Lights ON! Brings the BROADWAY Sign Back Over North Beach on October 15
For immediate release ·
Lights ON! Brings the BROADWAY Sign Back Over North Beach on October 15
A free sidewalk countdown for the restored sign, then an upstairs celebration of every bulb dedicated so far.
Thursday, October 15, 2026 · 6–9 p.m.
435 Broadway, North Beach, San Francisco
6–7 p.m.: Free sidewalk countdown. No ticket needed.
7–9 p.m.: Upstairs celebration. Tickets from $5, fees included.
Media contact
David Perry
news@davidperry.com · (415) 676-7007
SAN FRANCISCO — On Thursday, October 15, North Beach gathers at 435 Broadway for Lights ON!, a celebration of the restored BROADWAY sign and the independent stage beneath it.
The night opens at 6 p.m. on the sidewalk, free and open to everyone, with a few words from restoration lead Michael Sturtz, Tom Watson of Mabuhay Gardens, and Andres Acosta of Lights ON Broadway — then the street counts down and the sign comes on.
From 7 to 9 p.m. the party moves upstairs: a slideshow of every bulb dedicated on the sign, an energy healing and wellness table with Rosalyn of Live Heal Travel (LHT), a first look at new Mab programming, and a tribute for Filipino American History Month. Upstairs tickets start at $5; space is limited.
Headlining the upstairs celebration is Michael Brunswick, a performance artist and owner of Ace Tiger Gallery, who is flying in from Torrance, California. In his live canvas performance, he paints with the canvas itself rather than a brush. Explore his artistic process and follow @michaelbrunswick on Instagram.
Live music comes from GamperDrums Live with ADAPTYVE: Simon Russell, keys & vocals; Brian Pardo, guitar; Ryan Price, bass; and Chris Gamper, drums. Boogie Racers will also present a showcase featuring Hot Wheels tracks, RC cars and dancing, plus a special guest race with prizes.
After years dark, the sign was restored, rewired, repainted, and relit with gifts from people who love this building — home since 1919 to Italian mutual-aid societies, the Filipino Dimas-Alang Temple, Ginsberg’s Kaddish, the On Broadway Theatre, and, fifty years ago this year, the punk stage of Mabuhay Gardens. Its bulbs are now being dedicated, one at a time, to the people and nights this city doesn’t want to forget.
“San Francisco once had an independent stage on nearly every block. Most went dark. This one didn’t,” said Andres Acosta, Lights ON Broadway Campaign Director. “When the sign is full, every bulb overhead will be somebody’s story. That’s a neighborhood turning its own lights back on.”
“I rewired, scraped, and repainted this sign bulb by bulb to bring it back to life the way it looked in the sixties,” said Michael Sturtz, who led the restoration. “The Bay Area has been losing creative spaces, live music venues, and theatres at an alarming rate. This is how we keep the magic alive.”
Gifts are tax deductible, received by Point Foundation, a 501(c)(3), for its FAB MAB restricted fund. “Point Foundation is honored to receive these gifts on behalf of a building that has held San Francisco’s culture for over a century,” said Danica Remy, President of Point Foundation. “Every contribution supports the restoration and community life of 435 / 443 Broadway — including the sign overhead — and preserves this history for future generations.”
Event poster
Details at lightsonbroadway.org/lighting. Tickets at Eventbrite.






