In honor of its 90th year in business, Cliff's Variety is planning a huge celebration with drag and live music performances on June 6.
Cliff’s Variety is marking 90 years in the Castro with a June 6 celebration featuring live music, drag performances, raffles, and other entertainment, as KTVU reports.
The longtime Castro business first opened in 1936 as a small shop selling magazines and used greeting cards — San Francisco’s “first reuse, recycle,” as co-owner Terry Asten Bennett put it. The shop later expanded into hardware and other household goods.
Over the decades, Cliff's adapted alongside the neighborhood, eventually adding wigs, heels, eyelashes, and party supplies as the Castro became a hub for LGBTQ culture in the 1970s.
According to KTVU, the family-owned business says its focus on customer service and constantly evolving inventory has helped keep the store going as online shopping reshaped the retail industry.
"It’s exciting to see a younger generation that actually wants to shop and touch and feel merchandise versus just buying it online," said Bennett. "And so that’s the thing that gives me hope for the future."
The June 6 extravaganza will also include a fundraiser benefiting the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy and Castro Country Club, with raffle tickets starting at $5 each.
Related: The 10 Best Classic Stores In S.F.
Image: David T./Google Maps
