San Francisco's New Carnival Attraction Aims to Revive the City's Downtown

Corn dogs, carnies and carousel rides are coming to San Francisco’s Civic Center later this month as city leaders push to revive its struggling economic core.

The new, four-day Civic Center Carnival will run Aug. 24–27, with aims to make the government building hub more inviting to families with children and boost downtown recovery. But even supporters acknowledge it’s just one step in addressing the area’s long-standing challenges with drugs, homelessness and declining foot traffic as remote work has taken hold.

“Bringing a carnival to Civic Center is one of many ways we are creating joy and celebrating in the heart of our City,” said Mayor London Breed. “Creating vibrant, lively public spaces with activities people of all ages can enjoy is how we create stronger, safer communities. There is much more to come, and I’m excited [to] see this area continue to blossom.”

The carnival will be between the Main Library and Asian Art Museum on Fulton Street. The city is projecting the event will attract 500 to 1,000 people each day.

Admission costs $10 for visitors over 12 years of age, and the city’s parks department will be distributing a limited number of free passes to nonprofits serving the city’s youth.

The four-day event will feature spinning teacups, a ferris wheel, fun house and giant slide. Carnival games and prizes, plus food favorites including cotton candy, caramel apples and funnel cakes will also be on tap.

Visitors may also notice an uptick in park rangers and law enforcement in the area. In her latest budget, Mayor Breed assigned eight new park rangers to support United Nations Plaza, the historic and troubled gathering space adjacent to the carnival’s site.

The city has also ramped up policing in the area since closing the former overdose prevention and support site located at Civic Center Plaza, called the Tenderloin Center. The California Guard and Highway Patrol are also deploying resources and dedicating staff to assist San Francisco’s police department with identifying intoxicated drivers and other drug-related crimes.

Standing in United Nations Plaza this summer, Mayor Breed proclaimed she also supports arresting drug users and “forcing” people into treatment. But limitations around that idea are already apparent: While arrests for drug use have ticked up recently, almost none of the people who were arrested because of their addiction have opted to voluntarily enter treatment, Breed’s office has stated.

Addiction experts and harm reduction advocates have meanwhile called for increased voluntary treatment options for people who are ready and willing to enter treatment. Research shows overdose deaths can increase shortly after a stint in jail because a person’s tolerance can go down, and they can more easily overdose when they exit and resume using again.

But even those who objected to some of the law enforcement approaches to social challenges downtown praised the idea of bringing some fun and delight to the area, both for residents and to draw new people in.

“The Civic Center area isn’t just a hub for cultural activities or city government, it is home to families who want to celebrate summer with healthy activities and fun right in their neighborhood,” said Supervisor Dean Preston. “I believe in activating our streets and plazas for activities that draw visitors and make life more enjoyable for residents, particularly kids, and I’m excited for this activation.”

In October 2022, San Francisco announced it would open an outdoor roller-skating rink in the space between the Main Library and Asian Art Museum. The space was also previously used as a safe tent sleeping site during the pandemic.

The carnival dovetails with plans from the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department to revitalize United Nations Plaza, located adjacent to the carnival’s site. The department has plans now to install exercise equipment, chess and ping pong tables, as well as a skate park to try to inject new activities into the area.

Those projects are slated to begin construction in September and are expected to take about six weeks to complete, according to the Mayor’s office.

“In our experience, the most effective way to make our public spaces healthier and more vibrant is to make them fun,” said San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg.

The carnival’s kickoff will also coincide with the Asian Art Museum’s unveiling of the new East West Terrace, a 7,500-square–foot outdoor space and sculpture gallery.

“At the intersection of culture, politics, vibrant immigrant communities, and tech, our neighborhood is always transforming in new and exciting ways and it’s a thrill to see the City reimagine how Civic Center can play a role in making San Francisco residents’ lives not just better, but filled with fun,” said Asian Art Museum CEO Jay Xu.

Hours for the carnival will be 2:30–9:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 12:30–9:30 p.m. on Saturday; and noon–8 p.m. on Sunday.