2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love, a legendary phenomenon remembered throughout the world as a counterculture gathering in San Francisco, most notably the Haight-Ashbury district, in a celebration of life and love. A moment caught in time, it transformed music, art, and fashion. The Summer of Love pushed cultural norms and social justice to limits never seen before, a movement that can still be felt 50 years later. To commemorate the 50th anniversary, It’s Your District (IYD) is partnering with local artists and organizations to celebrate the people and institutions who helped shape San Francisco into one of the cornerstones of progress and self-expression that it is today.
In conjunction with Sunday Streets, IYD is hosting the 2017 Celebration of Love Block Party. Block parties will be held at the 8 Sunday Street locations, and will include Summer of Love exhibitions, art projects, live performances, and family-friendly activities. In keeping with IYD’s mission, these celebrations will bring in and promote Bay Area non-profits, businesses, arts, cultural and community organizations, socially conscious enterprises and individuals who are committed to bringing forth the unheard voices of residents and in sustaining the vitality of our community district by district. Sunday Streets is the ideal vehicle to facilitate this vision, covering 12 neighborhoods and 6 districts through their 8 events; up to 120K people are engaged annually and this number continues to grow.
A highlighted event in this Celebration is the Public Mural Art Project, which creates murals designed to educate members of the community about the history of their respective neighborhoods. The art will focus on prominent heroes and the events that have contributed to the development of San Francisco districts from the 1960s to present day.
There will be another monumental block party held on June 18th to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Huckleberry House. Huckleberry House has been instrumental in giving youth a voice, a presence, and a safe space since its founding in 1967. Perhaps no institution has been more important in providing support and agency to the young adults of San Francisco. It’s Your District is proud to help Huckleberry House celebrate 50 years of sustained success.
It’s Your District’s 2017 Celebration of Love is designed to engage and teach community members about the history of San Francisco, bridging yesteryear’s generation with future ones. We believe that through genuine collaboration and stakeholder engagement communities can work together and offer solutions to any problems that may arise, building a stronger future for San Francisco.
It’s Your District is a San Francisco-based nonprofit created to provide equal visibility and resources to nonprofits beneficial to the community. It’s Your District offers an opportunity for these nonprofits to promote themselves, to recruit volunteers, and to connect and collaborate with other groups. More information can be found at itsyourdistrict.org