'Let it Glow' SF Lights Up San Francisco To Revive Pandemic-Stricken Downtown

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Colorful holiday projections are now lighting up buildings in downtown San Francisco each night to help revive and reinvigorate the area from the COVID pandemic slowdown.

Mayor London Breed joined Supervisor Aaron Peskin to launch 'Let's Glow SF', the city's first such holiday activation and the largest project mapping event in the country.

The bright displays choreographed to music are meant to boost the local economy and give locals and visitors alike a reason to tour downtown, which was especially hard hit by the pandemic.

"We want you to all come back downtown, we want you to come back to shop, to come to our restaurants, have a drink at a bar, stay in our hotels," said Robbie Silver, Executive Director of Downtown SF.

Each show is 5 minutes long and will run every 5 minutes until 10 pm. The projects feature work by local and international artists. Locations include One Bush Plaza, 345 Montgomery St., Pacific Stock Exchange at 301 Pine St. and Hyatt Regency at 5 Embarcadero Center.

"This is so cool. So we didn't actually know anything about it and we were actually going to the BART station and we turned around this corner and we were said 'what's that' and oh my goodness it's really beautiful," said Preeti Srinivasan of Oakland.

The launch comes after brazen Union Square burglaries and smash-and-grab crimes seen in viral videos made recent national headlines.

"The sad reality is people have tried to define us, based on a number of videos which do not show the very best of San Francisco, and what we have to offer," Breed said. "Tonight, what we are demonstrating by coming together and showcasing this incredible, incredible light show has everything to do with our resilience..."

Ambassadors will be placed near each display to help onlookers with any questions.

"We really people are willing to come back to San Francisco and know that we're open, and we want to see more people coming to these kind of events, and people to know that they're safe, you can come out and have fun," said Michael Russell, operations manager with SF Travel.

When asked if he would bring his family to check out the new sights, Daniel Arzaga of El Sobrante said "Yeah, for sure."

"The children stopped to look, and so it just causes everybody else to stop and look," he said. "I think that's really nice."