This month we are featuring:
Live Music & Cultural Performances |Poets, Storytellers & Authors | Art Demonstrations & Kids’ Crafts
Let’s make this season the best one yet.
See you on Main Street!
Professional Coastside musicians perform at various times and locations on Main Street. Stroll towards the sounds of a world-class jazz piano duo, down the street to a singer-songwriter, or be drawn towards a trio of bluesmen or a chamber ensemble. The lineup, genres, and locations will vary every month.
Celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month with an array of live music and cultural performances at Make It Main Street. Experience the rich traditions of AAPI communities through taiko drumming, lion dancing, ukulele melodies, and more, all presented by talented Coastside performers.
Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of Japanese taiko drumming, bamboo flute music,and captivating folk tales! Feel the thunderous rhythms of the taiko drums reverberate through your body as you explore the deep connections between language, culture, and history. Along the way, you’ll also experience the melodies of the Japanese bamboo flute and hear traditional folk tales that have been passed down through generations. Engage in an unforgettable educational experience, with the chance to play the drums yourself!
The J-Town Ukes are a ukulele group from San Francisco's Japantown, formed in 2023 by friends who originally played pickleball together. They now perform at senior centers, local schools, and community events like Kimochi’s Silver Bells Fair and the Nihonmachi Street Fair, often hosting interactive sing-alongs.
LionDanceME is the world's premier lion and dragon
dance company, setting the global standard for performances, talent, and innovation. We are dedicated to revolutionizing lion dance, pushing its artistic and technical boundaries, and bringing it to audiences worldwide. Through world-class performances,
we aim to make lion dance a globally recognized art form while inspiring and training the next generation to carry it forward.
An associate professor of Asian American Studies at SFSU, Ueunten was born and raised on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The grandson of Okinawan immigrants, he celebrates his heritage in song and spoken word, while examining the Okinawan diaspora. While living and studying on Okinawa, Ueunten learned to play traditional music on the sanshin, a three-stringed instrument with a distinctive, melancholic sound. He now lives in the Bay Area, where he teaches, performs music, and promotes Okinawan culture and identity. Through music and lyrics, Ueunten shares the stories of a unique and resilient people.
The Half Moon Bay Senior Coastsiders Chinese Choir is a cherished ensemble of local seniors and retired farmworkers who come together to celebrate Chinese culture through music. Under the guidance of Community Liaison Kiki Wolfeld, the choir performs traditional and contemporary Chinese songs, fostering community spirit and cultural appreciation. Their performances have been featured at events like Make It Main Street, celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month in downtown Half Moon Bay.
Make It Main Street's Speakers’ Space is supported by
Coastal Literary Arts Movement & San Mateo Country Arts Commission.
In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, Make It Main Street's Speakers' Space—presents an engaging lineup of poets, storytellers, and cultural performers. This special event celebrates the rich traditions, voices, and contributions of AAPI communities, offering attendees an opportunity to connect with and learn from these vibrant cultures.
Aileen Cassinetto served as San Mateo County Poet Laureate from 2019–2022, the first Asian American in the role. She’s received honors from the Academy of American Poets, Brilliant Poetry, and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Her lyrics for Saunder Choi's Wide American Earth premiered at Carnegie Hall in 2023. She is co-editor of the award-winning Dear Human at the Edge of Time and the upcoming The Nature of Our Times.
Mia Ayumi Malhotra is the author of Mothersalt (Alice James Books, forthcoming May 2025) and Isako Isako, a California Book Award finalist and winner of the Alice James Award, Nautilus Gold Award for Poetry, National Indie Excellence Award, and Maine Literary Award. She is also the author of the chapbook Notes from the Birth Year, winner of the Bateau Press BOOM Contest. Mia holds degrees in creative writing from Stanford University and the University of Washington, and her work has received the Hawker Prize for Southeast Asian Poetry and the Singapore Poetry Prize. She is a Kundiman Fellow and founding member of The Ruby SF, a gathering space for women and nonbinary artists.
“Three's a charm” as this dynamic trio brings ancient myths to life with a kinetic, modern twist. Eth-Noh-Tec shares stories from cultures including India, Korea, the Philippines, and Japan.
Since 1982, they’ve performed for over a million people across the U.S. and abroad, with appearances at the Smithsonian, Kennedy Center, and both Clinton’s and Obama’s Inaugural Celebrations.
Coastside Makers of diverse and beautiful objects offer their works for sale, and share the process of how they are made. Every month the Makers Marketplace will feature a demonstration with glass blowers, or potters, or plein-air painters, weavers or...
Each month features live demonstrations—this May, join us for hands-on activities like crafting koinobori windsocks, ikebana flower arranging, and origami folding, all free and open to all ages.
Kodomo no hi, or Children's Day, is a Japanese national holiday that takes place on May 5. The final day of Golden Week.
Traditionally, koinobori symbolize the desire for children to become brave and strong, and are flown on poles outside public buildings or private residences to bring luck and good fortune to the children inside. This activity will allow you to make your own paper koinobori.
All Materials provided free of charge.
Ikebana 'arranging flowers' or 'making flowers alive' is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. Participants will create unique flower arrangements. Participants are encouraged to take their arrangements home and reuse the container to create more arrangements, fostering a sense of creativity and sustainability.
All Vessels and flowers are provided free of charge.
Komo has over ten years of experience teaching origami at local festivals and c ommunity events. The daughter of a Japanese national, she grew up in Hawari, where she learned traditional Japanese origami at an early age. Komo is a member of Origami USA, where she helps organize their bi-annual Pacific Coast Origami USA Conference.
All Materials Provided Free of Charge
Sponsored by DRAGONFLY COMMUNITY ARTS
Artsong
Designs in Polymer Clay
Coastal Dawne
eashell Art Jewelry & Coastal Artifacts
Dewey's Garden
Hand-crafted vessels sold with succulents
Divina Aparecido
Crochet Animals
Creative Services
Fence Chunk Painting
Sparkly Co
Jewelry with Semi-precious Stones
Katnip Designs
Tie Dye Clothing
Kitchen Witch Designs
Unique, Recycled Eco-friendly Totes
Patt Sheldon Art
Ice dyed clothing, Jewelry, and textiles
Creekside Crafts
Cut Paper Shadow Boxes, Cards
Sparkly Co
Jewelry
Sharen Caren
Author
Witch Craft Cookies & Crafts
Hand-made crafts and cookies
Explore the vibrant Coastside art scene on Main Street! Many of our galleries and fine art studios stay are open late, offering a new experience for local art enthusiasts to visit after work or school. Enjoy browsing diverse artworks by local and regional artists, and indulge in lite refreshments until 6:30 PM. Don't miss this opportunity to immerse yourself in the creativity and charm of Half Moon Bay and Make it Main Street.
Thanks to New Leaf Community Markets and Half Moon Bay Winery for supporting the Coastside creative community.
As the sun sets, Main Street comes alive during the Make it Main Street. Experience the charm of local shops and cafes staying open late, offering a delightful shopping and dining experience well into the evening. Discover unique treasures, indulge in delicious cuisine, and savor the vibrant atmosphere of this lively coastal town.
MakeItMainStreet@coastside.net
