Folsom Street Fair ties up San Francisco neighborhood

"Street festivals are part of San Francisco's DNA, and as the city has roared back after a pandemic slump, large-scale public gatherings have been a marker of a return to form for the city. From Downtown First Thursdays to neighborhood night markets to free Civic Center concerts, these community events bring the city together. Or in the case of the Folsom Street Fair, bond the city together."

"Aside from Pride and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Folsom Street Fair may be the city's largest free public gathering, with its more than 250,000 yearly attendees in SoMa between 8th and 12th Streets and Harrison and Howard Streets. For the uninitiated, FSF is a very not-safe-for-work affair that celebrates kink, leather, bondage and all varieties of alternative sexuality. Stages throughout the area host bands, DJs and BDSM performers, plus other entertainment like drag shows, a wrestling stage, and even a "clothes check" booth."

Street festivals form part of San Francisco's cultural identity, with large-scale public gatherings signaling the city's recovery after a pandemic slump. Events such as Downtown First Thursdays, neighborhood night markets, and free Civic Center concerts draw communities together across neighborhoods. Folsom Street Fair ranks among the largest free public gatherings, drawing more than 250,000 attendees annually in SoMa between 8th and 12th Streets and Harrison and Howard Streets. The fair celebrates kink, leather, bondage, and alternative sexualities, featuring stages with bands, DJs and BDSM performers, plus drag shows, wrestling, and an on-site clothes check booth. The event projects an overwhelmingly positive, uplifting energy as attendees openly express themselves.

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