The Folsom Street Fair (FSF) is an annual BDSM and leather subculture street fair held on the last Sunday in September and caps San Francisco's "Leather Pride Week". The Folsom Street Fair, sometimes simply referred to as "Folsom", takes place on Folsom Street between 7th and 12th Streets, in San Francisco's South of Market district.
The event started in 1984 and is California's third largest single-day, outdoor spectator event and the world's largest leather event and showcase for BDSM products and culture. It has grown as a non-profit charity, and local and national non-profits benefit with all donations at the gates going to charity groups as well as numerous fundraising schemes within the festival including games, beverage booths and even spanking for donations to capitalize on the adult-themed exhibitionism.
The coordination agency, Folsom Street Events (FSE) is a registered charity and has also started similar events in Canada and Germany. In San Francisco they also manage Up Your Alley Fair and special events like the "Folsom Street Fair Formal Leather Gala" with Joan Rivers which celebrated the 25th anniversary, thee annual circuit party "Magnitude" (Official Saturday Night Dance Event) which has a leather subculture focus and a relatively new Official Closing Party called "DEVIANTS".
Read more about Folsom Street Fair: Origin of The Leather Subculture, History of The Leather Community in San Francisco, Beginnings of The Folsom Street Fair, Atmosphere, 2007 Poster Controversy
Famous quotes containing the words street and/or fair:
“You had such a vision of the street
As the street hardly understands;
Sitting along the bed’s edge, where
You curled the papers from your hair,
Or clasped the yellow soles of feet
In the palms of both soiled hands.”
—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)
“What a devil hast thou to do with the time of the day? Unless hours were cups of sack, and minutes capons, and clocks the
tongues of bawds, and dials the signs of leaping-houses, and the blessed sun himself a fair hot wench in flame-colored
taffeta, I see no reason why thou shouldst be so superfluous
to demand the time of the day.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)