The 2023 Day on the Green neighborhood celebration will be held on August 26 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Potrero Hill Recreation Center Park, 801 Arkansas Street. The free family-friendly event will feature complimentary barbeque, raffles, dances, entertainment, music, bounce houses, a youth zone, and field games. Participants are encouraged to bring an additional dish or non-alcoholic beverage to share.
The event is organized by Potrero Annex-Terrace residents in partnership with Stand in Peace, a San Francisco nonprofit that sponsors peace walks and other community-building occasions.
Shervon Hunter, Stand in Peace founder, is a fourth generation Hill resident who still lives in the neighborhood. She grew up going to Day on the Green celebrations, which were originally started in 1966 by Jon Greenberg when he became Potrero Hill Rec Center director. It ran until the 1990s.
In 2020, Hunter and other longtime Hill residents decided to re-establish the tradition. After a pause caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the event returned in 2021.
Day on the Green is for “current and legacy” Hill residents, said Hunter.
“This is a Potrero Hill event that’s a coming together of all races, colors, ages, ethnicities where everything is free for everyone. From food to raffles, it’s about being together in an open, green space. We’re here to get to know each other and have fun,” said Hunter.
“We will do outreach to invite Starr King families to join. We’ll also share what the Starr King PTA is accomplishing with the community,” said Najuawanda Daniels, Starr King Elementary School Parent Teacher Association copresident.
Daniels, who now lives in Hunters Point, grew up on the Hill. She remembers the 1980s and 1990s Day on the Green celebrations as lively neighborhood events that bridged the gap between Annex-Terrace residents and the rest of the community.
“That’s still what Day on the Green accomplishes. It’s a mixture of cultures and ages that helps us find common ground,” said Daniels.
Former Hill resident, Charles Bryant, known as “Coach Charlie O,” co-directed the Rec Center with Greenberg in the 1990s. He’s happy the event is bringing back former residents who used to play at the Rec Center as children and teenagers.
“Day on the Green is so enjoyable. I came last year and plan to come again. Last year, I refereed a flag football game, something I did often during my 31 years with the Rec and Parks Department,” said Bryant, who was grateful to Hunter for “picking up Day on the Green and running with it.”
Erika Woodson, a former Hill resident who now lives near Sacramento, remembers Day on the Green as “a big family reunion. People in the neighborhood did all the work. In the late-1980s and early-1990s, Potrero Hill was divided by streets. At Day on the Green, everybody forgot about all that. Everyone brought a community dish and came together.”
Woodson recalled that Day on the Green occurred around Greenberg’s birthday.
“Yet Jon didn’t make himself the center of attention. He used his birthday to celebrate everybody else,” said Woodson.
Greenberg, now 83, retired as Rec Center director in 2008.
“(When I came on in 1966), I felt there was a need to bring the community together in an event at the Rec Center to celebrate the end of summer. We had boys’ and girls’ teams, teen trips, and Tiny Tots, but little to offer families. Thus, an event that could offer this,” said Greenberg.
Greenberg named “Day on the Green” after music promoter Bill Graham’s legendary concerts in Oakland. Those events, which took place between 1973 and the early-1990s, were initially held at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, featuring well-known bands like The Grateful Dead, The Beach Boys, Chicago, and The Eagles.
“I used and applied (the phrase) to our green baseball diamond for (our) event. I wanted to bring the community together for some fun and food…to celebrate the Hill’s diversity and beauty,” said Greenberg.
Greenberg asked Rose Hammork, “Ms. Rose,” who worked as a recreation supervisor on the Hill for more than 30 years, and Jesse Wilson, who served as an RPD recreation and Potrero Hill Rec Center director, for help coordinating the event. He solicited local businesses for food donations, and requested that community members supply their own dishes, barbecue, and talent for the stage.
The Pickle Family Circus, which had an office and rehearsal space in the 1980s at a former church on Missouri Street, performed at Day on the Green for years.
“Circus members Geoff Hoyle and Kimi Okada were Potrero Hill residents. The Circus performed to raise funds for community service organizations. Its philosophy was that individual excellence contributes to the good of the group,” said Peter Linenthal, Potrero Hill Archive Project director.
“I hope it (remains) an annual event. I think this type of event helps strengthen a community by pulling (everyone) together to have some food, fun, and music and mark the end of a wonderful summer,” said Greenberg.
To donate to Day on the Green or volunteer to help with setup or cleanup in the youth zone or with registration contact Stand In Peace: 415.289.5974; DOTGvolunteers@gmail.com.
