The words “Folsom Street Fair” may bring up a number of mental images: sex in the streets, people expressing themselves through kink and fetish wear, or completely naked men. While in many ways these are accurate statements, nothing can truly prepare a first timer for the experience of 400,000+ people celebrating their diversity.
Attendees to the 2009 event, held Sunday, September 27th, were a mix of gay and straight, young and old, men and women, attractive and... less so. Drawing fans from around the world as well as in San Francisco itself there truly was something for everyone and a feast for the eyes. For those that like their men masculine, there were ample beefy guys, many of whom wandered the streets shirtless, in shorts, or in leather.
There were certainly some standouts in the crowd. Shortly after arriving we saw a person with multiple butt plugs tied to themselves as a stegosaurus (or stego-sore-ass if you prefer.) A man dressed as the joker strutted down the street with his penis hanging out freely, and he was far from the only one who was baring all. Sadly it seems though that many of the ones that left nothing to the imagination were ones that you really wished had. Others came out in full rubber gear or leather. If you had an open mind you certainly had a lot to look at just from attendees.
In some ways the street fair had a sense of familiarity - think Lilac Festival with 4x the people and all kinky stuff. It took quite a while to filter your way down the 15 blocks that made up the fair. Porn companies like Titan Media, Helix Studios, Kink.com and Pornteam.com were well represented, and had several stars on hand. Titan men had 2010 calendars available and being signed. There were several demonstrations throughout the day of whipping, flogging, bondage and wrestling. Those looking to spice up their love life had plenty of options from toys to gear to Utilikilts. Many non profit organizations were present, including AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the Centre for Sex & Culture, and P-Flag. Much of the money raised through donations at admission, and other fundraising, went to organizations that included AIDS Emergency Fund, the Pacific Center for Human Growth, the Queer Cultural Center and Tenderloin Health.
A number of things stood out for me personally. Kinkytots certainly caused a double take with their dolls dressed up in kink gear. I’ve seen puppy tail butt plugs in catalogues, but the fair was the first time that I saw one used... and wagging. What stood out the most though was just the overwhelming sense of acceptance. Sure there were probably people there solely to “look at the freaks” but overall the vibe from the day was that of being true to who you are, regardless of what your kinks may be. Coming from Alberta, which I doubt would ever have an event like this in my lifetime, it was refreshing to see and be a part of.
Whether it is fair time or not, a trip to San Francisco would not be complete without a visit to Mr. S Leather, located one block south of Folsom on 8th street. It seemed like the party was continuing in the store, which is packed over Folsom week. Even with a lot of people in the store, the staff were incredibly helpful and informative in offering assistance. While it is cause for a double take when you see someone drop their shorts to try on a cock ring in the middle of the store, it just adds to the free nature that is the basis for the fair.
If 7 hours of Folsom isn’t enough for you, there is lots going on after. While we went for dinner down the street, seated next to a fishnet covered master and his new slave, others hit some of the many after parties. After satisfying our need for food we headed to the Lonestar, a very popular bar on nearby Harrison street . While it was packed earlier, by the time we arrived the crowd had thinned out but was still jumping. San Francisco is an early town in many ways, and it seems the gay community is as well compared to other cities. There were lots of options from sex clubs to bear parties to official afterparties.
Regardless of your taste from vanilla to kink, if you go in with an open mind the Folsom Street Fair is a pretty awesome experience. I will definitely visit again in the future, and you should too!

For more on San Francisco read the online article at GayCalgary.com!