Change

After fourteen years in SOMA, and ten years under my ownership, Wicked Grounds will be winding down physical operations at our 8th Street location at the end of June. Over the past three years, downtown San Francisco has changed substantially; many much larger and better-resourced businesses than us have pulled out. Keeping a retail & drop-in space in the neighborhood’s current economy is unsustainable – and a distraction from the many things we still have to offer.

Evolution

Wicked Grounds is growing as an educational and events business, and we are keeping that mission alive. Going forward, we will lend our support to other community organizations and stay stronger together.

• Our online events will continue with no significant change to the events or scheduling.
• Our in-person and hybrid workshops & classes will be moving to other venues, starting with the Folsom Street Community Center, who have worked with us to take on most of our local programming after Pride. We’re excited to help support their growth in their new location! We will also be hosting classes at our new home at Trellis (6th & Mission) and Sacred Muse (Oakland). All our new spaces are wheelchair accessible!
• We will continue to teach in the Bay Area and beyond, bringing kink education to local and national organizations and events.
• We will continue to offer retail sales through our website and pop-up events. (We have our fingers crossed to get back to more vending at parties, too!)
• Our Patreon members will see more and better content, and continue to receive discounts on classes and online purchases. We appreciate your continued support during this transition. Please stick around. We need you to do what’s next!)
• Our new home at Trellis is building out podcast & video production space, so you can expect our podcast and pre-recorded video classes to (re) launch this fall!

If you have a ticketed event at Wicked Grounds, you’ve probably already been re-located – check your email or Forbidden Tickets.

I’ve been able to reach several munch leaders & leaders of pass-the-hat events already to plan for the future of those events. If you host a munch or pass-the-hat event, and we haven’t connected yet, I have recommendations on spaces that can house you – just reach out. Once we’ve worked out a new space/ time for your event, Wicked Grounds will help you promote the new location.

If you’re interested in acquiring anything from café and Annex equipment to furniture and board games, please reach out our just drop by (keep an eye on Erobay for available boutique & “garage sale” hours now through the end of June). We must have the space cleared out by June 30th, and almost everything must go.

Beginnings

I am pleased to announce that as part of our transition, I have voluntarily recognized the formation of the Wicked Union – a labor union of most Wicked Grounds staff. This formation is a huge accomplishment, and I hope that you will join me in congratulating the team.

Epilogue

Transition and change is inevitable, but our mission remains the same: Kink Community. Everywhere. I hope you will continue to support our evolution.
Do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions or assistance as we make this change.

In closing, I want to echo what a dear friend of mine shared eighteen years ago, when his first large-scale event space was being closed for redevelopment in downtown Phoenix:

“Losing this space isn't a big deal. It doesn't diminish the book you're reading because you reach the end; you can read it and relive it again and again," says Michael 23. "So much happened inside this space in the past 10 years, and I don't think there's anything ending, really. We're closing one chapter and opening another, and we're not disappearing from the scene. There's still other things we need to do."

Michael was true to his word and kept shaping the Arizona arts scene for decades afterward.

Wicked Grounds is not disappearing from the scene. (Far from it.) There’s still other things we need to do.

Warmly,
Mir