Halloween festivities come to San Francisco’s first “entertainment zone”

San Francisco’s first established “entertainment zone” on Front St. will host its second free event on Halloween that kicks off Thursday afternoon at 2 p.m.

“Nightmare on Front Street” will continue until 10 p.m., according to San Francisco officials. Three Front St. businesses — Schroeder’s, Harrington’s Bar & Grill, and Royal Exchange — will be permitted to sell alcoholic beverages to-go for attendees to enjoy within the zone as part of the festivities. The event will feature live music, Halloween-themed games, horror movie screenings and costume contests.   

California Senate Bill 76, which went into effect in January, allows cities and counties to authorize consumption of alcoholic beverages on public streets, sidewalks, or public rights-of-way during special events. The block of Front St. where the party is taking place was the first established entertainment zone in the city earlier this year.  

The entertainment zone’s first event in September, Oktoberfest on Front, drew an estimated 10,000 attendees to the stretch of Front St. between California and Sacramento. According to San Francisco officials, participating businesses reported a 1,500% increase in sales for the day. The event was hosted by the Downtown SF Partnership (DSFP) as part of their ongoing efforts to help revitalize the area and energize local businesses.

Two separate costume contests will be held at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. with prizes awarded for the most creative, scariest, and funniest costumes. A live band will play two hour-long sets of Halloween-themed covers at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. with DJs spinning appropriately spooky sounds throughout the day. More information on the holiday event is available online.