On Saturday, Sept. 25 the Sunset District Neighborhood Coalition will host the 16th annual Sunset Community Festival at the Sunset Recreation Center. The festival is the longest-running festival in the Sunset, the neighborhood’s original neighborhood get-together. One of the primary activities of the SDNC, whose mission is to “foster a greater sense of community [and] to promote acceptance and cohesiveness among diverse groups of the Sunset,” the festival aims to showcase the diverse population that calls the Sunset home, from local businesses to nonprofit organizations to cultural centers.

This year’s festival spotlights the neighborhood’s libraries, largely to celebrate the renovation of the branches at Ortega and Parkside. Susan Suval, the coordinator of the festival and the chair of the SDNC, anticipates that a few thousand people will come out to enjoy the festivities, which include storytelling, performances, prizes, food and an assortment of booths to showcase neighborhood organizations. According to Suval, Supervisor Carmen Chu and state Assemblywoman Fiona Ma have been helpful in fundraising for the festival. On the other hand, she said, she is disappointed that historic partners of the festival such as the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and the Taraval Police Station can no longer “be involved in a partnership capacity.” Suval said valued the opportunity that the festival had presented over the years for local authorities to mingle with residents.

In spite of that budget gloom, Saturday should showcase the Sunset District’s frequently bright and beautiful fall weather. The forecast for Saturday: sunny with a high of 80 degrees.

The Sunset Community Festival will be held at 2201 Lawton St. at 29th Avenue, from 11a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25. Admission is free.

While you’re at the festival, stop by our booth to meet some of the people behind the Ocean Beach Bulletin.