Just as the fourth Thursday of November is always Thanksgiving, the first Sunday of Chanukah is always Bill Graham Menorah Day, which this year happens to land on December 2, the first night of Chanukah.
What is Bill Graham Menorah Day? Well, it’s the official-since-1993 name for a tradition that Graham first supported in 1975, when he foot the bill for an enormous Menorah—25 feet tall and 15 feet wide—that was lit in Union Square. This year, the tradition continues in the same spot, beginning at 2 p.m. with lots of activities for the kids, followed by the formal lighting of the Menorah at 4:30 p.m. Attending will be Graham’s sons, David and Alex, as well as Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction.
Farrell is in town because later that evening he and his new band, Kind Heaven Orchestra, will be headlining “The Bill Graham Festival of Lights” at the Fillmore. Also on the bill are Balkan Bump, featuring trumpet player and ethnomusicologist Will Magid, and Jerry’s Kosher Deli. A portion of the proceeds from the show will be donated to the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation to support the Bill Graham Menorah Project. For tickets, click here!
