SantaCon jumped the shark. This San Francisco bar crawl didn't.

"This is about keeping San Francisco weird. It's a commentary on the institution of marriage. Brides of March parodies Western wedding culture - particularly the single-day extravagance surrounding the dress. Wedding gowns can cost thousands of dollars, only to be worn once before collecting dust in a closet or ending up on a thrift-store rack. We take that messaging and subvert it in a playful way."

"Between 150 and 200 brides gathered in Washington Square to do just that for the 26th installment of Brides of March, an annual spectacle where attendees don thrifted or otherwise repurposed wedding gowns and parade through North Beach. The wives-to-be met at the Ben Franklin statue and circled the perimeter of the packed park, heels clicking against the pavement and long trains dragging across the ground, before assembling in front of Saints Peter and Paul Church."

Brides of March is an annual San Francisco spectacle held around March 15 that combines street theater and pub crawl elements. Approximately 150-200 participants wear thrifted or repurposed wedding gowns and parade through North Beach, gathering at Washington Square near the Ben Franklin statue before processing up Columbus Avenue. The event parodies Western wedding culture, particularly the expensive single-wear tradition of wedding dresses that often end up unused in closets or thrift stores. Organizers describe it as a commentary on marriage institutions and an effort to keep San Francisco weird by subverting mainstream wedding messaging in a playful manner. The event intentionally coincides with St. Patrick's Day celebrations, creating an absurd juxtaposition of brides and leprechauns throughout the neighborhood.

Read at SFGATE