A commemorative street sign for the Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia could be coming to Excelsior soon.
District 11 Supervisor Chyanne Chen announced a resolution during Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting to add the commemorative street sign name “Jerry Garcia Street” to Harrington Street between Alemany Boulevard and Mission Street to honor Garcia’s contributions to San Francisco. Garcia grew up on Harrington Street with his grandparents, Tillie and William Clifford.
“I am so incredibly proud to see that our district continues to reflect many of the values that he [Garcia] represented,” Chen said. “Free and accessible musical opportunities, especially for our young people, the power of community organizing and a sense of San Francisco and especially District 11 pride.”
While Garcia is commonly known as a founding member of the American rock band The Grateful Dead, he was a community advocate, an environmental activist and, of course, an artist who had a lasting impact on the music scene for blending various genres.
In addition to the new street sign, Garcia has also been commemorated in the Excelsior with two sidewalk plaques near his homes on Harrington Street and Mission Street. There have also been talks about creating a museum in D11 in his honor.
Tom Murphy, the co-founder of the Jerry Day Committee that hosts an annual celebration of Garcia at the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, shared his support for the street sign during Tuesday’s meeting.
“I’m extremely proud that this is happening on 415 Day as a fellow native San Franciscan from the Excelsior,” Murphy said.
While no timeline has been shared yet for the street sign’s installation, Garcia fans can honor the musician at this year’s Jerry Day concert on Aug. 2 or participate in the committee’s community kick-off event at the Recovery Room on April 27.
Anne Marie Kristoff (she/her) is a recent graduate from San Francisco State University's journalism program. She enjoys writing about the arts, entertainment and nature.
