SAN FRANCISCO — Downtown First Thursdays returns tonight with five hours of free music, dancing, drag, food and shopping on Second Street — but drivers should know the street closures begin hours before the party.
The Oct. 1 event runs 5–10 p.m. on Second Street between Market and Howard streets. Admission is free with RSVP, and organizers say the event will happen rain or shine.
The organizer describes DFT itself as three blocks of fun. The city-approved traffic closure is larger.
What time is Downtown First Thursdays tonight?
The street party runs from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1.
This month’s headline set is Mr. Carmack from 8 to 9 p.m. at the Howard Stage at Second and Howard streets. The event also includes the Jessie Street dance area, food vendors, retail stalls and neighborhood programming around the surrounding downtown blocks.
Is Downtown First Thursdays free?
Yes. The street party is free, although organizers ask visitors to RSVP.
Nearby activities extend beyond the main party. The Museum of the African Diaspora is offering free admission from 4–8 p.m., while 111 Minna has programming during DFT.
Which streets are closed?
This is where the event footprint and traffic footprint differ.
The public-facing DFT party occupies Second Street from Market to Howard. But the recurring city closure approved for first Thursdays covers Second Street between Market and Howard; Stevenson between New Montgomery and First; Jessie between New Montgomery and Second; Minna between New Montgomery and First; and Natoma between New Montgomery and First.
The intersections of Second Street with Stevenson, Jessie, Minna and Natoma are also included.
Those closures are approved from noon until 11:59 p.m., meaning the traffic restrictions begin five hours before the 5 p.m. street party.
What is the easiest BART or Muni stop?
The organizer recommends Montgomery Station, served by BART and Muni Metro.
From Caltrain at Fourth and King, DFT suggests transferring to an inbound N or T train and getting off at Montgomery.
No special DFT-specific Muni reroute was confirmed in the sources reviewed for this article, so riders should check live Muni conditions before leaving.
Can you park near Downtown First Thursdays?
Some garages and private parking remain accessible, but the noon-to-midnight street closure makes driving directly into the event footprint more complicated than on an ordinary Thursday.
DFT publishes local-access maps for off-street parking, while Montgomery Station puts visitors within walking distance of the full three-block party.
What else is happening downtown this week?
Thursday’s DFT is followed by another major downtown arts opening: RM x SFMOMA opens to the public Oct. 3. A few blocks away, Saype begins painting the giant Beyond Walls fresco at Yerba Buena Gardens on Oct. 5.
The distinction to remember tonight is simple: DFT runs 5–10 p.m., but the approved street closures run noon–11:59 p.m.