HOMECOMING
Saturday, October 25th Mission Creek 2025
Homecoming is a new annual neighborhood gathering in Mission Creek designed to celebrate creativity, strengthen community connections, and share resources in the spirit of generosity. Think Open Studios meets TED Talks meets block party wrapped into a day of gifting. It will be a full day of talks, tours, art, education and collective experiences.
Our goals are simple:
Activate the neighborhood with programming that highlights the gifts of our community.
Strengthen connections between neighbors, businesses, and organizations.
Create an annual tradition that makes Mission Creek a destination for creativity and belonging.
The first Homecoming will take place Saturday, on October 25th, from 12–7pm in the Mission Creek neighborhood and on Alabama Street block (between 16th and 17th).
HOMECOMING
Lineup
11AM
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Join us and the Civic Joy Fund to clean up our neighborhood to get it prepared for its visitors! Meet at 17th and Alabama and you will be given all supplies to support clean up! We will have music and it will be fun!
12PM
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12:00-12:05PM, 17th & Alabama Join us for the kickoff of Homecoming! We will hear from Stephanie about the reason for Homecoming and ring the Homecoming bell!
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12-4PM, 16th and 17th Alabama Street
Bring and drop off clean clothing and partake in the clothing swap/drive. No Shoes/no undergarments. At 4pm all clothing will be bagged and donated to a local organization.
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12:05-12:50PM, 17th & Alabama St
Join us for yoga and sound meditation with Gina Kotos and Kerrie Larson of Serving Sundays. Bring your own mat (and don’t forget to bring a layer to stay warm!)
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12-12:30PM The Verdi Club
Talk by Zaid, founder of Slow Street Coffee and the importance of coffee as a way to bring community together.
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12 - 12:45PM, Little Mission School
This 45-minute singing workshop will introduce you to the basics of posture, breathing and lots of group singing. Let’s sing together! Children and parents and all who like to sing are welcome! Claire Plumb is Co-founder of Little Mission Studio and has been teaching Voice for over 20 years. She believes that everyone has a voice and when we sing together in community, it is pure joy. Following this workshop is a Kazoo Parade to In Chan Kaajal Park where there will be Mindful Bubbles and a Playdate activation for children!
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12-2PM, In Chan Kaajal Park
Bringing Joy is an interactive bubble experience designed to transform any gathering into a playful, magical space. With giant soap bubbles floating through the air, guests of all ages are invited to chase, pop, and marvel together. More than just bubbles, this experience creates moments of connection, laughter, and wonder reminding everyone of the simple joy of being present! @mindfulbubbles
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12-3PM, In Chan Kaajal Park
Join Playdate for a day of children exploration and play! Sensory tubs, crafts and lots to play with!
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12-3PM, Andytown Coffee @ Gus's
Get in the Halloween Spirit and decorate a pumpkin at Andytown Coffee!
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12-3PM, 17th & Alabama St
Gather with Meaning - Put It All Out There: Stop by to spread a little love around the block! Write a letter of love or gratitude to someone in your community and pin a favorite line to our Community Gratitude Board, creating a living mosaic of appreciation that grows throughout the day. Then visit the Give & Receive wall to share small ways neighbors can support one another — maybe offer a free yoga class, a ride, or find a book club buddy. It’s part art piece, part love letter to the neighborhood.
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12–5 PM Enter at 201 Alabama Street and go up the stairs in the courtyard, or enter at 250 Florida Street through the parking lot.
Meet your four-legged neighbors at Homecoming!
Stop by the San Francisco SPCA Adoption Center to visit adorable, adoptable cats and dogs.
Fall in love? You choose the adoption fee for dogs or cats 5 months or older.
Pick up a free San Francisco–inspired bandana for your pet, while supplies last, in the Adoption Center.
Come for the community, leave with love.
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751 Alabama St 12-5
Stop by Muttville for their adoption event!
12:30PM
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@ the Verdi Club. 12:30- 1
Join us for an important ally talk on how to show up for our most vulnerable community members. Come be in community and learn how we can best support our Mission neighbors.
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12:30-1PM, 17th & Alabama
Segment 1: Sound Sanctuary & Yoga
45 minute yoga, 20-minute sound bath + guided meditation to arrive fully in the moment, release stress, and tune into yourself. @servingsundays
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12:30-1PM
Please note: The capacity for this event is 30 guests. Please arrive early! Go to the class check-in podium in the cafe for a pin. This is a 30 minute experience at the Dandelion Chocolate Factory with a guided tasting in their Factory!
1PM
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1-2PM, 17th and Alabama (If raining, this will be moved to the Little Mission School)
Join Stephanie Cowan, for a community facilitation of connection. All that is required is you bring your authentic self and open heart! Prepare to meet your neighbors and leave feeling more connected to yourself and others. Stephanie has engineered this experience specifically for friendship. In the one hour container, you will leave with over 20 new meaningful connections.
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12:45-1:10 Starting at Little Mission Studio and ending at In Chan Kaajal Park
After the singing class at Little Mission Studio children will be given a kazoo and we will parade down 17th to the park for bubbles and the Playdate activation!
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1 - 1:30PM, Aesthetic Union: 555 Alabama St
The Aesthetic Union is one of the last print press shops in SF. They have machines from the 1930s. Join Katya, the owner of the shop on a tour of their epic machines! While you are there, you can make your own postcards!
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1-2PM, Z Space: 450 Florida Street
Come get a behind the scenes tour of our beloved neighborhood theater Z Space!
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1-1:30PM, Verdi Club
A Broken Teacup: Filling the cracks with Mindfulness, Essentialism, and Self-Care
We're often told to stay positive, but what happens when that relentless optimism breaks? After a lifetime of being a "glass half full" person, I found myself paralyzed by non-stop anxiety. My diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder in 2020 was a wake-up call that forced me to confront a deep truth: our minds can be our greatest shackles.
In this talk, I'll take you on a journey to find the root cause of my stress and reveal the pathway I created to reclaim my peace and freedom. I'll share how embracing mindfulness, essentialism, and self-care helped me let go of what didn't matter and focus on what truly does.
This is more than a story of healing; it’s an invitation to find profound freedom and discover that you are, and always have been, enough.
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1-3PM, Gus’s
Our beloved Gus’s is serving up delicious fruits! Go enjoy some yummy fruit!
1:30 PM
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1:30-2:30PM, 17th & Alabama Street
Come get your tarot cards read by Gina Kotos!
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1:30-2 Verdi Club
Join Mission Creek locals Judy and Gwen and learn about the neighborhoods history. Did you know this area was once a creek bed? Now the name is starting to make sense huh!
2PM
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2-3PM, 17th & Alabama St
We will be hosting an info-session regarding our services and why Positive Reinforcement is changing dog training for the better. @primepaw
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2-3PM, Atlas Cafe
The Wellness Hub by Serving Sundays
Reflections Café ☕️
Grab a coffee, journal from a grounded place, decorate with the sticker station, and dive into conversation circles that spark connection. @servingsundays
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2-3PM, Start at 17th and Alabama
Join our beloved local muralist Sirron Norris on a trip around the neighborhood to visit his larger than life murals and learn more about his work directly from the artist himself! Sirron has been generous enough to design a custom bandana for Homecoming featuring local businesses that will be available for purchase at 17th and Alabama. All proceeds go to support his Kids Animation Camp!
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2 - 2:30PM, Aesthetic Union: 555 Alabama St
3PM
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3-4PM, Trick Dog
A walking tour of Trick Dogs menu collection. @trickdog
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3-3:30PM, 17th & Alabama Street
Come show off your fuzzy friend in this fun dog parade! Who dosn’t love a dog in costume?!
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3-4PM, Sycamore Room in The Madelon
Workshop description:
In this interactive workshop, participants learn to navigate tension with presence, curiosity, and purpose. You’ll gain tools to listen beneath the words, name what’s alive in you and others, and open space for more honest connection. Together we’ll practice turning conflict into a pathway for deeper clarity, mutual understanding, and renewed possibility.Bio:
Shu Liu is a coach, facilitator, and former engineering leader who helps people bring clarity and connection to conflict. Drawing from years of experience in Nonviolent Communication, Internal Family Systems, and mindfulness practice, Shu creates spaces where people can speak honestly, listen deeply, and rebuild trust. He leads men’s groups, teaches relational skills, and works with individuals and teams to transform tension into understanding. -
3-4PM, Z Space: 450 Florida Street
Come get a behind the scenes tour of our beloved neighborhood theater Z Space!
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3:30-4PM, 16th & Alabama Street
Join Bear Balentine (and Stephanie Cowan) for a joyful ribbon dance! This will be fun, connected and encourage self expression! Let’s move our bodies together in dance! (Ribbons provided but feel free to bring your own as well!)
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3-3:30 @ Verdi Club
In a world where swipes and screens dominate how we connect, the real question is: how do we build communities that last? In this talk, we explore the art of intentional community-building in today’s fast-moving culture. Drawing from experiences as an event host, storyteller, and community builder in San Francisco, Jaya offers insight into why we crave connection, how to create spaces where people feel seen, and what it takes to turn strangers into networks of support and belonging. Part story, part strategy — this talk is an invitation to rethink how we gather, and to imagine what authentic community can look like in modern times.
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3:30-4 @ Verdi Club
How we accidentally built a community around running and public transit in San Francisco. Muni Run Club started with a simple question: What if we ran the bus route of every Muni line in the city? The answer: You might get 1000 followers, hundreds of runners, and support from Strava and SFMTA
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3-4 Lost Resort
Go to Lost Resort to find some buried treasure and enjoy a cheekie on them!
4PM
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4-5PM
Starts on 17th Alabama St
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4-4:30 17th and Alabama
Come meet your neighbors in this fun, fast paced connective event hosted by Roza Trilesskaya!
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4-5PM Alabama Street
Put on your dancing shoes and get down with DJ Paul May!
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4-5PM Atlas Cafe
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4-4:30 @ Verdi Club
How to use the creative “ flow state” with a force greater than gravity to help you move beyond and change patterns of behavior that do not serve you. This talk is based on what I learned on my successful journey of healing an incurable disease using the creative process and the current science within consciousness that supports my experience.
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4:30-5 @ Verdi Club
Join Stephanie Cowan for her signature talk The Art of Giving a Good Hug (and other tools for genuine human connection) This fun light hearted talk covers why we are no longer hugging, the science behind hugging and how to discover deeper connections through hugs.
5PM
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5-6PM Alabama Street
Join local DJ and artist Saiman for some cool beats.
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5-6:30PM Verdi Club
Join us for our neighborhood talent show! There are still slots to sign up as well! Share your gifts with the community!
6:30PM
Strike on Alabama! Please consider lending a hand to strike! The more hands, the lighter the work!
6:30PM
After Party at Southern Pacific Brewing!
Stephanie’s bedtime :)
8PM
Sign up for the street cleanup party @ 11!
at 11 am the day of Homecoming, we are gathering to clean up the neighborhood and prepare it for its day of visitors! Sign up to let us know you will join the clean up efforts!
Sign up for the talent show!
This is open to all who want to share their talent with the community! This sign up is first come first serve so be sure to submit sooner rather than later! We hope to have Mayor Daniel Lurie share a talent as well!
Where is Mission Creek?
Mission Creek is a tiny pocket of San Francisco that sits between the Mission District and Potrero Hill. Historically, it was the bed of a tidal creek that once ran through this part of the city. By the early 1900s, the creek had been filled in and the land was left behind as marshy ground, not well-suited for housing. Instead, it became a patchwork of warehouses, light industry, and underused lots.
For much of the 20th century, this pocket of the city was part of San Francisco’s industrial backbone. You could find bakeries, canneries, furniture makers, print shops, and small-scale manufacturers. Over time, as industry modernized, many of these factories moved production elsewhere.
In the 1970s through the 1990s, the factories moved their production elsewhere the area became attractive to artists, makers, and small businesses looking for affordable large space. Studios and creative workshops began filling the old industrial buildings, and little by little, a community identity formed. Unlike larger, more defined neighborhoods, Mission Creek has always been small-scale and self-contained. A kind of hidden pocket with its own character, shaped by the mix of artists, craftspeople, and independent businesses who put down roots here.
That’s why it’s often called a microneighborhood. It doesn’t span many blocks, but it has its own distinct vibe and community spirit. It’s the kind of place where you still feel the history of industry and warehouses, while also seeing creativity, artistry, and local businesses thriving in the same spaces.
The bounds of Mission Creek Are 13th Street to 20th and Capp Street to Potrero Ave.
Donate/Support
Homecoming is built on generosity and has been spearheaded by Stephanie Cowan for free as a love letter to her neighborhood, we welcome support from individuals and organizations who believe in strengthening community and creativity in Mission Creek while supporting her in her mission to bring people together in joyful ways to form a deeper sense of belonging.
Who’s organizing this?
Meet Stephanie!
Stephanie Cowan is a passionate community builder and speaker dedicated to creating spaces for authentic connection. She is the founder of The Drop In, a large-scale connective experience that helps people build heart-centered relationships and a deeper sense of belonging in San Francisco. Her work blends creativity, storytelling, joy, and generosity to spark meaningful encounters that strengthen communities.
Stephanie has lived many lives and worn many hats. She runs her photography studio in Mission Creek, previously led a digital agency called Gold Toast, and was once a musical theatre performer in New York. Along the way she has gathered a wide-ranging set of skills that span website design, brand storytelling, large-scale adventure planning, facilitation, and community building.
She has been dreaming of throwing a block party since moving to Mission Creek four years ago. With Homecoming, Stephanie is ready to use everything she has learned to give back to her beloved neighborhood in a way that helps everyone who lives here feel a deeper sense of belonging. For her, Homecoming is the project that brings it all together, proving that the answer to the universe is each other.
For press outreach about this story, please email hello@thedropin.co.
Homecoming is for Everyone.
Homecoming is an invitation to all of San Francisco. While it takes place in Mission Creek, it is rooted in the belief that neighborhoods are strongest when everyone feels welcome. This gathering is not just about one block or one community, it is about honoring the histories, cultures, and contributions that make the area of this city so magical.
We welcome our neighbors from the Mission, Potrero, and beyond to come share stories, resources, art, food, and knowledge. Homecoming is a chance to connect with all neighbors, celebrate what unites us, and create new traditions together.
Disclosure:
By attending Homecoming, you acknowledge that this is a community-organized event taking place on a public street. Participation is voluntary and at your own risk. The organizers, volunteers, and participating businesses are not responsible for any injury, loss, or damage that may occur.
This is a free, alcohol-free, family-friendly event. Photographs and video may be taken during the day and may be used to share the story of Homecoming in future communications.
By joining, you agree to help us keep the neighborhood safe, respectful, and welcoming for everyone.