Calm, lots of respectful police presence, and easy to navigate. Public transit was a breeze.

Some people don't know this, but there are actually two main parts to the Pride celebration, the parade which stretches along Market street from Embarcadero to 8th/Hyde, and the festival at Civic Center Plaza, which includes a security check entrance (clear bags or tiny clutches only are allowed) and an entire lineup of festival offerings including food and drink tents, merchandise vendors, an entertainment stage, grassy areas for picnicking, and more. This review is only for the festival (see my separate review for the parade...yes Yelp has another listing for that). After watching the Pride parade, we headed over to this event at the Civic Center Plaza. The security line went quickly, and once inside, we got to explore a number of interesting vendors, getting ourselves a few goodies, including some cute sunglasses and lovely matching outfits, lots of great colors and designs to choose from. And of course, a strawberry covered funnel cake. It was delish! There were at least two vendors selling funnel cakes, along with endless offerings for other diverse foods and desserts throughout the festival. Of course, we could barely move through the massive crowds, so we stuck with our first find and settled at a spot in the grass to enjoy our sweet treat. These are some of the biggest crowds I've ever experienced, mainly in the areas near the food tents... you can barely move and don't even know where the lines for vendor tents end. A tad too crowded for comfort I gotta say. Also, though I appreciate that there were few or no lines for drinks, I feel there were way too many bar booths and not enough restrooms/porta potties, they could have balanced that out a little better... those restroom lines were ridiculously long (I'm gonna guess at least 30-45 minute waits in the afternoon from the looks of it), so much that we just left the whole event to use the restroom elsewhere. I was still enamored with the lively atmosphere here and the diverse offerings and opportunities for attendees to engage with their community and just enjoy this giant outdoor party and celebration of acceptance, self-expression, and love :) read more

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I have no idea why there are 2 listings for the same parade, so I'm going to repeat myself: 2023 Pride Parade was exceptional. A most loud & supportive crowd and everyone was having so much fun. I think this is San Francisco's middle finger to the haters out there in god's country. I totally get that many people are upset about the corporate "takeover" & abundance of straight people. Well, that ship has sailed. I skipped a couple years cause it was getting boring watching the parade of, as another reviewer described, matching shirts. But the combination of COVID fatigue & political climate seemed to have changed the atmosphere this year. There is an alternative. More in keeping with the origins of the Pride Parade is the 4th annual People's March and Rally, which takes place at the same time, starting at Polk & Washington Streets and ending at Fern Alley. In my opinion, this is the time for everyone to come together. It's those corporations that fund the parade so you don't have to pay admission, like in SoCal. The presence of so many straight people and their small children is the crowds way of showing support. Pride is celebrated, essentially telling the LGBTQ community they are not alone in their fight for equality. As is tradition, the Dykes on Bikes kicks off the celebration. There were marchers for trans rights, keep LGBTQ books in libraries, free hugs, school children marching, everyone dancing, flag waving, signs, balloons, creative costumes, cheering, roller skates, bands, politicians, airlines, SFPD, SFFD, recycling ...much etc I'm never leaving the Blue Bubble read more

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Important you will not be allowed into the main area that has the stage and vendors if you have anything larger than a fanny pack. You can bring larger bags, but they must be made of clear materials. bring drums, bubbles and flags for dyke march on Saturday and PRIDE Sunday as well. Park at the bottom of Franklin near market Street and walk to the end of the parade where the actual entrance to the stages starts use XStreet app to park without getting ticket! best place to watch parade is at the end the route right at this marker: https://maps.apple.com/?address=1232%20Market%20St,%20San%20Francisco Use http://gay.dothebay.com/ to plan what shows to see. read more

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This years pride festival was special to my husband and I. It was a memorable pride parade the both of us enjoyed. We got off to a little bit of a late start but managed to still see a lot of parade outside. Getting to the festivities was a challenge though, lines were very long to get past the security checkpoint. People pushing and shoving through the crowds it was difficult. I had managed "Accidentally" to run into some people due to the difficult nature of navigating the streets inside the festival. Way too crowded. Beer was served at the festival. $13.75 for many draft beers. They did take credit cards if you wanted to pay that way. They also had a sticker program if you donate to the cause you will get $1 off of drinks. Long lines for people to get their drinks too. Some parade marchers were handing out goodies to people behind the gated areas and we got a couple of goodie bags. Overall - It was nice to see the parade again, especially after what we've been through in the pandemic. Just not used to the large crowds like that. read more

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My very first SF Pride parade and it was such a lovely feeling. I brought along with me my mom, sister, boyfriend and his two cousins. It was all of our firsts! We took the ferry from Vallejo to the city, greatest idea ever. Tip for next year: Wait by the ferry building at 7:30. Doors open at 8 AM. Expect a long line out the door for ferry tickets. If you aren't a big fan of big crowds, this event isn't for you. Expect to see a lot of skin, too. SF Pride is such a heartwarming event. You could forreal feel the love in the air!!! I loved how even though it was so crowded, people were still really nice and not pushy. You'll see many people dressed up in the most pretty and colorful outfits! The floats, flags, messages written on signs, etc. will make your heart so full! My sis and I were able to stand on a newspaper thing so we were able to see the parade from such a great angle! Being up there and interacting with the people in the parade was the best part! I'd for sure come back here next year!! read more

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I am a freelance photographer for over 14 years and always cover the SF Pride weekend (parade, festival, Trans March/rally, Dyke Rally, etc). Pre-pandemic SF pride parade and festival was always an over-the-top magical experience. At times it seemed like a lot of straight people would go to it just to party and not really care about the LGBTQ community. This year (2023) was nice. Smaller turnout in general however it felt like a true LGBTQ+ pride parade. Core groups marched like the Dykes On Bikes, the LGBTQ freedom band, different cheerleading groups as well as nonprofits that raise funds for the community like the Ducal Court, and this year's grand marshalls were a diverse group that represented specific areas of the community. Overall it was a nice representation of the whole community read more

While there are sooo many great free festivals in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area, I actually have to say this one will always be my favorite! Wether it's dancing in front of one of the many stages they have, checking out all the cool merch and jewelry that people are selling, or eating some super tasty food from one of the many food trucks, there truly is always something fun to do here! While I no longer live in the Bay Area, I still try and fly out for this festival every couple of years or so, because it's just that fun! read more

San Francisco Pride - Festivals Near Me - San Francisco, California

Want to be part of the Pride Parade? Who's going? What are we wearing? What time do we need to be there? Where do we start at? *EXCITING, FUN, ENTERTAINING, GRATIFICATION, INTERESTING, PRICELESS* The San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration, usually known as San Francisco Pride, is a parade and festival held at the end of June each year in San Francisco to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and their allies. This year I had the opportunity to support pride day for thousands of people on this glorious day. Kinda felt famous today in the parade as many people asked can I take a picture of you or with you? LOL dancing around strutting my stuff with the crowd roaring, television/newspaper crew getting picture happy and living in the moment. BIG SHOUTS OUT to SF MAGIC BALLOON for letting us sport your creativity!! http://www.sfballoonmagic.com/ Check out my photos!! read more

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I really enjoyed myself! I yelled and cheered and got plenty of pride gear!!! It seemed like everyone was enjoying themselves old and young! I've been many times and this was another joyful experience. There were some things I didn't like. There were multiple people selling marijuana edibles and even Jell-O shots just on the street corner. I understand that sfpd was busy but that's definitely unsafe. The closer I got to civic center the more sketchy it became. The most interesting thing I saw was the multitudes of metal detectors at the front of the pride celebration at the end of the parade. I know it's for safety but it's just an unfortunate reminder of how crazy people can be at these types of events. read more

San Francisco Pride - I love the costumes! - Festivals Near Me - San Francisco, California

I don't want to group all of the events of Pride Week into one category. I see some of us already have. The Tranny March and Rally... The Dyke March and Rally... The Pink Saturday Party... The Pride Parade... The Pride Festival... They are all separate events to me! Separate and not equal! The week as a whole is absolutely fabulous! This is the only holiday I truly celebrate. I take off Friday and Monday...and sometimes even Tuesday if more recovery is necessary. I have my general itinerary (as listed above, but there are also a million parties and get-togethers all happening at once. With so much to choose from, I often wish I had clones for this week and this week only! Rating Pride Week as a whole, they get FIVE stars...easily! As for the Pride Festival...the actual festival on the last Sundays of June, it gets a FIVE too, but not as enthusiastic of a five...more like a four-and-a-half. I love the energy of it all, but it can get some damn packed sometimes. Going from one end of Civic Center to the other can take what feels like hours! Oh, and if you insist on traveling in packs, good luck! Date of Event: Last Weekend of June read more

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I went to the 40th Pride Festival on Sat 6/26/10 & got there about 10:30am. Got off Bart at Civic Center and it's right there. Most annoying part of the festival was the people everywhere asking for donation. There was also a booth to spin the wheel for stuff at $5 a spin. Crazy. Walked around trying to get some FREE stuff. I did get to spin the wheel for a chance to win Switzerland trip. Got a FREE Swiss Pride white t-shirt w/ red lettering. Got some pens, one condom, coupon for Petco & they had dog food & cat food. Street festival food - the same boring stuff, Saigon BBQ is at all the festivals! Didn't get to see the Pride Parade - saw Flickr pics Mayor Newsom was there & Backstreet Boys. I saw some videos on YouTube of Backstreet Boys singing at 4pm Sun. Website: http://www.sfpride.org/ read more

So fun! I went for the first time this year. I drove into the city twice on two different days from Stockton just to join in on the festivities. People here are fun, and happy (drunk), and friendly. I love it. I swear, it feels like love and happiness is emanating everywhere. It's fun people watching and seeing all the crazy outfits people wear and the lack of outfits other people wear. Given I saw some things I didn't want to see, I saw a lot of things that I would have never seen elsewhere. It's these kinds of things that make me love SF. I wish I could make it out there more often. read more

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I've been attending SF GP Parades off and on since about 2004. Always flashy, risque, loud and proud. A great, fun parade with plenty of playful weirdness and just the right dash of naughtiness. This one was just awful. It was almost solid corporate advertisement. One corporation after another with banners and signs advertising their product and hundreds of their employees just walking along in t-shirts with their company logos rendered in rainbow colors. There were a few good moments. The Dykes on Bikes is always fun, the cheerleaders were great as usual, and a couple of other things. But mainly, it was masses of straight people walking along in big groups. The never-ending flood of normally-dressed, unremarkable straight people completely diluted and swamped out the small amount of actual cool gay stuff. Straight people have taken over what used to be a fun, quirky part of the SF gay culture. Corporatism strikes again. I never thought I'd live to see the day when the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade is boring. read more

inclusivity at its finest!!!!! everyone welcome!!!! *needs more bathrooms throughout the venue **$21 for a shitty whiteclaw wannabe is ridiculous loooooved seeing our local politicians and grand marshalls! all ages welcome. cannot wait to go back! read more

This is my 300th Review, a modest benchmark that I reserved for this event, because we need more GLOBAL Advocacy and Equality for our brothers and sisters, whomever they may be or become; along with whomever they love. I got to spend the weekend the only Asian Boy who ever broke my heart - the infamous P.N. aka Nick who I met in 6th grade. We used to talk for hours on the telephone and I'd listen to him giggle, despite being Nationally Ranked Track and Field record holder. It never occurred to me that this was odd, nor that I needed to reconcile the two facts, as they were but fractional facets of a young man who was brilliant (and still is) in every way. Glorious. Our affection for each other was completely chaste; we never held hands, we never kissed... But we passed fastidiously folded notes to each other through three years of GATE and Honors classes. Mine, written in a hybrid print and cursive; his always in elegant award winning penmanship. I became violently jealous when he chose to do that with the tallest, WASPiest girl in our class. At a school dance, I had a conniption when he was werking My Prerogative with more rhythm than Bobby Brown, dancing, but not with me. I was huddled in the corner, taking in this "profanation of our love" and almost wept. Aside: Dad is not a PhD, but has a collection of M.S. Degrees: Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and CIS. When you marinate in passionate soliloquies about the fields of Aerospace and Defense, a young lady with a hungry mind inherently develops a fondness for soldering bugs onto circuit boards...and the ability to wreak havoc in more creative ways than simply spreading gossip to get back at a 'tween rival. Back at the 7th grade dance, I instantly and permanently developed a loathing of *her* springy, natural blond ringlets which bounced jubilantly off her shoulders with each song. I contemplated cutting the power and swiping a few components from the circuit breaker, to ensure maximum disruption. It was a McGyver of Mischief and Mayhem Moment, to be sure. I decided against it, as: * I didn't have gloves with me, and I didn't want to leave prints or other trace DNA that would get me grounded or a stern talk from the Principal. Lesson learned: always have protection with you! * The dance would be interrupted, exponentially diminishing my chances of Slow Dancing with Nick to the perennial fave of those daze, UB40's Red Red Wine. * I had no transportation; the logistics to procure a bunny to leave boiling on his stove were also daunting. This confluence of confusion gave me a horrible case of Will&Grace-itis, which cannot be cured with antibiotics, and stung painfully in the most deep and tender spot: my HEART. That weekend, In a fit of rage and angst, I convinced my mother that I was over my trademark long, silky hair, which fell below my waist. This is how I damned myself into getting a Connie Chung Haircut. Mom's straight, white "stylist" in Tustin fretted and said, "Asian hair...looks good in a bob." I consented, jaw set resolutely, convinced that I would be able to reclaim MY guy from the flaxen-haired hussy. I hated the cut, and my father wept when he saw me with short hair for the first time since I was an infant. Being a 7th grader with a finely tuned Gaydar and brass balls makes for complicated social interactions, especially with family. Returning to the same salon for a poodle perm because your fussy, fledgling Inner Gay Man wants curls and volume is also a painful rite of passage. Nick got a full scholarship to an East Coast Boarding School for Boys. We continued to talk on the phone. My father saw the long distance charges and wept. I wrote over the top love sonnets that would have made Donne's A Benediction Forbidding Mourning seem like a postcard in comparison. There were a few visits over pho in Little Saigon through the years, where I guffawed and he giggled. After college, we lost track of each other. He legally changed his name when he became a U.S. Citizen; I have always used a nome de plume or a winking abbreviation of my tedious German name. But just last week, FB reunited us after 15 years of radio silence. He already had plans to come up for Pride; I had no intentions of missing this serendipitous tesseract. New York - THANK YOU for the gift of Love on Friday. SF - thank you for supporting this event and the Community. Nick retroactively mourned my still short hair and confessed that he'd always wanted to brush it and run his fingers through it. I retroactively cursed myself for wanting to conform. Nick, his friend Peter and I had a gorgeous time, celebrating, reveling and enjoying the festivities. I also got to really let loose and Dance with My Guy. Finally. Truly, a full circle for ALL of us, where there is room to be included, just as you are and just as you love. read more

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I love SF Gay Pride Festival!!! I like the saying"there's a little gay in all of us " hahahha like it or not....I always enjoy this event...every year...didn't get to see the parade today because I got there a bit late...I had the chance to ride with some friends on a Harley but i didn't make it on time...anyway there's always next year right? read more

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Rewind to 2006. My first pride event. I'm a little shocked by what I witness. Sun. Music. Food. Nudity. Lots of weirdness. Ok, I deal with it. It's one big fucking party and I love it. Fast forward 10 years later. I'm no longer shocked by what I see. It's about the same but with metal detectors. Yes, there are some notable differences. The parade is much longer, entrance points are severely crowded (if you come late), and thankfully there is a much stronger police presence. But what really changes, it's me, the participant. This year's cause was for Racial and Economic Equality. How many folks actually came out for that reason? Unknown. But SF Pride's mission "is to educate the world, commemorate our heritage, celebrate our culture, and liberate our people." Yes, it is a party on the outside but delve a little deeper and you might find yourself surrounded by people, not trying, but making this world better one rainbow at a time. And that I can get behind. Just don't mind the trail of duct tape that follows. read more

San Francisco Pride - Unfortunately, my local hardware store ran out of all their rainbow duct tape. - Festivals Near Me - San Francisco, California

Preface: this review isn't for pride's cause, it's for the festivities itself. The idea and concept behind SF pride is beautiful. Celebrate love, celebrate diversity and celebrate unity. This past week has been a monumental for the LGBT community; equal rights with marriage equality. Overdue and well deserved..... my hats off to you, America. SF pride falling on this week was the equivalent of Cinco de mayo falling on taco Tuesday (that was a joke(?), simmer down). Historically, pride has been a day where all walks of life can come together and celebrate LOVE....what can go wrong there!? While I applaud the mission, the execution gets messy. It's not the coordinators fault as much as it's the parade-goers fault. For arguments sake, some stats from SFPD, SATURDAY: * 3: The number of arrests for felonies at the Civic Center celebration * 2: The number of arrests of people with outstanding felony arrest warrants * 9: The number of arrests and citations for Civic Center celebration misdemeanors * 1: The number of robbery arrests in Dolores Park * 10: The number of public drunkenness arrests at the Civic Center event * 16: The number of public drunkenness arrests at the Mission event * 1: The number of resisting arrest for public drunkenness charges in the Mission * 20: The number of medical calls made from the Civic Center celebration * 13: The number of people who used the Civic Center "sobering center" * 4: The number of handguns seized at the Civic Center celebration * 3: The number of juveniles busted for possession of M-80 fireworks in the Mission Oh, and that doesn't count one person injured from a shooting. Why am I not surprised? SUNDAY: 9: The number of people arrested for felonies. 4: The number of people arrested for misdemeanors 11: The number of people arrested for public drunkenness 2: The number of handguns seized 90-100: The number of medical calls made from the scene of the event keep it classy, SF. We can sit back and point fingers all day: straights, gay, bridge and tunnel, hipsters, marina bros, young or old...anyone. Fact is, it's gotten out of hand and far too big for SFPD to maintain and/or handle. Granted, I was at the civic center portion for a short while but after an hour of seeing people stumble around blacked out and 15 year olds dressed up as provocative ravers chugging 4 lokos all before 2pm, I knew it was time to head home. I swore to myself a few years back that it was my last pride when someone got shot about 40 feet away from me on market and Castro. While MOST celebrate love, it only takes a few rotten apples to ruin it for everyone.... And seems to get worse year after year. Until the city can get a grip on this event, I don't see a point in going or even why they need an event in civic center AND the mission AND the castro....seriously!? Too much traffic, too much chaos and LOTS of room for debauchery; amateur hour in its purest state and people just looking for an excuse to party and trash our city. I don't wanna sound like the grumpy old guy who doesn't enjoy a good time...because that couldn't be further from the truth; Just party responsibly and don't forget WHY you're partying. SFist hit the nail on the head: http://sfist.com/2015/06/29/when_exactly_did_pride_become_a_par.php All in all, #lovewins.... But ill cheers my glass from afar. read more

San Francisco Pride - Running through pride with my woes. - Festivals Near Me - San Francisco, California

The biggest and craziest Pride celebration in the entire world! I've been going to SF Pride since I was old enough to take public transit on my own and support my LGBT brothers and sisters-all the way back in 2006 or so. So I've been going most of my life and I always have a great time. In the more recent years, I've been able to attend the more 'adult' portions of the festival, such as Pink Party, bars, drinking, the notorious Folsom street, and staying up all night without worrying my mama. Altogether, this is an event everyone should check out at least once in my life. Civic Center hosts the official city festival on both Saturday and Sunday, but there are numerous parties and celebrations across the city over the course of the week. I will speak mostly on the City-hosted event. Every year it seems to get bigger, and it was no doubt this year would be the biggest-coming right on the heels of the Supreme Court decision to legalize Same-Sex Marriage across the entire United States. It was so damn packed this year that simply moving from stage to stage was like trying to navigate a damn Taylor Swift concert. Young teenagers wearing not much clothing jumping and shouting to the latest electronic poppy tunes pumped out by local DJ's on small stages located on every corner. The amount of folks attending pride this year that don't usually attend was astounding. You can tell because the amount of costumes was down this year. Usually, it is a sea of colored wigs, wings, gold lame shorts, and feathers. Not too many this year. You can also tell by their demeaner-the atmosphere felt a bit more vanilla and tame. BORING. Another gripe that I have-and PLEASE City Officials please make a note-The food options have NOT CHANGED in the freaking 8 years I have been attending Pride! I swear as soon as I walk into the festival, it's the same fading food signs. "BBQ" "Garlic Fries" "Fried Calamari" "Burritos" "Falafels" There literally has been no change in vendors or food. And it's such a shame since the whole celebration of Pride is about progress and diversity, you'd imagine the food to reflect as such. But nope, no new Vegan options. No new Gluten Free options. No organic or healthy options. Every other event in San Francisco has been bringing in local food trucks or vendors that offer fresh and delicious food. Instead, we're stuck inhaling BBQ fumes that cover entire city blocks. The vendors also seemed skimpy this year and the alcohol offerings remain dry. Budlight or Smirnoff? Come on... Aside from the poor vendors, food, and drinks, Pride is a fun place to celebrate love and dance your heart out. I had quite the moment crying together with a group of strangers as we watched a Lesbian couple finally marry after being together for 33 years. There's nothing more important than the love we bring together and the fight we continue to battle every year. Love Wins! read more

Greatest pride parade and party in the greatest city in the world. Thank you San Francisco and The Bay Area!

I honestly enjoy the goodness of humanities and coming together to party your brains out. The first SF Pride I attended was in 2004 when a dozen of my gay friends from Seattle flew down to break me in. And all I could say was "WTF!!! THIS IS PRIDE? Because i'm having the time of my life!!" - pink party - dyke march - pride parade - civic center festival It opened my eyes, heart, and mind in so many ways and although I am not "QPC" i like to participate, be festive, and just celebrate for the hell of it. Best partying I've ever done in my entire partying life! read more

I loved the festival this year! They had a sparkling wine tent (for those of us who hate beer) and some great booths (Progressive, SF Weekly, etc). I doubt I'd come out on a crazy, busy, filled to the brim Sunday again since Saturday was so nice and chill, but as this was my first year, live and learn I suppose :) read more

How can I not give 5 stars? It's pride and the people are just fab. This year due to the Orlando shooting (RIP), there were metal detectors. Thank you, SF for doing that, it helped everyone feel safer, I think...although it's a sad reality. A plethora of different people, LGBT and their straight allies..... and all the other mini categories that the LGBT doesn't include. The idea of SF Pride is the best thing ever, but let's be real.... It is DIRTY, so don't drink too much or else you'll have to pee in the really disgusting portapotties where they don't have handwashing stations (c'mon even EDC and coachella has 'em) and trash EVERYWHERE. (Can you put like... way more trashcans please? Even recycling bins???) So if you come, be prepared. Bring sunblock Bring a jacket for later Bring a camelback Bring your own booze (and hide it) Bring a snack Wear sneakers Bring your gay face. or straight face. or bi face. or les face or trans face. just your face. Also... either come really early or come really late because BART is PACKED, yo! And let the elderly and pregnant and disabled people freaking sit! Don't be a jerk! read more

For the second year in a row, my friends and I showed our true colors at Pride by strutting our stuff as a walking, talking, cheesing, PLEASING rainbow! I hope you saw us there... if not, check out my pics, they suffice. I PRAYED for sun. Even when we left our house in the Inner Richmond it seemed dreary and hopeless. But the miracle of miracles happened, and Mr. Sunshine came out just in time for the better part of the whole festival! I couldn't have been happier. Truly though, the real miracle of miracles is this year itself. The LGBT community has made such strides and I'm SO prideful to be the eensiest part of the celebration. Cheers, queers! read more

I love Lesbians. Gays. Bis. Transes. Queers. Inters. Asexuals. Questionings. And all other letters y'all keep adding every time I blink. But homegirl flirt-pinched me so hard, I don't think there's any nipple left on that side of my chest. read more

My friend from Sacramento goes to Pride every year so I decided to catch up with her here. She and her girlfriend make this their annual SF visit so I figured this would be a good time as any to catch up. We visited a bunch of the booths and scored some free loot. I learned a lot about Hepatitis C. They also played really good music. There was a really happy, loving vibe in the crowd. The weather was gorgeous this year and if you got there early enough you could roam around freely. It started to get really packed for the parade a little after noon. It's fun for everyone and I highly recommend going at least once in your lifetime. It's one big party all weekend long. read more

One big awesome party, for cool people of all kinds who 1) enjoy having fun and 2) appreciate equality. Is it possible I'm still drunk from the last one I attended!? read more

San Francisco Pride - Festivals Near Me - San Francisco, California

The major issue I have with this is that there is a typo in the advertising. The event organizers wrote smoke free event, which should be smoke freely event. Can't go more than 10 feet before encountering someone that is smoking something. read more

Ahhh.... Pride festival! always a spankin' good time. For 2010... the concert (backstreet boys) was a def letdown for those of us that crowded in, waited under intense heat conditions and danced our way to what we thought would be an awesome concert. Instead it was like 2 songs?! But everything else? Fabulous! food~crazy~ fun~ expressive peeps.... rainbow-goodness... read more

First of all 22 years and counting. I love SF pride. Nothing makes you feel more a part of SF. However, this year a very dangerous thing happened and the organizers need to be aware. People were watching the parade from the Civic Center BART entrance in front of the theatre. They were blocking the entrance and a huge CRUSH of people ensued. It felt dangerous for a couple minutes until we got through and I'm sure it could have turned way worse. Keep doing what you do. I love it but please make sure we have good crowd control. I'd hate to read about someone getting crushed in a crowd. read more

This years 2008 parade was so much better than '07. Why because there was so much love in the air, due to all the weddings that had been going on. I just hope and pray that they can stay legal. I didn't get to go to the festival, but my friend said that it was way too crowded. But I love the dykes on bikes, got my motors rushing. read more

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I felt proud to witness such a beautiful ideal such as equality and love all in one venue. My hubby and I took our tween and teen girls to watch some of the parade, we want our girls to be aware of others struggles and also have that attitude instilled in them that everyone matters, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, personal beliefs, etc. It seemed pretty well organized and the parade moved a long smoothly. There was a wide variety of floats and performers, many corporations such as Salesforce, Levi's, US Bank, Safeway, etc. had floats and people waving on top. Also, there were politicians and local community leaders in the parade. Downside, I don't care that you're straight, gay or transgender, but please don't make out with such passion and fervor that it starts to feel uncomfortable that my 11 year old is getting a whole new lesson on sex Ed. I mean, honestly, I don't want to see a guy and a girl going at it, two dudes, two girls, kiss or whatnot, jamming your hand down someone's pants and jerking off and frenching with such force it looks like a frenzied paroxysm, gross. That said, we just kept walking on. Other downside, people littered A LOT!! There was trash everywhere. Be prepared to deal with heavy traffic getting into the city towards the parade. We parked about 7-8 blocks away and walked over. Overall, we were happy to celebrate such an important right, the right to be equal. #lovewins read more

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In lure of the legislation legalizing gay marriages we all anticipated it to be a big year for the floats... we excepted them to go all out... but to be honest it felt like any other year. Amusing recaps: 1) Dropbox gave out free space! Woo-Hoo!!! 2) The Get-out-of-SF interest group (dressed up in google colors, fonts, and map's pins) marched in front of Google itself (the irony). The former looked like a fragmented bunch of leaderless group with uncreative and poorly designed banners. While the later (Google) was cheered on by the crowd. Colorful. Loud. Exuberant. PR points for Google! 3) The party at civic center was outrageous! The air smelled of pot and the ground littered with empty beer cans. People making out on the streets. Music blaring. A college party gone out of hand in broad daylight? read more

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Alcohol Music Sexy Ass Beautiful Boobs Big C*cks Leather Bears Straight turned Curious Lesbians turned Straight Old Queens Street Pharmacy Gay Thugs Outrageous costumes Tiny d*cks The Ridiculous religious protesters The Studs The Fems The Bottoms The Tops The Closet Cases Club Kids Big Dykes 3somes Passing out BBQ Backstreet Boys Mixing drinks Chilling on the lawn Soaking in the sun Alcohol non stop SF PRIDE is the Gangsta of Prides! You better ask somebody! read more

Flaccid penis. Lots of it. Just out in the open. Walking around the streets of San Francisco. Some pierced. Some tattooed. In one case, a male tourist was cupping the testicles of a particularly amused mustachioed gentleman with rainbow-colored face paint as the guy's girlfriend snapped a picture with her phone. Some wore dresses with feathers and sequins. Some wore nothing but a thong or body paint. Some wore leather. Some were in head-to-toe tight vinyl. Some were topless. Some hadn't shaved anything below their noses. Here and there, people were smoking pot. Many more were drinking. Once in a while, you ran into some sucking down a canister of keyboard cleaner. Some made out in the streets. Some fondled one another. Some went further. While Burning Man is considered this wonderful festival out in the desert, where people could "be themselves" for a few hundred bucks, I feel San Francisco Pride is far more beautiful. It's people, taking up whole blocks of a major metropolis, being courageously honest with themselves in a very public setting. I've been to a few pride festivals in other places. You had to pay to get in ($20, usually) and then you were in a fenced off area where you didn't expect homophobes to come through, and you felt safe in your own little area, and could party it up with a few thousand people. At San Francisco's, it's not only free to attend, it's not caged in, and anyone could just walk right through. And here you've got people excited about expressing themselves out in the open--letting it all hang out in so many cases--not caring who or what might wander through their festival. SF's is the only festival I've been to where homeless people smiled and shouted, "Happy Pride!" to random people. It's also the most fun I've had sucking at Twister with a bunch of strangers. Fag hag pride. read more

Being gay myself this "Festival" always brings mixed reviews near and dear to my heart. Although I support everything gay - rights, marriage, equality, you name it, I just don't agree with half naked anyone running around on floats promoting a lifestyle that isn't our everyday. Unless it is and I'm just oblivious to it. We are normal people just like everyone else but instead the only thing the press will advertise are the half naked bodies bumping and grinding on floats while the rest of the ignorant people watching see and instantly judge. We have to be better than this guys and gals, and gal-guys. That being said... this can be a very fun event where people from all over the world come to witness and celebrate diversity. Come next year and be sure to join in on all the dancing, drinking, and debauchery that ensues... read more

What an experience! I learned that even men with micro penises see no shame in walking around naked. Lord-he must have been the taker because there was not nearly enough to give! This was my first Pride but definitely not my last! I'm already looking forward to next years festivities! There is nothing like walking past a blow up penis on the way to the port o potties with your mom to end the day proper! Only in San Francisco! read more

Yes it deserves a full 5 stars or even 10, but I just can't add my last star for my unfortunate run-in. How is it possible that at such an amazing, happy, awesome festival there has to be two really stupid people that decide to play me like a fool and run off with my iphone? Maybe I have bad luck with smartphones, but COME ONE PEOPLE, WHY????!!! Having that happen really put a damper on the rest of the day for me, because when is being mugged fun? Bah. Anyways in general, Pride festival is amazing. Thousands of people come out to show their love, dress up (or dress down if you know what I mean, *ooohhlala*), dance, party, meet new people, listen to good music, cover themselves in rainbows, and be merry. It really doesn't get any better, especially in our lovely SF bubble. I was super super super excited to come back this year, but now I'm wary about next year. I guess if I go, I just won't bring a phone? Yup, sounds like a plan! read more

The LGBT Festival is so fun and SO important! I love attending this great event every year. In addition to supporting everyone's right to be proud of their sexuality, there are also fun music and costumes, great food, yummy drinks, and freebies! Many of the freebies come in the form of colorful, flavorful condoms and lubes which are actually a fairly valuable freebie if you think about it... you also will likely come across mini Starbucks samples, mini sunscreens, pens, and more. The food is typical fair food and the drinks include the usual beer boothes, margaritas, and cosmos. You can get $1 off your drinks if you donate to the cause and don a sticker too! There are various different areas to check out including Fairlyland and other festive spots. And you can dress up and bring your dog! Enjoy!!! read more