Folsom Street welcomes the world for 40th fair

The 40th annual Folsom Street Fair is bringing leatherfolk and kinksters to San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood from around the world Sunday, September 24.

The fair's footprint will run between Eighth and Division streets, with Howard Street marking the northern border and Harrison Street marking the southern border. There will be entrances at Folsom and 13th, Howard at Ninth, 10th and 11th streets, and Harrison at Ninth, 11th and 12th streets.

There will also be a special entrance at Folsom and Eighth streets, where the San Francisco Department of Public Health will provide vaccines for the mpox virus. On August 30, the city issued a health advisory after an uptick in diagnoses, as the Bay Area Reporter reported. Since then, however, only one new San Francisco case has been reported, according to DPH data.

The fair runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Angel Adeyoha, the queer and nonbinary executive director of Folsom Street, the nonprofit that produces the event, told the B.A.R. that the suggested donation to the nonprofit at entry to the footprint this year is $15-$20, but "if you donate $40 for our 40th fair, you'll get a special prize."

Megahood was the fair's original name back in 1984 when it was founded as a bulwark against gentrification in the South of Market neighborhood. The leather community was also particularly hit hard at that time during the early days of the AIDS epidemic.

In the 1970s, Folsom Street had been christened the "Miracle Mile" for the long strip of leather bars, S&M clubs, and bathhouses that had lined it. Today, only a few vestiges of that explosion of sexual freedom remain.

The Megahood moniker was revived briefly in 2021 when the fair took place in a modified, smaller form due to the COVID pandemic.

This year marks the continuation of the fair's revival.

"We're bringing back the live music stage," Adeyoha stated to the B.A.R. "That stage will join our community stages to make a total of seven amazing stages. Also we're bringing back our iconic before and after parties, Magnitude and Deviants!"

The stages include Folsom Street Live!, the SF Eagle Stage, Bondage, the Wrestle Stage, Stud X Oaklash, the Playground, and the DJ/go-go stage.

Magnitude is being held Saturday, September 23, at 10 p.m. at SVN West, 10 South Van Ness Avenue. Tickets are available online as of press time for $109.

Deviants Adult Arcade is being held September 24 at 6 p.m. at Storek, 149 Ninth Street. Tickets are available online as of press time for $70.

This is a big weekend for circuit parties, and Cecil Russell, a gay man who is the head of Cecil Russell Presents and publisher of Gloss magazine, is producing a number of events. One of these is Matinee PERVERT XXL San Francisco Leather Weekend Edition, which starts September 23 at 9 p.m. — and wraps up 11 hours later — at The Midway, 900 Marin Street. Tickets are available online as of press time starting at $125.

"We are expecting our biggest crowd at Matinee Pervert this year due to no more travel restrictions," Russell said, referring to COVID-related travel rules. "We are using all indoor and outdoor [spaces] of Midway. This will be our biggest production ever in one of our events."

The fair, which even in its minimized 2021 form attracted tens of thousands, provides the city's Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District a time to shine. The district helped launch Leather Week festivities with the Leather Walk on September 17.

Cal Callahan, a gay man who is the district's manager, said those who preserve South of Market's culture year-round are happy to be welcoming.

"After record-breaking attendance at Up Your Alley in July, we're looking forward to the 40th Folsom Street Fair to exceed the event's pre-pandemic numbers," Callahan said. "We'll see you on Sunday."

After the LeatherWalk's conclusion, the Eagle Plaza parklet outside the tavern of the same name was formally inaugurated. Lex Montiel, owner of the SF Eagle bar, stated in a news release that the plaza is meant as a "safe, clean, and inclusionary outdoor space for the gathering and celebration of leather and LGBTQ+ people."