The GrowSF Report: Voting has started! Read our voter guide
PLUS: What’s really happening at SFUSD and what it means for November
What You Need To Know
Here’s what happened around the city for the week of September 29, 2024:
- Ballots have arrived, voting has started! Read our voter guide
- What’s really happening at SFUSD and what it means for November
- SF mayoral race tightens with undecided voters still in play
Recent & upcoming openings:
- Lilah brings low-proof cocktails to Chestnut Street
The election is 30 days away! Read our voter guide
Ballots have arrived in mailboxes across the City, so it’s time to vote!
With only 31 days until election day, it’s time to start familiarizing yourself with what’s on the ballot. It’s big! Voters will be deciding on 15 local ballot measures, 10 statewide ballot measures, Mayor, Supervisor, Board of Education, and many more elected offices – in total you’ll vote on about 35 different issues and offices.
Getting informed about everything on the ballot is hard, that’s why we have worked super hard over the past three months to produce our biggest, most informative, voter guide yet. Our well-researched analysis cuts through the noise and provides the critical information you can trust.
This election goes beyond choosing a mayor—it’s about addressing the public school budget deficit, ensuring City College’s recovery, and electing a Board of Supervisors that can guide San Francisco to a future of growth, prosperity, and safety.
Read the full GrowSF Voter Guide and share it with your friends. Let’s put San Francisco back on track.
What’s really happening at SFUSD and what it means for November
A $400 million deficit, a recall, commissioners quitting, the Superintendent’s job in jeopardy – what is going on at SF public schools?
There’s no escaping the current crisis with San Francisco public schools. The district is grappling with a staggering $400 million deficit which could lead to cuts of essential programs and resources for our children unless we get the district back on track. And now, just one month before the election, even the Superintendent's job is in jeopardy amid mounting pressures and controversies.
How did we reach this point, and what does it mean for the future of public education in our city? In our latest blog post, we answer your questions about the turmoil engulfing SFUSD, covering the complex web of financial mismanagement, political upheaval, and community dissatisfaction.
We need solutions that stabilize the district’s finances, and that means electing strong leaders to the Board of Education. We must elect people who are prepared to make hard but necessary decisions for the long-term health of our schools. Read our explainer to get informed about the candidates and measures that will shape the future of San Francisco’s public education system, and then vote for Parag Gupta, Supryia Ray, John Jersin, and Jaime Huling for Board of Education.
SF mayoral race tightens with undecided voters still in play
San Francisco's mayoral race is heating up, and the final result is still too close to call. In GrowSF's latest poll, Daniel Lurie has surged into a tie with London Breed in the final round of ranked choice voting. But with 11 percent of voters still undecided, this race is far from over!
Our poll of 415 San Francisco voters (with a margin of error of +/- 4.9%) shows that any of Breed, Lurie, or Farrell can still win. Thankfully, though, Peskin does not appear to have a path to victory. Our position is that Breed, Farrell, and Lurie are more similar than they are different, and any one of them will do a fine job working with a newly elected Board of Supervisors. To help you understand the differences between their platforms, read our detailed writeup here.
We're here to make sense of the data, and with ranked choice voting playing a pivotal role, understanding how second, third, and even fourth preferences might transfer is essential. Read our mayoral poll and analysis to get a clearer picture of how the race could unfold and what to expect as Election Day approaches.
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Recent & upcoming openings
A great city is constantly changing and growing, let’s celebrate what’s new!
Lilah brings low-proof cocktails to Chestnut Street
Marina favorite Causwells has a new venture, Lilah, a low-proof cocktail bar just two doors down at 2336 Chestnut Street. Lilah features more than 20 drinks across seven categories, and highlights include the kakigori (Japanese shaved ice) cocktails, like the Watermelon Crayon pictured above. There’s also Taiwanese pork belly buns and Cantonese duck “crispy tacos,” and other Asian-inspired dishes.
WHERE: 2336 Chestnut Street, San Francisco, CA
The Spirit of San Francisco
There’s a lot to love about our city and the Bay Area. Here’s what makes it great. Brought to you by The Bold Italic.
What we’re doing this week
Hardly Strictly 2024
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2024 is set to take place from October 4-6 in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Celebrating its 24th year, this iconic, free festival offers a diverse lineup across six stages, featuring over 70 artists. This year's performers include legends like Patti Smith, Emmylou Harris, and The Milk Carton Kids, alongside emerging artists like Cedric Burnside and Viv & Riley. Attendees can enjoy a variety of music genres, from bluegrass to rock, soul, and Americana. It's a non-commercial, community-driven event that draws hundreds of thousands of music lovers annually.
WHEN: October 4-6, 2024
WHERE: Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA
Castro Street Fair
The Castro Street Fair is an annual festival held in San Francisco's Castro District, typically on the first Sunday of October. And we love it, and we’ll see you there — this was our experience last year.
It was founded in 1974 by Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay elected officials in California, to celebrate the vibrant LGBTQ+ community in the area. The fair features live entertainment, food vendors, arts and crafts, and community outreach booths.
WHEN: Sunday, October 6, from 11 AM to 6 PM
WHERE: Castro District, San Francisco (centered around Castro and Market Streets)
What we’re writing about
Why the L train’s return makes San Francisco whole for me
“The L Taraval glides almost effortlessly, pulling you along in a way that feels more like an invitation. That familiar whirring — a low hum that rises and falls, almost like white noise — I had no idea how much I missed that catharsis until today. It’s a kind of release; a way to let the city’s energy carry you without the constant jostling.” Our writer describes 5 long years without the L Train, and how it felt getting it back.
Oktoberfest marks a turning point for SF’s street parties
This year’s Oktoberfest event was unique because it marked the first “entertainment zone” celebration hosted by the city. A new law passed by the state earlier this year allowed Mayor London Breed to declare the block of Front adjacent to Schroeder’s, Harrington’s, and Royal Exchange a spot where restaurants and bars can sell alcoholic beverages in the zone, and imbibers can party with open containers a la New Orleans.
Portola Music Festival 2024 was all chaos, bass, and tequila
Portola Music Festival 2024 was like navigating a labyrinth of sound, where you could lose your friends, find yourself in a warehouse rave, and spend $28 on a margarita strong enough to knock you sideways. Pier 80 became a pulsating playground with its massive cranes and industrial vibes, serving up two days of relentless beats and unpredictable weather.
This was our first Portola adventure so we had no idea what to expect. The verdict leaving was that we would definitely do it again. For $400 though? Well okay, maybe.
Folsom ‘Princess’ party welcomes Katya at SF Oasis
Katya — a well-known Drag Race alum — recently appeared at SF Oasis for Princess, a weekly show by Tito Soto that’s part disco-pop dance party and part drag medley. This was our first time at Soto’s soirée and also visiting Oasis in a hot minute, and don’t worry: there are many positive things to report. Since opening nearly a decade ago, the SoMa drag club now feels like the young, queer-inclusive safe space that Drollinger and Heklina dreamed of creating a decade ago.
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Paid for by Coalition to Grow San Francisco - Grow SF PAC. FPPC # 1433436. Committee major funding from: Jeremy Liew. Not authorized by any candidate, candidate's committee, or committee controlled by a candidate. Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.