Photo by Flickr user gildardo
Waverly Pl (btw Washington & Sacramento, San Francisco
Saturday, August 12th, 2017
11:00am – 5:00pm | FreeThis year, the Festival will feature the world debut of a newly commissioned composition by pianist and composer Jon Jang, and the theme of “Living Alleyways” to highlight the main arteries of the community and the vibrancy in the neighborhood through the arts. Nominated for the 2017 Robert E. Gard Award, a prestigious national award granted by the Americans for the Arts to projects that have integrated arts in the community in meaningful ways, the Festival is part of the “Chinatown Alleyways Project” and also part of Mayor Ed Lee’s $3 million initiative to spur economic development in Chinatown by demonstrating the neighborhood’s vibrancy and diversity through festivals and other cultural activities. The Chinatown Music Festival was previously located at Portsmouth Square.
The free afternoon music and alleyway festival will bring together San Francisco residents and visitors alike and will feature an eclectic and inclusive mix of traditional and contemporary artists, performances, and art. A highlight of this year’s Festival will feature a newly commissioned work about inclusion by Jon Jang, “Walter U. Lum: Chinese Times.” The piece is dedicated to the legacy of Walter Uriah Lum (1882-1961), a Chinese American journalist and civil rights leader, and serves a powerful reminder of the 135th Anniversary of the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act. In 1985, the alleyway adjacent to Portsmouth Square in Chinatown was renamed Walter U. Lum Place, making it the first local street named in honor of a Chinese American.
In addition to wonderful musical performances at this year’s Chinatown Music Festival, there will also be an array of art and cultural activities that will extend across two streets of Waverly Place to further transform and highlight the alleyways. “Living Alleyways” activities include interactive design exhibitions, dance, Chinese opera face painting, massage, Chinese puzzles, and more.