San Francisco Sun

San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed, in collaboration with the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) and the Downtown SF Partnership (DSFP), announced today the launch of Oktoberfest on Front, California's first Entertainment Zone event. Scheduled for Friday, September 20, from 2 – 10 p.m., this free event will see three Front Street businesses—Schroeder’s, Harrington’s Bar & Grill, and Royal Exchange—offering to-go alcoholic beverages alongside live music, themed beer games, costume contests, and more.

In May 2024, Mayor Breed designated Front Street between California and Sacramento streets as San Francisco's and California's first entertainment zone under Senate Bill 76. Authored by State Senator Scott Wiener and enacted this year, the ordinance allows bars, restaurants, wineries, and breweries to sell alcohol to-go within these zones during special events. These events aim to boost foot traffic by closing streets to vehicles and redefining how people experience Downtown.

“We are focused on transforming Downtown into a vibrant 24/7 destination that offers more economic opportunities for our bars and restaurants to excite residents and draw visitors from across the City and beyond,” said Mayor London Breed. “We are thrilled to see the expansion of this beloved San Francisco tradition and to be the first city in the state to take advantage of the new Entertainment Zone legislation.”

Senator Wiener expressed his support: “We see the best of San Francisco when community events make our streets come alive. I’m thrilled that under Mayor Breed, the City has jumped at the opportunity to provide new opportunities to activate our streets and revitalize our downtown.”

Oktoberfest on Front will feature performances by AlpineSound with German polka music followed by Ladyhosen from 3-7 p.m., concluding with Pop Rocks from 7-10 p.m. The event will also offer traditional Oktoberfest games such as Stein holding, beer chugging (with non-alcoholic beer), axe throwing, and pretzel toss. Attendees are encouraged to wear lederhosen or dirndl.

Andrew Chun of Schroeder’s stated: “We're excited to be a part of the first Entertainment Zone in California. This is a great opportunity to reimagine what the Financial District could be.” Ben Bleiman from Tonic Nightlife Group added: "Having the first-ever Entertainment Zone in California is a great honor."

Mike O'Brien of Royal Exchange noted: “Royal Exchange will have craft Oktoberfest beers and great specials for the celebration. We are grateful for the Downtown SF Partnership and the city's support in helping us bring downtown back to life.”

The design vision for Front Street Entertainment Zone was developed in partnership with Gensler. Robbie Silver from DSFP highlighted: “Oktoberfest on Front marks a pivotal moment in our ongoing efforts to reimagine downtown as a vibrant hub for entertainment.”

This initiative is part of Mayor Breed’s Roadmap to San Francisco’s Future aimed at supporting local businesses through arts and culture-driven economic revitalization efforts.

Sarah Dennis Phillips from OEWD remarked: “Launching the state’s first Entertainment Zone is another example of San Francisco’s innovation."

Additional initiatives include Bricks at Embarcadero Plaza pilot program featuring weekly trivia nights; SF Live free concert series; Bhangra & Beats night markets; The Crossing at East Cut activities; Union Square's Winter Walk; Let's Glow SF holiday light festival; concerts presented by Another Planet Entertainment; Vacant to Vibrant program transforming vacant spaces into pop-up experiences.