About

In The Park is a multi-media project by Abby Sigler celebrating the people who bring community magic to San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.

I moved to the city in the winter of 2021, when JFK Drive was closed to cars but had not yet been designated the vehicle-free Promenade it is today. Friendless and still cautious of crowded indoor spaces, I spent much of my time in the park, marveling at tree giants and dewy meadows and the occasional great blue heron.

I noticed how well the park functioned as that much-needed "third space" for people in the city. Barbecues in Hellman's Hollow. Impromptu concerts at the public pianos. Swing dancing by the DeYoung. In that first year, I often watched these gatherings at a distance, but before I knew it, I was participating in them too.

I began to meet people who shared my love of the park and were using the space as their canvas for community building. These are the individuals behind the fun, free events you might encounter as one of the park's 24 million annual visitors. Through this project, I'm documenting these facets of Golden Gate Park that don't typically appear on a standard map.