Enthusiastic jazz fans flocked to Fillmore Street for last year’s jazz festival.
STREET TALK | CYNTHIA TRAINA
Fillmore’s annual jazz party returns to the street this weekend, as it has nearly every Fourth of July weekend since it started in 1986. The celebration keeps alive the spirit of the Harlem of the West, as Fillmore Street was known during its heyday as a jazz mecca. By consensus it’s nearly everyone’s favorite San Francisco street festival. A dozen blocks of Fillmore between Eddy and Jackson host free jazz, arts and crafts and food and drink — and the opportunity to wander the street with friends and neighbors.
As usual, there’s a full lineup of first-rate musical talent, topped off at the Fillmore & California stage on Saturday by Fillmore’s own Kim Nalley and on Sunday by Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers. Five stages showcase music throughout the weekend. It’s all orchestrated by artistic director Jason Olaine, who moonlights the rest of the year as vice president of programming at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York. The full entertainment schedule is here.
This year the Fillmore Jazz Festival falls on July 4 and 5. There’s music from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. Fillmore will be closed to traffic and buses will be rerouted onto Steiner Street, as in past years.
CANNABIS DISPENSARY REBORN: Opening just in time for Fillmore’s biggest weekend of the year: Bon Bon Dispensary at 2222 Bush Street, bringing a neighborhood-focused approach to cannabis retail. Owner Tim Omi, president of the Fillmore Merchants Association, which organizes the Fillmore Jazz Festival, has been working on the project for nearly a decade. He previously operated Liberty Cannabis in the same location, with different partners, but says the earlier version never fully reflected what he wanted the store to be.
“Liberty was a previous partner. They were definitely more corporate,” Omi said, adding that many of the decisions were made out of state. “One of the biggest things with cannabis is being authentic.”
This time, with new partners, Omi says he wanted to create something more local, personal and rooted in Northern California cannabis culture. The name Bon Bon came from his business partner’s wife, who had just returned from Paris. “It was something that she recommended, and it just fit really nice,” he said.
Tim Omi’s cannabis dispensary returns with a new name and focus.
The shop is designed for every kind of cannabis customer, from experienced users looking for flower, vapes, edibles and ounces to newer customers interested in cannabis drinks or products that may help with sleep, pain, inflammation or simply unwinding at the end of the day.
Omi says one of the most important parts of the new store is having an educated staff that can help guide people, especially those who may not know where to begin. “What I’m most proud of is having an educated staff that can direct new customers into how to experience cannabis,” he said, whether they are looking for help with “sleep, pain, inflammation, or even just maybe unwinding a little bit.”
He also wants neighbors to know that Bon Bon is not an out-of-town concept dropped onto Fillmore Street. “I am from this neighborhood,” he said. “I’m president of the Merchant Association. I put on the Fillmore Jazz Festival.” Bon Bon is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Don Don replaces Bubu at 2417 California Street.
BUBU NOW DON DON: The tiny former sushi bar Bubu on California Street has a new name — Don Don — and a new purpose. Owner Kevin Chen says the original Bubu space was simply too small to hold enough tables, so he moved Bubu to join forces with the NONO space at 1800 Fillmore, at Sutter Street, combining the two restaurants under one roof. The original Bubu is now Don Don, a takeout-friendly spot stocked with ready-to-go sushi made fresh throughout the day.
There are also appetizers and made-to-order items, including ramen, udon, Japanese-style sandos and more. For those who can’t wait to get home, Don Don has two small tables inside and two more tables out front on the sidewalk. Call it the era of Fillmore reduplication: Bubu, No No and now Don Don. Chen says he finds the double name fun and memorable. It’s open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
SUPER DUPER IS HERE: Burgers, fries and soft serve are set to arrive on July 14, when Fillmore and Post gets its long-awaited fast-food glow-up: Super Duper is moving into the former Burger King space. … Meanwhile, at 1500 Fillmore, Subway has quietly closed.
ONE FINAL BIT of neighborhood charm: the Little Free Library on Pine Street also has a Dog Biscuit House. Borrow a book for yourself and pick up a treat for your four-legged companion — a very Fillmore outing.
Cynthia Traina is a residential realtor with Vantage Realty. Contact her with news or suggestions at CT@CynthiaTraina.com or @PacificHeightsRealtor.
