Jazz festival is back on again
ONE DAY AFTER merchant leaders announced the 2025 Fillmore Jazz Festival was being canceled, a sponsor stepped forward to say he would fund this year’s festival. After feverish scrambling over the weekend to put together a budget, the president of the Fillmore Merchants Association announced this morning that the festival will happen after all, as scheduled, on July 5 and 6.
“I am thrilled to announce that the 2025 Fillmore Jazz Festival is officially back on,” said FMA president Tim Omi.
It was Omi who announced the cancelation of the festival at a neighborhood meeting on Thursday night, February 3. “It was with great sadness that we announced the cancelation,” Omi said. But the financial costs of producing this year’s festival had seemed “overwhelming,” he said.
After the announcement, Omi said, “I was contacted by a representative of [philanthropist and crypto-billionaire] Chris Larsen and Avenue Greenlight, who generously stepped in to offer the financial support we needed to bring the festival back.” Avenue Greenlight is a project Larsen has funded in recent years to revitalize San Francisco’s neighborhoods.
Omi said this year’s festival has also received commitments from two new supervisors who represent the neighborhood on the Board of Supervisors, Stephen Sherill of District 2 and Bilal Mahmood, who represents District 5.
FROM THE ORGANIZERS: “Thrilled to announce…“
Readers Respond
- Margaret H.December 28, 1969
Wonderful piece. I remember when the jazz clubs on Fillmore stayed open past two — this brought it all back. Thank you for keeping the memory of the neighborhood alive.
- David K.December 23, 1969
We've lived on Pine near Steiner for thirty-one years and it still surprises us how much this paper notices. Please keep going.
- Yuki T.December 15, 1969
A small correction — the mochi shop on Post opened in 1982, not 1985. My grandfather was there for the ribbon cutting. Love the coverage otherwise.
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