The city is gearing up to celebrate what can only be described as a nostalgia-infused mashup of digital camaraderie and good old-fashioned fun with the proposed "Pokémon Spring Celebration Day" slated for April 13. City Hall and local leaders are throwing their weight behind a day that's destined to echo with the cries of "I choose you!" and light up with the gleam of trading cards.
In a statement obtained by KQED, Pokémon super fan and legislative aide Natalie Gee, who has been turning San Francisco into a veritable Pokémon nexus since the halcyon days of Pokémon Go's launch, shared, "This is just a fun way to bring the community together that’s not about politics and is encouraging people to just have fun." Complete with free festivities, the event is set to unfold at four public library locations including the Main Library, Ocean View, Richmond, and Park branches. Pokémon battles and card trading will be the day's headliners, but don't be surprised to stumble upon button making and a myriad of Pokémon-themed games.
Making sure no one goes home empty-handed, organizers are in talks with the creators of Pokémon Go. They aim to conjure up a special “PokéStop” at the Richmond Library – a haven for players to snag game-critical items like eggs and Poké Balls. A resolution is on the ballot for this Tuesday, which if passed, will grace San Francisco with its first official Pokémon Day recognition, something the city's supervisors are ready to co-sponsor, with leaders like Supervisor Connie Chan at the helm.
According to Chan's lead on the resolution, as reported by KQED, the Pokémon franchise is more than a game: "It creates healthy competitions and connects people, and for both kids and grown-ups, it’s a great imaginative world with all different kinds of creatures and diversity." With a nod to the days of COVID, Chan recalls how Pokémon Go served as a lifeline to social interaction, helping families like hers to connect in a time when playdates were a no-go.
If you're keen to partake in the Pokémon pandemonium, the KQED article notes the importance of marking your calendar for the main event, where you can get down and dirty with your fellow Pokémon trainers. For card traders and first-time gamers alike, the Eventbrite page invites all to dive into the fray. Just don't forget to bring your decks and devices.
And for those who like to cast their minds forward, San Francisco beckons with the promise of the Pokémon World Championships in 2026. This premiere bash will gather globe-trotters at the Moscone Center, vying for glory and a prize pool breaking the $2 million barrier. But let's not get ahead of ourselves—before world domination, there's a city to paint Pokémon. As the supervisors gearing up to deck the halls of the public libraries with all things Pikachu and pals said in emails obtained by KQED, "Go catch ‘em all!"
