At noon, we opened the gates, and kicked it all off with a Welcome to HVF Tour. The group assembled just inside the entrance at 450 Laguna St. As we toured the site, everyone had a chance to ask questions, tell stories, and share their ideas for what was possible on the site.

There were a bunch of great ideas mentioned throughout the day, and we wrote 'em all down. Some folks had ideas for beautifying the site, like painting the fence posts and adorning the chain links and barbed wire with wood or bamboo. There were ideas for events like an outdoor dance, a tea party, and a petting zoo. And there were also ideas for the community such as collaborations with nearby schools, gardens, and community centers and creating a local resource center for urban gardeners.

Many of the neighbors who stopped by had stories about the space. Some remembered the old Central Freeway, the Loma Prieta earthquake, and staring at the locked up space for years. One visitor recalled being at the site as a child, and marching around the site with his family and neighbors rallying for someone to do something. It took long enough, but someone is finally "doing something!"

We'll be doing it again this Sunday. Stop on by and say hi!

Volunteer Orientation is at 12:30pm followed by the Sheet Mulch Party at 1pm.

Welcome to HVF Tours begin at 2pm.