It's Street Festival Season!, Guide to SF Street Fairs/Festivals Options

[Arizenheimer]

Thought I'd throw together a quick rundown of some of the street fests going down in the city this summer so we'd have a makeshift calendar with all the fairs/festivals in one place....




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Saturday May 8th -- SF Cindo de Mayo Festival

Location: Dolores Park

Rundown: San Francisco's Cinco de Mayo Festival will have loads of activities for the whole family. Bring your picnic blanket and enjoy all day music, kid's activities, entertainment, food, arts & crafts and more!

Hours: 10am - 6pm

Website: http://sfcincodemayo.com/

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Sunday May 9th -- How Weird Street Faire

Location: Howard & 2nd St

Theme: Bollyweird, The Cosmic Dance

Rundown: Ten blocks of art, performances, colorful costumes, unique vendors, food and drinks. Plus ten stages of electronic music, non-stop fashion shows, and healing arts. And a new world record that you can take part in!

Hours: 12pm - 8pm

Website: http://howweird.org/

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Sunday May 16th -- ING Bay to Breakers

Location: Race starts on Mission between Beale and Steuart Streets & Ends at Great Highway going through Golden Gate Park.

Rundown: 99th Annual running of the crosstown 12k race with lots of crazy costumed fuckers and art carts. Lots of people partying in the park as the parade of loony tunes rolls through.

Hours: Race starts at 8am cops start breaking shit up in the park around 7.

Website: http://ingbaytobreakers.com/

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Saturday June 5th & Sunday June 6th -- Union Street Festival

Location: Union Street between Gough and Steiner

Theme: Eco-Urban

Rundown: In its 33rd year, The Union Street Festival is one of San Francisco’s largest free annual events. In 2008 we added an eco-zone to the event where we reserved two blocks of the six block Festival for green exhibitors, businesses and educational displays. This year the east entrance of the Festival, (beginning at Gough) will again feature arts and crafts created with recycled and sustainable materials and eco-friendly exhibits. Additionally, the Festival showcases 150 arts & crafts booths, 25 gourmet food booths, two stages of live entertainment and bistro style cafes.

Hours: 10am - 6pm

Website: http://www.unionstreetfestival.com/

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Sunday June 13th -- Haight Street Faire

Location: In the fucking title, Haight Street between Ashbury & Stanyan

Theme: The LP Event

Rundown: The Haight-Ashbury Street Fair is a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating the cultural history and diversity of one of San Francisco's most internationally celebrated neighborhoods - The Haight-Ashbury District. For the last 28 years, HASF has produced the annual street fair that features arts and crafts, food booths, two musical stages and more. It also serves as a means for community groups and mercantile vendors to interact with the public and expand their base.

Hours: 11:30am - 5:30pm

Website: www.haightashburystreetfair.org/

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Saturday June 19th & Sunday June 20th -- North Beach Festival

Location: In the title again, North Beach, SF

Rundown: The event is situated in the historic North Beach District, known to locals and visitors alike as San Francisco's Little Italy and the home of the famed beat generation. The Festival site includes numerous quaint streets and the beautiful Washington Square park in the heart of the district. The 2010 event will feature over 125 arts and crafts booths, 20 gourmet food booths, three stages of live entertainment, Italian street painting, a cooking demonstration stage, beverage gardens, a large children's activity area and the blessing of the animals.

Hours: 10am - 6pm

Website: http://www.sresproductions.com/north_beach_festival.html

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Sundays June 20th - August 22nd -- Stern Grove Festival

Location: Sigmund Stern Grove, 19th Ave & Sloat Blvd.

Rundown: Free concert series every Sunday at Stern Grove, Golden Gate Park

Hours: Starts at 2pm

Website: www.sterngrove.org

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Saturday June 26th & Sunday June 27th -- SF Pride Parade & Celebration

Location: Parade starts at Market & Beale and ends at Civic Center

Theme: Forty and Fabulous

Rundown: With over 200 parade contingents, 300 exhibitors, and 19 stages and venues, the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration and Parade is the largest LGBT gathering in the nation. The San Francisco Pride Celebration is packed with a wide variety of exhibitors, artists, music of all kinds, performers, dance stages and venues, and fun. There really is something here for everyone.

Hours: Parade starts at 10:30am and gets to Civic Center at 12pm. Celebration ends at 6pm Saturday & 7pm Sunday.

Website: http://www.sfpride.org/

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Saturday July 3rd & Sunday July 4th -- Fillmore Jazz festival

Location: Fillmore between Jackson & Eddy Streets

Rundown: The best talent the Bay has to offer is showcased on our stages, from up-and-coming jazz fusion and latin-flavored acts to seasoned crooners belting out jazz standards. Groove to your old favorites or tune in to new sounds - our performance schedule will help you get the most out of the Fillmore Jazz Festival.

Hours: 10am - 6pm

Website: http://www.fillmorejazzfestival.com/

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Sunday July 4th -- 4th of July on the Waterfront

Location: Pier 39 and The Embarcadero (good views from Treasure island too, provided there's no fog)

Rundown: PIER 39 celebrates Independence Day with a star-spangled day line-up of entertainment for the whole family. Beginning at 3 pm, enjoy free live band performances in the PIER 39 Entrance Plaza. From 3 – 5 pm, listen to the soft rock explosion of Mustache Harbor. Then get ready to rock out to your favorite 80’s hits with Tainted Love from 6 – 9:30 pm. Be sure to check out our street performers on the Crystal Geyser ALPINE SPRING WATER Stage throughout the day. After the concert at approximately 9:30 pm, look up to the sky over the Bay for The City of San Francisco’s annual fireworks display. PIER 39’s Fourth of July activities are proudly sponsored by Coca Cola, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, Crystal Geyser ALPINE SPRING WATER and The Examiner.

Hours: 3pm - 10pm

Website: http://www.pier39.com/Events/events.htm

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Saturday July 10th -- Superhero Street Fair

Location: Islais Creek Boardwalk, Enter at Cesar Chavez & Indiana

Rundown: Donation Only: $10 in Super Couture = $20 all Mild-Mannered. There will be art exhibits, live theatre and poetry, live and electronic music, food, and an awards ceremony recognizing specific individuals and organizations for their contribution.
Ceremonies will include the Mayoral proclamation of “SuperHero Day” in San Francisco.

Hours: Noon - Midnight

Website: http://superherosf.com/

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Sunday July 25th -- Up Your Alley Fair

Location: Dore Alley between Folsom & Howard Streets

Rundown: Put on by the same people as the Folsom Street fair. Pretty much a mini version of Folsom.

Hours: 11am - 6pm

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Saturday September 25th & Sunday September 26th -- Polk Street Blues Festival

Location: Polk Street between Pacific & Union

Rundown: The Festival will feature two main stages, a merchant marketplace, arts and crafts, gourmet food booths, a large family area, cafe seating areas, and much more. We expect the event will receive a huge amount of press since it is now the only free blues event in San Francisco.

Hours: 10am - 6pm

Website: http://www.polkstreetbluesfestival.com/

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Sunday September 26th -- Folsom Street Fair

Location: Folsom between 7th & 12th Streets

Rundown: The 27th Folsom Street Fair will offer 250+ exciting and sexy exhibitors and vendors, hot food and cold drinks, and tons of artistic and cultural entertainment. The event hosts two live stages with 16 live alternative acts, a huge dance areas with internationally renowned DJs, a dedicated area for women ("Venus' Playground") and a newly inaugurated Artists' Area.

Hours: 11am - 6pm

Website: http://www.folsomstreetfair.com/index.php

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Friday October 1st - Sunday October 3rd -- Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

Location: Speedway Meadow, Golden Gate Park, 25th Ave. & Fulton

Rundown: A FREE festival... Three days, Six stages over 750,000 attendees and 350 musicians each year come together for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in San Francisco's beautiful and historic Golden Gate Park... This year's event is Friday through Sunday, October 1st, 2nd & 3rd, 2010

Hours: 11am - 7pm

Website: http://www.strictlybluegrass.com/

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Saturday October 2nd -- Lovevolution

Location: Parade starts at 11:00am & arrives at Civic Center around noon

Rundown: The continuous downward spiral of a once bad ass event. 20 dollar required donation (see: cover charge) to party with a bunch of drunk underagers from Pleasanton. From their website: A parade starts from 2nd & Market St. in downtown San Francisco with ~20 floats heading West down Market St. The parade is free. The floats arrive at Civic Center plaza where they park to becomes 20 stages on a transformed festival grounds with food, beverage, a live electronic and performance stage, and outstanding revelry. There is an entrance fee to the festival grounds. No outside alcohol. All bags subject to search. Sorry, absolutely no ins and outs.

Hours: 11:00am - 7:30pm

Website: http://www.sflovevolution.org/

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Sunday October 3rd -- Castro Street Fair

Location: Castro between Market & 19th Streets

Rundown: The fair features multiples stages with live entertainment, DJs, food vendors, community-group stalls as well as a curated artisan alley with dozens of Northern California artists. Due to community pressure the fair restructured the organization and partnered with local charities to collect gate donations and partner with groups at the beverage and beer booths to raise money for those charities.

Hours: 11am - 6pm

Website: http://www.castrostreetfair.org/

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Sunday October 10th -- Italian Heritage Parade

Location: Starts at Jefferson & Stockton and ends at Washington Square Park

Rundown: San Francisco's 142nd ANNUAL ITALIAN HERITAGE PARADE on Sunday, October 10, 2010, as the City's oldest civic event and the nation's oldest Italian-American parade and community celebration winds its way from Fisherman's Wharf to North Beach. A San Francisco institution since it was established in 1868, the 2010 Parade is promising to be bigger, better and more colorful than ever. Highlights include dozens of handcrafted parade floats featuring Bay Area businesses, community groups, and Italian organizations; local high school Italian clubs and marching bands; special appearances by "Christopher Columbus" and Queen Isabella and Her Court; festive open-air dining and Italian wine and food specials at North Beach restaurants lining the Parade route; performances by a variety of traditional Italian musicians and performance artists; and special appearances by Bay Area and Italian-American celebrities.

Hours: 12:30pm - 7pm

Website: http://www.sfcolumbusday.org/parade/index.html

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Feel free to add more.....

[Arizenheimer]

Arts & Wine Festival in Fremont needs to be on that list. They usually have pretty hefty turnouts...and a total high school reunion for me lol I'll post more info on that one when I get a chance to find all the info

SF Street Festivals.

Fuck Fremont lol



P.S. Like how you jumped on the Argentina bandwagon. What happened to Croatia? ;-]

[grandmaster k]

SF Street Festivals.

Fuck Fremont lol
P.S. Like how you jumped on the Argentina bandwagon. What happened to Croatia? ;-]

well excuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse me

I FUCKING KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO MENTION THAT..all for you, Tommykinz

This is for South Africa, and of course, Croatia isn't part of it, but we'll be back for the Euro's

[Arizenheimer]

Bump for Bay to Breakers.

[christhejunglist]

I heard that "Hero's" got canceled!!!!! :(

[secondbaseownsyo...]

Friday October 1st - Sunday October 3rd -- Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
Can't wait for this!

This is the best event SF has to offer. So sick!

[Nocturnal Emissi...]

I wanna go to hardly strictly bluegrass but it's the same day as lovevolution right?

[Arizenheimer]

Can we please sticky this?!?!

These festivals are pretty much occurring weekly now.

[magoo]

Pissed they decided to place Mother's Day on the same day as How Weird this year.

i loled at this.....

Pissed they decided to place How Weird on the same day as Mother's Day this year.

fixxed

[Batnam]

superhero street faire, july 10th!!!!!!!!!!! SF

http://superherosf.com/

[Disruptor]

Loveparfestolution is mandatory $20 entrance fee with no ins and outs? How the mighty have fallen. Somehow next year i see an age restriction being put on this also. And the year after probably a race restriction. If you're going to keep doing this event the way you are, have the decency to rename it to something that reflects the event for what it is. Like "Money Grab Fest" or "Pedo Playground".

[Arizenheimer]

It was doomed when the original promoters went back to Germany with it and Syd Gris, Alain Octavo, etc. took over. I'm all for that event just getting shut down.

[christhejunglist]

Loveparfestolution is mandatory $20 entrance fee with no ins and outs? How the mighty have fallen. Somehow next year i see an age restriction being put on this also. And the year after probably a race restriction. If you're going to keep doing this event the way you are, have the decency to rename it to something that reflects the event for what it is. Like "Money Grab Fest" or "Pedo Playground".

there is a age requirement this year, 18+

[Arizenheimer]

there is a age requirement this year, 18+

There's no way that'll stop a bunch of underagers from finding their way in.

[Joey Mojo]

i can see an army of minors storming the gates.

[magoo]

$20 entrance fee.....im cool with the 18+ though.....


off to the north beach street fair!

[Skweekerz]

superhero street faire, july 10th!!!!!!!!!!! SF

http://superherosf.com/

YES!!!!!

[STEVE. THE DOER]

there is a age requirement this year, 18+

hm, i'm curious as to who told you this


I went to the website (http://www.sflovevolution.org/) and under "details" reads:

WHO: The SF LovEvolution parade is all ages & all friendly peoples.

[Hi-C]

GREAT FUKEENG THREAD THX!

[Alain]

It was doomed when the original promoters went back to Germany with it and Syd Gris, Alain Octavo, etc. took over. I'm all for that event just getting shut down.

Get your facts straight, no one from Germany ever had an organizing role for the event itself; they're only involvement was giving permission to use the name and approving any use of the logo; basically staying on top of their branding. It's been the same board of people since the first one. As for myself goes, I've never had anything to do with any decisions that produces the event. I'm not on the board and I've never have been. I don't even have any influence over the float selection, heck I've never even been to a float meeting.

[Arizenheimer]

Get your facts straight, no one from Germany ever had an organizing role for the event itself; they're only involvement was giving permission to use the name and approving any use of the logo; basically staying on top of their branding. It's been the same board of people since the first one. As for myself goes, I've never had anything to do with any decisions that produces the event. I'm not on the board and I've never have been. I don't even have any influence over the float selection, heck I've never even been to a float meeting.

My bad. I'm only going off the way that you talk about it like you're one of the main promoters. Usually when August/September rolls around you say "we" when talking about the event organizers like you're one of the main dudes. So again, my apologies. Since we're on the topic of getting facts straight here's a fact (more like an opinion but I'm sure it would be a highly agreed upon opinion with anyone who's been around for awhile) for ya, back when that shit was Love Parade it was fucking BAD ASS as it's gone forward the bad has gone and now it's just ass. I understand that you've protested your minimal involvement but do you think you could do me a favor and weasel your way into one of those meetings they have about this crap and spit in those mother fuckers faces for me? Seriously, thinking about how these guys have met and come up with a systematic demise for a show of this caliber is pretty sad to say the least. So yeah, be a peach and spit in their faces for me if you could. Thanks.