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Concert in the Park Recap and Summary of Upcoming Events. (Laura Armanino, Recreation Program Manager)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Parks and Recreation Commission receive a recap of the Concert in the Park event at Orange Memorial Park and review upcoming events.
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BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
Concert in the Park Recap
Concert in the Park, the City’s largest annual event produced by the Parks and Recreation Department, took place on Saturday, September 20. From 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., guests were treated to a variety of activities and food and beverage offerings in between performances by the El Camino High School Jazz Band, the Parks and Recreation Hawaiian Hula class, Livewire, and Ozomotli.
Attendance
According to a PlacerAI report available in Attachment 1, the event grounds received 6,400 visitors that day, reaching its peak around 3:00 p.m., as Ozomotli prepared to take the stage.
Department Coordination
While the Recreation, Park Maintenance, and Facility Maintenance, and Administration Divisions of the Department often collaborate on events throughout the year, the extensive scope of Concert in the Park is an opportunity to highlight the way in which the divisions support one another year-round. The Recreation Division is responsible for the overall format of the event, and planning and executing all the event logistics. The Maintenance Divisions played a critical role in the weeks leading up to the event, during the event, and after the Concert to maintain the event site as well as delivering event supplies. The Administration Division managed donor relations and provided critical budget and contract support to staff and the various vendors involved in the event production.
Likewise, this event involved collaboration among the City Departments. In particular, Parks and Recreation staff met with members of the Police and Fire Departments to discuss safety measures for the Concert. This included coordinating between Police and a private security team, which was a new addition to this year’s event, given the anticipated growth of the event and need for dedicated support in enforcing event rules and managing crowd control.
Survey and Vendor Feedback
Staff has issued an online survey seeking public feedback about Concert in the Park, which is posted at www.ssf.net/concert <http://www.ssf.net/concert>. Staff welcomes feedback from Commissioners who attended the event.
Concert goers were overall very satisfied with the event. There were 33 responses to the event’s satisfaction survey. Please see below for some positive comments regarding the event.
• “I thought the event was extremely well run and thoughtfully curated”
• “The games in the Kid Zone were next level!”
• “Love the new layout”
• “I loved the sign language food truck and would love to see more of that.”
• “I think it is amazing that you decided to make the kid zone free. It allowed access to all families. I loved the sign language food truck. The space was perfect. The amount of security was incredible. I had a good day.”
• “LOVED Ozomatli!! Love to have them back again next year! Such a good fit for our city and they are so fun. Food vendors were great, maybe one more food truck would be good, but definitely improvement from prior years. Great info at all the vendor stations. Thank you!”
As with any survey, there is room for constructive feedback. Please see below for those comments:
• “More food vendor options”
• “More portable bathrooms as the door to one of them was broken. Better access between the two sections of booths. Add bike parking, I didn't see any. I almost prefer the food to be in the parking area and the booths to be along the edges facing the stage.”
• “The music, fun zone, and food choices were great. I was confused what the white tents were in the parking lot. At first, I thought it was like backstage prep. But they were actually vendors. The placement for vendors felt isolated, and I did not like that you were behind the stage. I would like to have been able to shop around while still being in view of the stage.”
• “Start earlier in the day please! Even starting at 11am helps!”
• “Please get groups or performers that would also cater to younger generations and also it seems its usually latin inspired/latino music that is played. There are other communities in south city.”
• “More beverages vendors”
Vendors also had an opportunity to provide feedback on the vendor survey. There was a 62% response rate with 34 out of 55 vendors completing the survey. For their overall concert experience, 91% were neutral, satisfied or very satisfied, 6% were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied, and 3% did not know how they felt.
Some notable comments about the overall experience are:
• “I really enjoyed participating in this event. We had great sales for the day and look forward to participating again next year.”
• “Great communication and reminders. Easy to follow instructions”
• “Excellent, we appreciated not having to bring our own tent, table, and chairs. Set-up was also easier than expected.”
• “Amazing time all around, great music, great customers and amazing vendors!”
• “You did a great job, thank you! I have done many events before and this one is one of my favorites because it is organized and planned so well. The vendor fee is very reasonable considering that the tent, table, and chairs are already set up and there is parking.”
There is always room for improvement and comments below will help staff in planning for next year:
• “The application process was very smooth and the staff were friendly. I wished the tent assignment would have been sent out a little earlier to vendor though.”
• “I had participated with another vendor last year, and the tents were positioned in the grass where there was more interactions with the public in comparison to this year. Maybe evening being intergraded with the food trucks would have brought more people.”
• “I got a lot of feedback from customers that they weren't aware that there were two sections for vendors. Possibly having them all together would be great for next year.”
• “If the vendor tents remain in the parking lot and sports field next year, I’d suggest arranging them so that they all face inward toward a central walkway or creating a clear flow that guides people past every booth. This would help balance the foot traffic and make sure no vendors are left in lower-visibility spots. Signage pointing guests toward the vendor area could also help draw more people in.”
Having vendors on the sports field was new this year and the survey responses from two vendors were very positive and both had an overall experience of being very satisfied. They appreciated having the extra space to interact with community members.
Friends of Parks and Recreation
Friends of Parks and Recreation sold beer, wine, and water at the event. Sales were profitable this year with 588 cans of beer, 73 cans of seltzer, 22 bottles of wine, and 80 bottles of water served. They made a net profit of $2,143.31 for Parks and Recreation programs.
Upcoming Events
November 1 | Holiday Boutique
The 44th Annual Holiday Boutique and Maker’s Fair will take place on Saturday, November 1, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Library | Parks and Recreation Center at 901 Civic Campus Way. The cost for a table is $70. Last year we had over 70 amazing vendors attend. Admission is free.
November 22 | Thanksgiving Fun Run
The 52nd Annual South San Francisco Thanksgiving 5K Fun Run will take place on Saturday, November 22, 2025 at the Oyster Point Marina and Bay Trail. The run will begin at 9:00 a.m. The route will begin and end this year at the dog park at Oyster Point. Registration began on Monday, September 1, 2025 and will close on Saturday, November 15, 2025. Participants who register by November 1 can purchase the 2025 Thanksgiving Fun Run t-shirt as part of their registration. New this year, staff is piloting the event to require pre-registration. This change is being made to ease event day administration and coordination with the race timer. Registration is $10.00 for adults 18 years of age and up. $6.00 for ages 13 -17 years old. Free for 12 and under. Participants will be awarded prizes for top finishers in each age group as well as entered into a raffle for prizes after the race concludes.
December 6 | Santa Comes to Town
Santa Comes to Town will take place on Saturday, December 6, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at City Hall located at 400 Grand Avenue. Santa will be making his magical entrance aboard one of South San Francisco's fire engines. The line to see Santa will start on Grand Avenue and is first come, first served. New this year, staff is piloting ticketed timed entry. As families arrive, they will be issued a ticket for a check-in time to visit Santa. This change was made in collaboration with the South San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, to encourage Santa’s visitors to visit downtown businesses as they wait for their check-in time. During their visit with Santa, families will be able to take their own photo with Santa. This event is free to the public. Please dress appropriately to wait outdoors as this event is rain or shine. The line for Santa will close at 1:00 p.m.
December 13 | IPP Wreath Making
The annual Holiday Wreath Workshop will take place on Saturday, December 13, 2025 at the Joseph A. Fernekes Recreation Building at 781 Tennis Drive. This workshop is a fundraiser for Improving Public Places.
Two Sessions:
• Morning Session (Family-Friendly): 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. - Ideal for all ages.
• Afternoon Session (Adults Only): 1:00pm-3:30pm. - Enjoy wine as you create your masterpiece.
Important Details:
• Workshop fee: $30 (resident)/$35.75 (non-resident). Register early! $35/$40 on the day of the event.
• Families can work on one wreath together or enroll more participants to create additional wreaths.
Take Home Kits:
Wreath kits will once again be made available this year for those DIY crafters who already know how to make a wreath and prefer to construct their masterpiece at home. Host your own wreath-making holiday party at home with family and friends by purchasing a kit for each person!
December 20 & 21 | Nutcracker
The South San Francisco Parks and Recreation's SSF Civic Ballet will be performing a timeless classic, The Nutcracker. This year will feature three performances on Saturday, December 20 at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, December 21 at 1:00 p.m. at the South San Francisco High School Theater. $10 adult, and $8 senior and students tickets will be available to purchase in December.
CONCLUSION
Staff is looking forward to our upcoming events. Staff welcomes discussion and feedback from the Commission.