The Bears of San Francisco and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will hold the third annual Bearrison Street Fair Saturday, October 14, in the city's Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District in the South of Market neighborhood.
Attendees will enjoy this year's theme "Under the Big Tops," with music, food, competitions, and more, a news release stated. "Experience a circus-like day of hirsute (and hirsute-optional!) merriment for all bodies, all shapes, all sizes, and importantly — all identities," the release stated.
The Sisters and BOSF's goal for the street fair is an inclusive event for adult members of the LGBTQ+ community by promoting body positivity and cultural diversity for all, fostering a supportive and welcoming bear scene, organizers added.
New for this year is an increased focus on burly entertainment, attendee competitions, and new activities, building off the fan-favorite wrestling stage and the buns-out deadlift competition, the release noted. Local and national DJs, performing artists, local vendors, fair merchandise, and VIP goods and services will be on hand as in previous years.
"Each year Bearrison Street Fair gets bigger and better, which considering our name and goals, makes sense," quipped fair co-chair and BOSF board chair Erik Greenfrost.
Added Sister Desi Juana Dewitt, "We're amping up all of the crowd-pleasing features of years past and turning this year's fair into a circus, one where attendees are the animals! We celebrate individuality, and, most importantly, consent."
More information and opportunities to get involved will be announced soon on the street fair's website at bearrison.org. People can also follow @BearrisonSF on Instagram and Twitter for updates.
Ball Masque XX to benefit RWF's Ukraine fund
Krewe de Kinque's Bal Masque XX will be held Saturday, April 15, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Cafe, 2369 Market Street at Castro Street in San Francisco. This year's beneficiary will be Rainbow World Fund's Ukraine LGBTQ+ emergency fund, an announcement stated.
Krewe de Kinque is a social and charitable club that is marking its 20th anniversary this year. The party's king and queen — Mark Hankins Jr. and Tawdry Hepburnn, respectively — noted that the event's theme is "The 415," and will have a spectacular San Francisco costumed tableaux show and festive décor. DJ Sergio Fedasz and "hot go-go dancers" will bump up the party, the release stated.
A new king and queen will be crowned at night's end.
Attendees must be 21 and over with photo ID. Tickets start at $10. If people can't go but still want to help Rainbow World Fund, an LGBTQ humanitarian nonprofit, they can donate to the Ukraine fund.
Dining Out for Life coming up
Dining Out for Life, which benefits the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, will take place at various restaurants Tuesday, April 25.
The eateries all commit to donating a percentage of their proceeds from that day to SFAF to help it continue its free services. According to SFAF's website, 25% or more of a party's bill will be donated to the HIV/AIDS nonprofit.
Interested people can volunteer to be an ambassador and be paired with a restaurant, encouraging their network of friends or family to dine or order from the eatery and collecting tips online. Diners can enter a sweepstakes on the event's website.
For a list of participating restaurants and more information, click here.
Pelosi encourages high schoolers to enter art competition
Congressmember Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) has announced entries are being accepted for Artistic Discovery, the Congressional Art Competition. This nationwide high school arts competition gives congressmembers an opportunity to celebrate and showcase artistic talent from their districts, stated a news release from Pelosi's office.
The Artistic Discovery Contest is open to all high school students in Pelosi's 11th District. The winning artwork of the district's competition will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol. The exhibit in Washington will include the winning artwork from all participating districts from around the country, the release stated. The winning artwork is also featured on House.gov's Congressional Art Competition page.
Artwork entered in the contest may be up to 28 inches by 28 inches, may be up to four inches in depth, and not weigh more than 15 pounds. If a student's artwork is selected as the winning piece, it must arrive framed and must still measure no larger than the above maximum dimensions.
Art that can be entered includes paintings (oil, acrylics, and watercolor); drawings (pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, and markers. It is recommended that charcoal and pastel drawings be fixed); collages (must be two-dimensional); prints (lithographs, silkscreen, and block prints); mixed media (use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.); computer-generated art; and photography, according to the release.
All entries must be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate any U.S. copyright laws. Work entered must be in the original medium (that is, not a scanned reproduction of a painting or drawing).
The deadline for submission is Monday, April 24. The rules, checklist, and release form for the competition are available on House.gov.
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