Winter Walk in S.F. Union Square draws thousands after 5-year hiatus
SAN FRANCISCO -- The sounds of Christmas and holiday sights attracted hundreds of people to Winter Walk in San Francisco's Union Square Sunday evening despite rain moving through earlier in the day.
There were entertainers, Off The Grid food trucks and plenty of photo opportunities along a two-block stretch of Stockton Street.
Shoppers also browsed the indoor Sunset Mercantile holiday marketplace, which showcased dozens of local vendors.
"Really nice," said Luna Venderwolk of Hercules.
"This is amazing and fantastic. I would recommend it to anyone who visits here," said Jackie Wisniewski of Napa.
The city brought back the Winter Walk holiday tradition for the first time since 2018. The Union Square Alliance said it last drew 2.2 million people.
This year, Mayor London Breed's office said San Francisco is seeing a stronger holiday season than in years past and public safety patrols are resulting in lower incidents of crime.
"We saw a lot of cops around and we feel safe and we can walk around without feeling scared because, knowing San Francisco, the first thing is like 'Oh my gosh! Somebody's breaking in! Or maybe steal or rob!' and, for now, everything is having fun -- all the decorations, you feel the Christmas spirit," Wisniewski said.
Sudan Somali Rose, who owns The Curator, a jewelry pop-up, is participating for the first time. She usually sells her goods -- which are imported from India, Thailand and Indonesia -- at Jack London Square in Oakland.
"It's been wonderful," Rose said. "It can make the difference between paying the mortgage and not paying the mortgage so it's crucial. It's what I do for a living so we need more opportunities like this."
SFMTA is also seeing an increase in ridership in the downtown and Union Square areas compared to the same period last year.
SoMa resident Melanie Strain brought her mom and three young children to visit.
"I think it's good. It's a positive vibe which is what we needed," Strain said. "I think, if we are making efforts to make it safer and better and more family friendly, I think that any effort would be great."
Winter Walk runs through Christmas Eve.