San Francisco knows how to throw a party, and there are few parties as legendary as the Folsom Street Fair. Tens of thousands of leather and BDSM lovers gather to celebrate sexual liberation in SoMa, dressed in leather, latex, fishnets, harnesses, body paint, thongs, or… nothing at all.
The fair will happen on Sunday, September 24, 2023 from 11am-6pm along Folsom Street between 8th and 13th Streets in SoMa. Performers, vendors, and attendees will almost certainly be going all-out for the event’s 40th anniversary.
Attendees can peruse several hundred booths selling sex toys, gear, and adjacent products, as well as multiple performance stages with live music. You can also expect lots of dancing, erotic performances, and an exciting community environment that is definitely not for kids.
Folsom Street Fair has 8 different community stages situated throughout the Folsom corridor. Here’s the rundown:
- Stud & Oaklash Drag Stage – Shows by STUD Collective and Oaklash.
- Playground Stage – Performances geared for women, trans, and nonbinary folks, hosted by Alotta Boutté.
- DJ & Gogo Stage – Fawkstales presents a stage with hot and heavy beats and performances.
- Rope Stage – Twisted Windows and KinkPOC Bay Area showcase captivating rope demos and performance art.
- Folsom Street Live! – A stage dedicated to whips, chains, and live rock and roll.
- The Eagle Stage – The Eagle Bar hosts a stage with sensual dancers and cold beer.
- Wrestle Stage – A new community stage with real live wrestling.
- BDSM Demos – Society of Janus hosts BDSM demonstrations.
About Folsom Street
Folsom Street is the nonprofit organization behind this legendary and wild event, as well as other similar festivities such as the Up Your Alley street fair in July. The organization is dedicated to producing inclusive events for alternative sexuality communities including kink and leather fans, while also centering BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people. Although the Folsom Street Fair is not a ticketed event, they encourage donations upon entry.