SOMA Pilipinas – Filipino Cultural Heritage District
A cultural, social, arts, and service hub for Filipinos throughout Northern California.
Creative • Diverse • Resilient
About SOMA Pilipinas – San Francisco’s Filipino Cultural Heritage District
SOMA Pilipinas, San Francisco’s Filipino Cultural Heritage District, is home to a vibrant living culture and historic legacy that has shaped the South of Market neighborhood and San Francisco for the last five decades. Home to thousands of Filipino families and seniors, SOMA Pilipinas is also a critical employment hub for Filipinos working in the hospitality, service, and financial sectors. The district is a gravitational cultural center for Filipinos in California, who comprise the largest and fastest growing Asian-Pacific Islander community in a state where 43% of the U.S. Filipino diaspora resides.
SOMA Pilipinas is home to unique Filipino cultural institutions such as Bindlestiff Studio, the only dedicated Filipino-American performance space in the nation; and Arkipelago, one of just two Filipino-American bookstores in the United States. The district is also home to high-profile cultural events that draw Filipino community members from throughout Northern California. These include the Pistahan Parade and Festival each August and the Parol Lantern Festival in December. The Pistahan Festival showcases performers, crafts, culinary arts, vendors, and supportive businesses. And, beginning in August, SOMA Pilipinas will host UNDSCVRDSF, a monthly Creative Night Market held every third Thursday at the historic Mint showcasing the sights, sounds, and flavors of SOMA Pilipinas.
District Region: San Francisco Bay Area
A crimson bridge, cable cars, a sparkling bay, and streets lined with elegant Victorian homes—San Francisco is undeniably one of the world’s great cities. Located along the Northern California at the state’s distinctive bend in the coast, the region has an alluring magic that stretches beyond the bay to diverse cities with nightlife and world-class cuisine.