Winter Walk returns to Union Square
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San Francisco's Union Square area will be home to the Winter Walk. Photo: Ethan Swope/Getty Images
Union Square's Winter Walk pop-up is returning for the first time since 2018.
What's happening: The 10-day event that turns part of Stockton Street into a car-free, pedestrian-friendly holiday zone will feature music, food trucks, a holiday marketplace with local vendors, and more.
- Winter Walk, hosted by the Union Square Alliance and Amazon, and in partnership with the city, kicks off at noon on Friday.
Why it matters: San Francisco's downtown area, including Union Square, is still recovering from the pandemic and Winter Walk aims to revive the area by attracting residents and tourists.
- While the city's downtown recovery is no longer the worst among major U.S. cities, it still ranks in the bottom half.
What they're saying: The return of Winter Walk is "a sign of San Francisco's rebound momentum, and the incredible optimism of Union Square's retailers, restaurants, bars, and hotels," Union Square Alliance CEO Marisa Rodriguez said in a statement to Axios.
- She added that Union Square is busy and it's "what is needed for our continued economic recovery."
Flashback: The late former Mayor Ed Lee kicked off the first-ever Winter Walk in December 2014 during a holiday construction moratorium on the now-complete Central Subway.
- The goal was to give the area a break from nonstop construction and turn it into a holiday destination.
- But once construction ended in the area, some local businesses and community members didn't want to close the area to car traffic during the holidays, marking 2018 as the end of Winter Walk, SFist reports.
- That year, 2.2 million people attended, according to the Union Square Alliance.
What to watch: The Winter Walk is part of the larger Winter Wander-land, where the city expects up to 2 million people to visit Union Square's holiday rink, the giant Christmas tree, and more this holiday season.