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    Castro Street Fair

    4.0 (31 reviews)

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    Tony S.

    Came to see Castro Theater and all the wonderful gay stores. It was a vibrant street and area with quaint shops and wonderful restaurants. Pride flags were everywhere and you will fall in love with its charm and atmosphere

    Liza F.

    I had the honor of volunteering with Queer Life. This Fair is a wonderful way for the folks who are fortunate enough to live and work here to give something back to the community. The non profits raising funds and small businesses need the support. It's also fun and a great time to feel some San Francisco pride! Next year in October. Be there!

    Community !
    James G.

    I forget, sometimes, how good it feels to be surrounded by community. The Castro Street Fair is like that lunch you have with a friend, once a year, to see their smile, share the memories, and to catch up on the news. This year The Castro Street Fair was on a sunny day, with some people even griping about "the heat". It was great to see friends we haven't seen in a while+, and to see what has come of the old neighborhood. The Castro seems to have just the right amount of gentrification. Things seem more organized, cleaner, and more dignified. We stopped into the Blind Butcher, which is an upscale, yet affordable wine bar carved out of the garage of one my old friend's Victorian home on 18th Street. What a pleasant surprise! The Bucket Brigade offered gentle reminders that our community still has work to do, and that those efforts need funding. It's a small price to pay, lest we forget how far we've come since this was the center of our world. Now, many of us have started families and moved out to the suburbs, but let's not forget from whence we've come. We stepped into The Midnight Sun for a drink in the cool of the shade. Flashbacks to my old "hunting" grounds. Still a friendly place, only now more upscale, larger, and more open. We dined at The Thai House Express at 19th Street and Castro mainly because we LOVE the food there, but also to patronize the local merchants on a business day disrupted for them. The Castro Coffee Company is the best place to duck into for an Iced Coffee to round out the day! Ken, Abeer, Dahlia, and Ray still keep a smile for their customers, old and new. And owner Ken is as true a supporter of the community as he ever was. Thanks, sir! We made a point of getting to The Castro Street Fair EARLY, while is was comfortable to walk, pleasant to shop; cool & temperate, ... and easy to park (if you're willing to walk in three or four blocks.... otherwise Muni is BEST!), We left mid-afternoon, as the crowd was, well, crowding, the drinking was, uh, more "festive", and the anatomy(s) were more on display. (Insert gasp and faux shock here __________! ) It was great to see the kaleidoscope of people becoming more and more colorful, and that the straight community was more in attendance and looking very comfortable. Overall we had a great time, and would make a point of coming again next year. Hope to see you there!

    Everyone loves a Hula Hoop!...Castro Street Fair (10/07/2007)
    Ed U.

    Where are the Weather Girls when you need them? It is only fitting that the summer-to-fall troika of gay-oriented street fairs begins with the most outlandishly fetishistic (Dore Alley), segues into the most ribaldly rank (Folsom Street), and ends with the comparatively calm and congenial Castro Street Fair the first Sunday of October. I wouldn't necessarily describe it as family-friendly, but it is easily the most digestible of the three for any visitors you may have from the red states. This year marks the 34th annual, and at around noon today, it actually felt low-key as if most of the outrageous drag queens took a breather and went to P-town instead. Don't get me wrong...I prefer the vibe I felt this year since it can get heady with all the crowds that gather. But what's nice is that you have less of the gawking tourists at this one since there is none of that leather bondage titillation that seems to thrill them to no end. Instead, there are some extravagantly dressed trannies, a few muscleboys, and a lot of people who just want to have a good time. Plenty of arts and crafts and community service booths, for sure, and then there is Sugar Valley Promenade on 18th to raise your freak flag a bit higher. Of course, all the expected street fair food is on Market, including those huge barbecued teriyaki chicken parts on a stick that everyone was chewing on. The main stage is also on Market with a battery of diverse acts. We happen to see the Mighty Slim Pickens, who were kinda like a butcher version of the B-52's. Compared to the plain-vanilla Union Street Fair, this one has actual character and a sense of humor that would only make the most conservative Republican uncomfortable. Even if you don't look like a steroid-infused model with nipple rings and a red speedo, the odds are still pretty good that you'll find something to entertain you.

    House music area...
    K D.

    What better way to end my party LovEvolution weekend then at the Castro Street Fair! We were actually up at Twin Peaks being tourists and we heard in the far distance some bumpin' House music, so we decided to drive down and see what was going on. Very organized, great crowd, LOTS of food vendors including an Arepa food booth and a few Vietnamese food booths that had Garlic Noodles. Say wah!?!?? The highlight of the fair was seeing a band with the main singer being a drag who really could belt out some good songs! Different areas had different music. I stayed in the house area mainly and BOY was that so much fun! They had beach balls bouncing around and people were just getting down. To my amazement, there wasn't too much diva-house being spun, the dj was definitely bringing it. I wish SoCal would have more events like this, its just a fun way to experience different pockets of the city. :) I didn't see anyone really naked, I saw a lot of body painting, but no people rocking out with their - out. =P

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    7 years ago

    Head for Cliff's hardware. Bucket brigade shook the bucket for a donation to enter the castro st. location. Gay bullies in action again.

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    14 years ago

    Totally fun event! The choir was great and the vendors were cool. Love the area.

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    15 years ago

    I like this street fair a lot. It has lots of good, interesting booths, a mellow mood and generally isn't to crowded, except in spots.

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    18 years ago

    the red-rock stage was a blast . smash-up derby rocked.

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    11 years ago

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    Review Highlights - Castro Street Fair

    Overall we had a great time, and would make a point of coming again next year.

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    Folsom Street Fair - Circle around the

    Folsom Street Fair

    3.9(156 reviews)
    2.7 kmSoMa

    I'm not sure how we got on the topic of the Folsom Street Fair, but he said he'd always wanted to…read morego, and I said I'd always wanted to go, too. I checked my phone, and said, "Hey, it's this weekend!" Next thing you know, my date is wearing a leather collar. He joked, "Are you going to write about this on Yelp?" And I said, "Yes, actually, I am." For anyone who does not know, Folsom Street Fair is the world's largest annual outdoor BDSM fair. Five city blocks are closed off and filled with merchants selling every leather accessory one could possibly imagine. Numerous contraptions are set up in the streets to demonstrate the how-to's of spanking, bondage, suspension, etc. Drinking and smoking are allowed within the fair grounds, and clothing is entirely optional. (Smoking being allowed everywhere, rather than in designated areas only, was my main reason for rating this event 4 stars instead of 5.) We originally arrived at opening, excited to see absolutely everything, and afraid that we would not have time to see it all. We had to wear masks to get in, but once we showed our vaccination cards and paid the suggested donation, it was a free for all. We were directed to where we could check our clothing, should we decide to go without. After walking around the grounds a few times without seeing much, we realized we were too early. We ordered a couple of White Claws from a booth in the fair for $8 each. We considered hanging out in one of the numerous bars which were open on the edges of the fair until more people showed up, but we were hungry, and none of the food looked appealing to us. We decided to leave to go have lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, and come back afterwards. When we came back, it was lit. At one point, we had worried that no one would show up because of the pandemic, but that worry turned out to be completely unfounded. This time around, we had to wait in line for five to ten minutes before getting back in. Multiple food trucks had shown up, but of course now we were full. As I mentioned, clothing was optional, and most people opted to wear none, or very little. I wish I could write about all of the things we saw, but most of them are not appropriate for a Yelp review. I would note that the photos on Yelp are extremely mild compared to what I saw in real life. Let's just say that I saw things in person that I had never even seen on the internet prior to attending this event. This was really and truly a day that I will not, and can not, ever forget. Again, I have pics and videos, but most of them are simply not appropriate for Yelp. For those who are curious, you'll have to turn to Google for a more complete idea of what you might see at the fair.

    It looks like people are having a great time. If this is…read moreyour type of thing go for it! Leather little clothing techno house music and lots of vendors and music for blocks! I believe they section off 8th to 12th street on Folsom. I took some pics from an apartment above in 2022. (Sunday September 25, 2022) I believe it just ended so next year be sure to be outside at 10 am or so and it seems to end at 6pm.

    Photos
    Folsom Street Fair - Folsom Street Fair on Folsom from my friends 5th story apartment Sunday September 25, 2022

    Folsom Street Fair on Folsom from my friends 5th story apartment Sunday September 25, 2022

    Folsom Street Fair - People at Folsom Street Fair

    People at Folsom Street Fair

    Folsom Street Fair - More people at Folsom Street fair

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    More people at Folsom Street fair

    How Weird Street Faire - Food vendors

    How Weird Street Faire

    4.3(50 reviews)
    5.1 kmSoMa

    Attended the 2024 event, Autumn Equinox, this past Saturday, celebrating How Weird's 25th…read moreanniversary. There were several stages of music, but definitely not 8 as advertised (unless they added some in the later hours of the event). Colorful, creative, and quirky costumes galore, but plain clothed attendees not turned away (non-clothed attendees not turned away either). Four different entrances to the event made entry quick and convenient. I went during the opening hours before the crowds filled the event area, but it seemed to be this way throughout the day. Drinks stands were readily available and there were several food options on site (I counted 6 food trucks/stands total), plus bars inside the event area were open for business and some served food too. We had lunch at North India Restaurant, and our curry dishes were tasty and filling. We also picked up some apparel from one of the merchandise vendors selling shirts and sweaters with awesome designs (Engraft). One of my favorite parts of the event was checking out Art Alley, which had many mesmerizing artworks on display. Note that seating is pretty much nonexistent which makes sense since they encourage dancing, but just know that eating may be tough if you need two hands unless you sit on the curb. Though many of the DJs were great, nonstop electronic music at an extraordinarily high volume for hours is not really my scene. I came for the unique experience, the awesome art, decor, and costumes, and carefree crowd of people, and that's exactly what I got. I don't think the value's that great based on $40 per ticket, but we still had a fun time.

    I went back and looked at a 2014 youtube of How Weird and it is truly amazing how much…read moreclub/burner/candy kid fashion has changed in 5 short years. 2019 was my first year at How Weird, and I absolutely did not know what to expect. But what did I find? My mecca! I love burner fashion, I'm a spoonie and unfortunately don't have the health to go to Burning Man, but I love me some sequins, fur, pastels, rainbow colors, unicorn horns, and captains hats. How Weird was literally what I always wish Pride was, and it was here the whole time! I loved the vending at at How Weird and wished I'd been in a more party mood so I could've gotten more out of it, but my first visit definitely convinced me to go next year, or to the version that may be coming in Santa Cruz at the end of the year. 5 stars the whole way.

    Photos
    How Weird Street Faire - Entrance

    Entrance

    How Weird Street Faire - 2024 event (art alley)

    2024 event (art alley)

    How Weird Street Faire - Do it for the Gram

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    Do it for the Gram

    San Francisco Street Food Night Market - Jazz band with their back to 19th Ave.

    San Francisco Street Food Night Market

    4.7(3 reviews)
    3.0 kmBernal Heights

    The SF Night Markets move locations, and this month's was in the Inner Sunset... specifically on…read moreIrving going West from 19th Avenue. I was happy about this one. Big turnout, which felt refreshing even this long after the start of COVID. Good live bands, good selection of food (Gets more reasonable as you go West), and I'm sure the businesses loved the lively volume of foot traffic. The only trick was finding parking... this was the worst it's been for anything I've tried to do in years! But it wasn't hard once I got to MLK in the park.

    I elected to come to the Night Market fundraiser on Friday night(8/17/12) at the Alemany Farmers…read moreMarket instead of the Saturday daytime event. Although they ask $25(plus ticket fees) for attendees to attend the Night Market, I was generally happy to donate to La Cocina just for the convenience of not waiting in super big lines on Saturday. I got there a little bit before 6pm, the event's official start time. I had originally treked over to 25th and Fulsom to find a booth where I can redeem my voucher for a passport. Upon getting there, a La Cocina worker told me that the booth was located at the site....uggghhh. Note to self: go straight to the event for future reference. I arrived at the Alemany Farmers Market with parking pass in hand(bought online for around $9) thinking I was early...ummmm nope. The place was already packed full of people! The people who took the shuttles already arrived and they already had a lengthy head start! The food options were aplenty, lots and lots of businesses were there offering everything from sandwiches, soups, tacos, and other tasty treats. My favorite was the Boss Hog provided by the Bone & Gristle Boys and 4505 Meats. This sandwich initially looked like a huge McGriddle but it was way better than that! Between two griddled English Muffins, nestled a serving of corn meal crusted deep-fried pork and slow roasted chili rubbed pork with a jalapeno ranch dressing. Add vermont cheddar, market greens, smoked red onions, and chicharrones for crunch, and it was AMAZING! It literally was a mess to eat with plenty of stuff falling out and juice getting on your hand, but I'll gladly wipe my hands clean as long as I can have another! Other food booths that I tried included the Jim 'N' Nicks whole hog pork with adobo sauce, The Whole Beast's merengez lamb sausage on a bun with peppers as well as their kefta lamb meatballs on a stick with yogurt dipping sauce, Huarache Loco's lamb taco and lamb soup both of which packed a wallop in spicy punch, and lastly, a serving of Locandoa Osteria's grilled short ribs. Hot and spicy soup does wonders for warming up in the chilly conditions! I can't forget about the alcohol...Whole Foods was there with eight selections of beers ranging from IPA and pale ales to cider too. Ryed from the Road were also there doing cocktails like old-fashions too. Note to future attendees: Wristbands are needed to purchase alcohol although this fact may not be conveyed to you when you arrive. I didn't learn of this until I got to the front of the beer line. Also, alcoholic drinks require you to exchange for tokens as well. Each token is $4(1 token for beer, 2 tokens for mixed drinks). Wristbands and token exchange were located near the entrance of the event. Overall, it was a fun event that had a good turnout and lots of communal seating and many portable heaters for warmth. It was super windy and cold on the night we went so bring your hat, scarves, and jackets when attending. I'll likely come back again for the good food and drinks and to support La Cocina and their charitable endeavors. One thing that I absolutely wish I had tried: Endless Summer's Bacon Maple Kettlecorn!

    Photos
    San Francisco Street Food Night Market - Sword kata demo.

    Sword kata demo.

    San Francisco Street Food Night Market - The band called the Leafs, doing a lot of Tom Petty covers.

    The band called the Leafs, doing a lot of Tom Petty covers.

    San Francisco Street Food Night Market - Shrimp Po Boy at the Cajun stand... $17 and pretty tasty.   High end of prices.

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    Shrimp Po Boy at the Cajun stand... $17 and pretty tasty. High end of prices.

    San Francisco International Beer Festival - SBC at the Beerfest 2008

    San Francisco International Beer Festival

    4.3(55 reviews)
    5.8 kmMarina/Cow Hollow

    Beerfest was awesome!!!!!…read more $60 is a bit pricey. But tons of reasons making it worthwhile. 1. ~200 breweries. (Let's do the math. If you intend to try every one of them, given 3 hours, that's one brewery per minute!) 2. Unlimited noshings! Noshings = snack foods. Which turned out better than expected since there were some bomb foods! (stuff i ate: chili, corn dogs, popcorn, pretzels, pasta, calamari, hot wings, pizza, salad, bread w/pate. Omg...I'm such a pig.) 3. Crowd roars. Where everyone cheers and lifts their mugs up every couple minutes throughout the whole night. 4. Freebies. I don't know how half of the stuff ended up in my purse, or so I will claim. *mental note: bigger purse next year =P 5. No lines. Never had to wait long for anything. Well except for the bathrooms. The guys line was actually longer than the girls! haha. 6. Well stocked booths. Brews were still flowing towards the end of the night. Food...well good supply for the most of the night... ...except Pizza Orgasmica who lasted til the very end, but not without a riot occurring. They had ran out of pizzas before 9pm, and had a sign saying more will come at 9:45pm. Around 9:35pm, a crowd gathered at the booth, fist pumping, bottle-beating, and chanting "We want pizza! *dun dun dun dun dun* We want pizza! *dun dun dun dun dun*" Paper plates were thrown around as frisbees. Some guy would randomly yell out "I looove pizza!!!!" People cheered as the pizzas arrived. And the pushing and mobbing began. Some tried to get the pizzas themselves and the workers had to fend them off. I'm not sure how many pizzas there were exactly, 15-20? But they were all gone in less than 5 minutes. Good times!!! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/iPe7afvSSXpuWUY3csT8Zw?select=fn63ISiFQ2F50VsCfqismA http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/iPe7afvSSXpuWUY3csT8Zw?select=7dM03CGTNJR-71Yp62sU9A http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/iPe7afvSSXpuWUY3csT8Zw?select=Uww4I_a07_oR1_Nyg-gT9w http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/iPe7afvSSXpuWUY3csT8Zw?select=vKbMMn97BODHDpemH2nyXQ http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/iPe7afvSSXpuWUY3csT8Zw?select=Xkzl4ozuPu6wgkIEtQTs_w http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/iPe7afvSSXpuWUY3csT8Zw?select=Erz-dKTOL50kpau0y2DZpQ http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/iPe7afvSSXpuWUY3csT8Zw?select=1X_T0TtV4HRwsCCUti0geg

    I thought Oktoberfest only came to San Francisco once a year... and then, for the first time in…read morethree years, I managed to get a ticket to "Beerfest" before they sold out (in about 3 hours!). I love SF's Oktoberfest but Beerfest might be, gasp, even better! Reasons why Beerfest Beats Oktoberfest: - Once you buy the ticket, beer samples from 300 breweries are free!!! - Food is also free!!! - Proceeds go to charity! (the Telegraph Hill Preschool - this preschool must have a lot of money now because I'm guessing 5000 guests at $60 per ticket!) - The beer variety is fabulous and you are bound to discover so many new beers that you'll LOVE! Why settle on one or two types of beer when you can enjoy 500?! - You don't have to coordinate with your friends to choose the "morning shift" or the "afternoon shift" like Oktoberfest Ways Beerfest could be improved: - I missed important beer-drinking time by waiting in the bathroom line for 20 plus minutes; please put some porto-potties outside like Oktoberfest! - Add a costume element :) - Raise the volume of the music a bit and possibly add a dance floor - More food options! - More swag Can I buy my ticket for 2011 now please?!

    Photos
    San Francisco International Beer Festival - Eric, Walter P, RJR, and Ranz N  (North meets South at Beerfest)

    Eric, Walter P, RJR, and Ranz N (North meets South at Beerfest)

    San Francisco International Beer Festival - Oddly enough, the one I was most looking forward to was the Singha booth

    Oddly enough, the one I was most looking forward to was the Singha booth

    San Francisco International Beer Festival - Beerfest 04-16-2011

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    Beerfest 04-16-2011

    San Francisco Street Food Festival - Caricature artist

    San Francisco Street Food Festival

    3.2(279 reviews)
    4.5 kmMission Bay

    It was my first time attending La Cocina's SF Street Food Festival which I understand has just…read morereturned after a 5-year hiatus. It took place at China Basin Park this past weekend and featured live music, activities such as caricature portraits, several merchandise vendors, multiple bar tents, and plenty of good eats... though lots of menu items were sold out around 5pm (three hours before closing time on Saturday), and I'm not sure if it's perhaps different earlier in the day. Diverse food offerings included Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Indonesian, Nepali, and Jamaican bites, a variety of Latin American cuisine (Guatemalan, Salvadorian, Venezuelan, Mexican, etc.), along with French and Taiwanese pastries. Dessert booths were selling cookies and other sweet treats in unique flavors, too. I enjoyed a crispy beef empanada from Camucha's Kitchen and a yummy skirt steak arepa from Pacifico's food stand. Noise Pop's live entertainment schedule was equally and possibly even more exciting than the food lineup. Hip-hop, jazz, rnb, latin fusion, garage rock, and more, presented by the bands on stage. I particularly enjoyed the sounds of Orchestra Gold (Afro-psych) in the afternoon. There was not much light in the grassy meadow after dark, but the stage was definitely lit, and so was Oracle Park stadium across the way which kept the area illuminated to some extent. To me, it felt like the cost of admission was expensive for the food selection available, especially with vendors running out of items halfway through the event and the price of menu options being sky high compared to the portions given. But the food I did end up getting was tasty. And the waterfront views were gorgeous, especially at sunset, creating an ideal setting to go along with lovely weather in SF (a somewhat warm evening in November). I appreciated my time here.

    I'm glad that they brought back the food festival.i liked the location.it had great views…read more The food was good,not anything that stood out as special. I would have liked to see a wider variety of vendors, there were mostly Hispanic vendors. I gladly tried as many as I could. My main concern was the lack of enforcement of people just walking in without paying. I saw plenty of people just coming in from the trail along the coast. I wasn't the only one who noticed this happening. I don't mind paying for a event. But either everyone pays or nobody has to pay. If you looked carefully most people in the food lines didn't have a stamp. I may not attend next year unless this issue is addressed

    Photos
    San Francisco Street Food Festival - 2025 event

    2025 event

    San Francisco Street Food Festival - Food stands

    Food stands

    San Francisco Street Food Festival - Food stands

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    Food stands

    North Beach Festival

    North Beach Festival

    3.4(46 reviews)
    5.3 kmNorth Beach/Telegraph Hill

    In terms of street festivals in San Francisco, the North Beach festival has been the best one we've…read morebeen to in 2024, it's also one of the biggest ones in regards to sheer size and street closures. They block maybe 6-7 blocks for food, vendors, shopping, etc, plus it's dog friendly. We never miss a chance to stroll in the middle of the streets and soak up a sunny day in the city. We got there around 12ish and it was already starting to get packed. They had a good selection of food, and we ended up eating some sweet chili chicken tenders and crab fries. Forget the $28 we spent, it was well worth it. We also did some shopping and picked up some unique pieces for an upcoming trip. If you've been to other street festivals, you'll notice to see a lot of repeat vendors from the other festivals, but North Beach's size allows for more. The smaller beer gardens were kinda lackluster though. 3 different areas for live music more than made up for it and kept things interesting. Being there for a day and experiencing the festival is proof once again that the city has fallen off and is still a great place to visit and explore Definitely will be back next year for this festival!

    We had a great time at the North Beach Festival's 70th anniversary celebration this past weekend…read more Endless vendors selling food, drinks, and unique merchandise such as stereos made out of vintage tin lunch boxes, or purses created out of aluminum can tabs. Lots of good eats on site, from pies to gyros... the grilled pork belly plate from GIM Belly's food stand was especially tasty. Multiple stages at different corners of the event entertaining crowds with amazing live music. My fave was the Good Bad band, playing awesome bluegrass tunes on various string instruments including the mandolin and banjo. Parking wasn't easy, but we got lucky finding a spot on the street a block away after circling a couple times. Overall, a positive experience.

    Photos
    North Beach Festival
    North Beach Festival - Clean and safe

    Clean and safe

    North Beach Festival

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    Castro Street Fair - festivals - Updated July 2026

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