shops, restaurants and bars we are known for,” said Nikki DeWald of Blondie’s Bar SF. “We believe the Valencia Street Entertainment Zone will breathe new life into our streets." 

“As a go-to destination for dining, entertainment, shopping and attractions, Pier 39 becoming an official entertainment zone is a natural fit,” said Scott Genter, President and CEO of Pier 39. “This new designation allows us to make our experiences even better—we're excited for the opportunity to bring more energy and new ways for guests to enjoy what makes the waterfront and the pier special.”

“We’ve been doing this on Ellis Street for over four decades, and every time we close the block for an event, thousands come through, make new friends, and leave with a story,” said John Konstin, Owner of John’s Grill. “With Union Square’s restaurants, hotels, and the cable cars running through, there’s no better place. Thanks to our great partners and city support, we’re excited to help bring downtown back with bigger events, marquee talent, and only-in-SF experiences."

“SOMA Nights was born from Folsom Street merchants coming together to bring back foot traffic, and it’s been working,” said Alex Ludlum, Executive Director of the SOMA West Community Benefit District. “Our first two events boosted sales at local businesses by an average of 81%, so this designation feels like a real vote of confidence, and we’re excited to take it to the next level.”

“This legislation is an important step to create a stronger, vibrant Yerba Buena that supports jobs, arts, and culture. The Cinco de Mayo event just held at Yerba Buena Lane was an overwhelming success for its bars and restaurants and reinforced it as an ideal location for community gatherings. We're also excited to hold events at Jessie Street West to bring more people there to support its neighboring businesses,” said Scott Rowitz, Executive Director of the Yerba Buena Partnership. “Entertainment zones are proving again and again to be beneficial economic and social engines.”

This summer will also bring the debut of Fridays on Front Street, a free block party series organized by the Downtown SF Partnership, featuring outdoor bar service, live music, lawn games, and food pop-ups in the Front Street Entertainment Zone. The newly established Mid-Market Entertainment Zone will launch June 19 with its UNSTAGED: Live on Mid-Market event series, bringing large-scale, interactive art installations and live performances to the streets each month through October. Supported by the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD), these events demonstrate how entertainment zones are helping neighborhoods come alive after business hours, fueling economic activity while activating San Francisco’s streets.

“Entertainment zones have proven to be an extremely effective economic development strategy,” said Sarah Dennis Phillips, Executive Director of OEWD. “They drive foot traffic to commercial corridors, increase sales for brick-and-mortar businesses, and bring people together in a fun and exciting way. We’re proud to work alongside the communities, business, and city leaders to create more of these lively spaces that support San Francisco’s vibrancy.”