Japanese streetwear label A Bathing Ape, or BAPE, has seen long lines in front of its new Union Square store since soft-launching this summer, and the brand is celebrating its official grand opening with a big block party Saturday.A Bathing Ape’s free, all-ages celebration will feature live perfor mances at Union Square Plaza by San Francisco RB singer Karri and Pinole rapper-producer P-Lo, along with DJ sets from Lil CC, Shabazz, and DJ D Sharp, as KQED reports. The event will take place from 1 to 5 pm Saturday, and the store will open a bit earlier than usual at 10 am. View this post on Instagram A post shared by A BATHING APE® (@bape_us) The party comes after a strong reception for BAPE’s San Francisco debut, with customers lining up outside the store daily and the location’s city-specific merchandise quickly selling out. The store will reportedly be restocking its SF-branded apparel for the grand opening. “We’ve had a line every day, out the store,” said designer and assistant manager Ant Bankx. “Even for BAPE, that’s not normal.”According to Complex, the celebration will also include food, games, prizes, and special guests, with BAPE pitching the event as a meeting point for Tokyo streetwear culture and the Bay Area’s music and fashion communities.BAPE, founded in 1993 by Japanese designer Nigo, has been a major name in streetwear and hip-hop culture for decades, per KQED. Bankx, who grew up in Richmond and has styled Bay Area artists including Rexx Life Raj and Ovrkast, says the brand’s arrival in Union Square reflects a local fashion scene that has developed its own identity rather than following New York or Los Angeles.“We’ve always been here,” Bankx said. “And we’ve always had a voice.”BAPE’s arrival also comes as Union Square continues to rebuild its retail presence following years of store closures and concerns about crime. More than 15 stores have left the area since 2020, including DSW and Saks Fifth Avenue, while Macy’s at one point threatened to leave its flagship location.KQED notes that new retailers have also moved in, including Pop Mart, Moscot, Zara, and Nintendo, while Supreme is already nearby and Kith has plans for a downtown location. Bankx sees the cluster of streetwear and fashion brands as creating more momentum for the neighborhood.The city has also reported improvements in public safety. Union Square reportedly saw a 40% drop in crime in last year, following increased enforcement against retail theft and Mayor Daniel Lurie’s creation of an SFPD Hospitality Task Force in 2025.For BAPE, the early response has offered a glimpse of the demand for streetwear in the Bay Area, with the store’s lines and appetite for San Francisco-specific merchandise providing a strong start ahead of Saturday’s grand opening.“San Francisco and the greater Bay Area has always had a unique relationship with culture,” said BAPE CEO, Mahmoud El Salahy, per Complex. “It’s a city that creates its own rules: its own music, its own slang, its own style. It truly embodies Fearless Expression.”Related: Ten Academy of Art Students to Showcase 1970s-Era, Halston-Inspired Looks In Union Square ...read more read less