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I Love the Tenderloin Week is Back!

Updated: Apr 22, 2024 10:36
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This article is made possible by the fine folks at I Love the Tenderloin Week.

Back for its second year, the I Love the Tenderloin Week festival is nearly upon us!

This time it’s running from April 21st – April 27th and it sounds fantastic!

Besides the obvious restaurants, bars, and arts in the TL there are also loads of mostly immigrant families who call it home. There’s no better time to shine a light on all the good things happening in the neighborhood and this festival is a great way to offset all the negativity. Did you know the TL has own visitor’s bureau of sorts? Check out VisitTenderloin.com!

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Here’s all the info for the events going down for I Love the Tenderloin Week:

Sunday, April 21st


Organization: Tenderloin Community Benefit District

Name of Event: Tenderloin Beautification Day

Date: Sunday April 21st

Time: 9am-2pm

Contact Info: cyntia@tlcbd.org

Additional Info: TL Beautification Event hosted by the Tenderloin Community Benefit District.  This day will feature a neighborhood clean-up, planting, graffiti abatement, and mural repainting.  We’ll then close the day out with a celebration and appreciation!  If this is of some interest, email cyntia@tlcbd.org.


Organization: GLIDE Memorial Church and Foundation 

Name of Event: Jazz and Justice Sunday

Date: April 21, 2024  

Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM 

Address: 330 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA 94102. 

Contact Info: Freddy Martin, Congregational Life-Community Engagement Manager | email: fmartin@glide.org | phone: 415-674-6168  

Additional Info: Jazz & Justice Sunday will begin with GLIDE Memorial Church’s renowned Sunday Celebration! Come and hear Minister Marvin K. White’s inspirational message of Hope & Unconditional Love. It is a unique SF Glide Church experience! Additionally, hear the jazzy & melodic sounds of Maurice Shelby, a famous & celebrated Jazz Artist, who will be featured at both the 9:00 AM and 11am services. After joining GLIDE’s Sunday Celebrations, join us at a Glide MC Luncheon in Freedom Hall. Meals will be prepared by Jonathon Fennell, GLIDE’s Chef for the community. Then from 1:00 PM -3:00 PM, come hear updates, events, GLIDE MC news, social justice campaigns, community partnerships, opportunities & events for youth coming up in 2024! 


Monday, April 22nd


Organization: Chinatown Community Development Center

Name of Event: TL Artisan & Small Business Showcase + Cooking Competition

Date: Monday, April 22

Time: 3 PM-7 PM (TL Artisan & Small Business Showcase); 5 PM-7 PM (Cooking Competition)

Address: 201 Turk St. (Parklet for the TL Artisan & Small Business Showcase, Community Room for the Cooking Competition)

Contact Info: Lily Li (415-350-5036, lily.li@chinatowncdc.org)

Additional Info: 

Lily’s supervisor and co-contact for the event: 

Soha Abdou (415-745-4576, soha.agina@chinatowncdc.org)


Tuesday, April 23rd


Organization: SF Public Library – Main Library / “Tenderloin Branch Library”

Name of Event: Tenderloin Small Business Boogie

Date: Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Time: 5-8:30 p.m. 

Address: Meeting at Golden Gate Greenway, hopefully starting Small Business Boogie at 826 Valencia (180 Golden Gate Ave)

Contact Info: Julieanne Randolph: julieanne.randolph@sfpl.org; Teddy Kramer: teddy@neon.work

Additional Info: More info below:

All five businesses are confirmed:


Organization: Central Hospitality House

Name of Event: Hospitality Love

Date: Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Time: 11:00am-2:00pm

Address: Turk/Leavenworth/Jones Corridor

Contact Info:  James Wren: jWren@hospitalityhouse.org;

Haley Summerfild: Hsummerfield@hospitalityhouse.org;

Richard Hood: rhood@hospitalityhouse.org 

Additional Info: Each Chess and Checker winner Receives a gift card. 


Wednesday, April 24th


Organization: Central City Hospitality House 

Name of Event: “Home is a Hotel” Movie Screening 

Date of Event: Wednesday April 24th

Time: 2:30-4:30 pm 

Address: 1009 Market St. SF

Contact Info: Program Coordinator – (415) 553-4525 Emali: Hsummerfield@hospitalityhouse.org

Additional information/ contact info: Program manager: Jamil Nasim email: jnasim@hospitalityhouse.org


Organization: The Healing WELL

Name of Event: Creative Expressions of Wellness

Date: Wednesday 4/24 

Time: 1:15-4:15 

1:15-2:15 Flower arranging workshop 

2:30-3:30 Stories of resilience: Hear from our recent leadership program graduates 

3:30-4:15 Food and mingling 

Address: 374 Ellis St. 

Contact Info: mika@healingwellsf.org

Additional Info: Please sign up for the flower arranging workshop ahead of time as supplies are limited. 


Organization: La Cocina

Name of Event: La Cocina Open House

Date: 4/24/2024

Time: 4pm-6pm

Address: 332 Golden Gate Ave. 

Contact Info: Boom Wanvisa – boom@lacocinasf.org

Additional Info: Reintroduction to La Cocina as we are operating as a commissary kitchen/ La Cocina work space/ rental event space. Appetizers will be served to guests. 


Thursday, April 25th


Organization: Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco & Phoenix Hotel

Name of Event: Happy Hour Fundraiser

Date: Thursday April 25th

Time: 5pm-8pm

Address: 601 Eddy Street, San Francisco, CA

Contact Info: mvuong@kidsclub.org

Additional Info: 21+ Event featuring DJ Kwame in the mix.  Good vibes, good people, good drinks, all for a good cause.  100% of tips will be donated to Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco, Tenderloin Clubhouse.


Organization: Tenderloin Walking Tours

Name of Event: Special Tenderloin Walking Tour

Date: Thursday April 25th

Time: 3:30pm-5:00pm

Address: Starting at 55 Taylor, Ending at 601 Eddy Street

Contact Info: RSVP with mvuong@kidsclub.org

Additional Info: First 30 are free; Come take an in-depth tour of the Tenderloin and its history from people with lived experiences


Organization: Tenderloin Museum

Name of Event: Trans Temporal Resistances

Date: 4/25/24

Time: 7-9pm 

Address: 398 Eddy St. SF, CA 94102 (Tenderloin Museum)

Contact Info: info@tenderloinmuseum.org

Additional Info: Trans Temporal Resistances is the closing public program for Transition Times: Re-Membering Anticarceral Resistance in the Tenderloin, an archival exhibit contextualizing the 1966 Compton’s Cafeteria. Program curators Emji Saint Spero and Leila Weefur invite writers and artists to engage with trans archives and architectures through performance. 


Organization: Shovels

Name of Event: Dodge Alley Socials: Music in the Alley with Silk Road

Date: Thursday April 25

Time: 5:00PM to 9:00PM

Location: Dodge Alley (Next to Turk and Larkin behind Shovels Bar)       

Additional Information: Join us for Music, Food and Games in Dodge Alley. This month’s music features the sounds of Silk Road, a group of young musicians playing  the classics from pop & funk to rock.

Complementary food supplied by Shovels Bar and Grill for the first 75 guests.

 Contact: Doug@shovelsbar.com


Friday, April 26th


Organization: Code Tenderloin

Name Of Event: For The Love Of The Tenderloin

Date: April, 26,2024

Time: 12:00 pm

Address: Corner of Turk and Taylor

Contact Info: Miss Tina, Phone Number 415-685-1022 -Email tina@codetenderloin.org

Additional Info: Receive resources, food, clothing, and more


Organization:   Faithful Fools 

Name of Event: Movie Night 

Date: Friday – April 26th, 2024

Time: 5:00 – 8:00pm

Address: 234 Hyde St. 

Contact Info: Silena@faithfulfools.org (415) 240-8234

Additional Info: Silena Layne is the best contact person at Faithful Fools for this event.


Name of Event: Concerts at the Cadillac: James Washington

Date: 4/26/24

Time: 1-2pm

Address: 380 Eddy St. SF, CA 94102 (in the Cadillac Hotel lobby)

Contact Info: info@tenderloinmuseum.org

Additional Info: Pianist James Washington performs a set of jazz standards and improvisations for a special Concert at the Cadillac, presented in collaboration with the Tenderloin Museum as a Sounds of the Tenderloin live music program.


Organization: TNDC

Name of Event: GRACE Activation & Community Organizing Open House

Date: Friday April 26, 2024

Time: 3pm-5pm

Address: 210 Golden Gate Avenue (corner of Golden Gate and Leavenworth)

Contact Info: Curtis, cbradford@tndc.org

Additional Info: We will have music, games, free popcorn and snacks, and our office will be open to talk with folks about the work we do and how people could get involved.


Organization: The Salvation Army Kroc Center

Name of Event: Tenderloin Spring Family Festival

Date: Friday April 26, 2024

Time: 4pm-7pm

Address: 240 Turk Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

Contact Info: Katherine Au, katherine.au@usw.salvationarmy.org and Gregory Meneses, Gregory.Meneses@usw.salvationarmy.org

Additional Info: This is a free family event for the community is full of carnival games and activities, special opportunities, and more.


Saturday, April 27th


Organization: Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco

Name of Event: Tenderloin Health Walk

Date: Saturday April 27th

Time: 9am-12pm

Address: 246 Eddy Street, San Francisco, CA

Contact Info: mvuong@kidsclub.org

Additional Info: Easy and fun walk for all ages, family friendly.  Enjoy good healthy habits in community with others.  Finish the health walk for a nice swag bag.  Small program in the morning to be determined.


Organization: SF Public Library – Main Library / “Tenderloin Branch Library”

Name of Event: “Tenderloin Branch Library” Open House

Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024

Time: 11am-5pm

Address: 100 Larkin St, SF CA 94102

Contact Info: Mel Reyes: melissa-ann.reyes@sfpl.org

Additional Info: Celebration: Tenderloin Branch Open House

Celebrate the inaugural Tenderloin Branch Open House and the activation of every floor of the Main Library for I Love Tenderloin Week. Participate in the following activities for the day:

12-3pm (First Floor): Meet the library’s community partners at our Resource Fair in the Atrium and Genre Room
2-3pm (Second Floor): Arabic Story Hour, followed by crafts for children and families in the Children’s Center
3-4pm (Fifth Floor): Streaming Music Listening Party in The Bridge’s Learning Studio

We will also have photographs of the Tenderloin by photographer Judi Iranyi mounted throughout the Main Library. There will be a photobooth for families and folks to take pictures, lots of food for TL residents, and library tours in various languages. Attendees will receive swag throughout the library branded with TL artist design and SFPL logo.


Organization: Tenderloin Museum

Name of Event: Erotic Resisters and Ecosexuals Unite!

Date: 4/27/24

Time: 3-5pm 

Address: 398 Eddy St. SF, CA 94102 (Tenderloin Museum)

Contact Info: info@tenderloinmuseum.org

Additional Info: In celebration of the recent publication of Gigi Otálvaro-Hormillosa’s new book, Erotic Resistance: The Struggle for the Soul of San Francisco, Tenderloin Museum hosts the author for a double-header book talk with Annie Sprinkle & Beth Stephens, fellow activist-artists and scholars of human sexuality, who will discuss their latest latest, Assuming the Ecosexual Position:The Earth as Lover. Program moderated by Dr. Joy Brooke Fairfield


Organization: Psyched!Radio SF (part of the OEWD x TLCBD mini grant program)

Name of Event: Cumbia Block Party

Date: Saturday 4/27

Time: 12-6pm

Address: 500 block of Ellis

Contact Info: josealberto Salazar josalazarmoreno@gmail.com

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Stuart Schuffman, aka Broke-Ass Stuart, is a travel writer, poet, TV host, activist, and general shit-stirrer. His website BrokeAssStuart.com is one of the most influential arts & culture sites in the San Francisco Bay Area and his freelance writing has been featured in Lonely Planet, Conde Nast Traveler, The Bold Italic, Geek.com and too many other outlets to remember. His weekly column, Broke-Ass City, appears every other Thursday in the San Francisco Examiner. Stuart’s writing has been translated into four languages. In 2011 Stuart created and hosted the travel show Young, Broke, and Beautiful on IFC and in 2015 he ran for Mayor of San Francisco and got nearly 20k votes.

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