This Sunday, October 4, 2026, the 52nd annual Castro Street Fair closes the neighborhood’s main blocks to traffic and fills them with stages, DJs, artisans, and food vendors!
The fair always lands on the first Sunday in October, and this year’s theme is “Where We Belong.” Organizers describe it as a nod to the generations of LGBTQIA+ people who have found community, safety, and visibility in the Castro, and as a wider statement about who belongs there: trans people, drag, chosen family, hope.
Here’s a closer look at what to expect.
What to do at the Castro Street Fair
Harvey Milk started the fair in 1974, when he ran Castro Camera at 575 Castro Street and faced hostility as a gay business owner. His aim was to promote gay-owned businesses and celebrate the neighborhood’s energy. Fifty-plus years on, the fair is still a neighborhood nonprofit, and since 1998 it has given more than $1.6 million to local beneficiaries.
The Castro Street Fair centers on the intersection of Castro and Market Streets, closing blocks on Market from Noe to Castro, Castro from Market to 19th, 18th Street from Diamond to Noe, and 17th Street from Castro to Noe.
125+ local artists, craftspeople, vendors, and community organizations line the streets, and live performance stages sit throughout the grounds.
Entry is open to all. The suggested donation at the gates is $10 to $20, and nobody is turned away for lack of funds. That money goes to beneficiary nonprofits in and around the Castro and helps cover the cost of producing the fair.
Castro Street Fair at a glance
📍 Location: Intersection of Castro and Market Streets, Castro District, San Francisco
📅 Dates: Sunday, October 4, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
🎟️ Admission: Free
🌐 Website: Castro Street Fair