Spanning over 2 weekends on 4/13-14 and 4/20-4/21 in SF's Japantown. Expect big crowds, lots of…read morevendors from crafts, art, food and different organizations. I didn't see any Porto potties around so the lines at the building restrooms were insanely long. Parking is horrible all day. Public transit is highly encouraged.

First off, parking was an absolute disaster. Even nearby parking lots were either full or closed…read more Took about half an hour to find street parking about a mile away. Also this event needs WAY better crowd control. There were so many people blocking the entirety of the walkways to watch the lackluster parade. For those of us who were not interested in the parade, couldn't even get from point A to B. They need to section off the sidewalk. I can't even imagine if someone were to get trampled or if EMT needed to get by... The food choices were so sad. I was expecting way more traditional Japanese flavors but instead there were hamburgers, hot dogs and beer... I cannot emphasize how disappointing this event was.

It looks like people are having a great time. If this is…read moreyour type of thing go for it! Leather little clothing techno house music and lots of vendors and music for blocks! I believe they section off 8th to 12th street on Folsom. I took some pics from an apartment above in 2022. (Sunday September 25, 2022) I believe it just ended so next year be sure to be outside at 10 am or so and it seems to end at 6pm.

I'm not sure how we got on the topic of the Folsom Street Fair, but he said he'd always wanted to…read morego, and I said I'd always wanted to go, too. I checked my phone, and said, "Hey, it's this weekend!" Next thing you know, my date is wearing a leather collar. He joked, "Are you going to write about this on Yelp?" And I said, "Yes, actually, I am." For anyone who does not know, Folsom Street Fair is the world's largest annual outdoor BDSM fair. Five city blocks are closed off and filled with merchants selling every leather accessory one could possibly imagine. Numerous contraptions are set up in the streets to demonstrate the how-to's of spanking, bondage, suspension, etc. Drinking and smoking are allowed within the fair grounds, and clothing is entirely optional. (Smoking being allowed everywhere, rather than in designated areas only, was my main reason for rating this event 4 stars instead of 5.) We originally arrived at opening, excited to see absolutely everything, and afraid that we would not have time to see it all. We had to wear masks to get in, but once we showed our vaccination cards and paid the suggested donation, it was a free for all. We were directed to where we could check our clothing, should we decide to go without. After walking around the grounds a few times without seeing much, we realized we were too early. We ordered a couple of White Claws from a booth in the fair for $8 each. We considered hanging out in one of the numerous bars which were open on the edges of the fair until more people showed up, but we were hungry, and none of the food looked appealing to us. We decided to leave to go have lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, and come back afterwards. When we came back, it was lit. At one point, we had worried that no one would show up because of the pandemic, but that worry turned out to be completely unfounded. This time around, we had to wait in line for five to ten minutes before getting back in. Multiple food trucks had shown up, but of course now we were full. As I mentioned, clothing was optional, and most people opted to wear none, or very little. I wish I could write about all of the things we saw, but most of them are not appropriate for a Yelp review. I would note that the photos on Yelp are extremely mild compared to what I saw in real life. Let's just say that I saw things in person that I had never even seen on the internet prior to attending this event. This was really and truly a day that I will not, and can not, ever forget. Again, I have pics and videos, but most of them are simply not appropriate for Yelp. For those who are curious, you'll have to turn to Google for a more complete idea of what you might see at the fair.

Attended the 2024 event, Autumn Equinox, this past Saturday, celebrating How Weird's 25th…read moreanniversary. There were several stages of music, but definitely not 8 as advertised (unless they added some in the later hours of the event). Colorful, creative, and quirky costumes galore, but plain clothed attendees not turned away (non-clothed attendees not turned away either). Four different entrances to the event made entry quick and convenient. I went during the opening hours before the crowds filled the event area, but it seemed to be this way throughout the day. Drinks stands were readily available and there were several food options on site (I counted 6 food trucks/stands total), plus bars inside the event area were open for business and some served food too. We had lunch at North India Restaurant, and our curry dishes were tasty and filling. We also picked up some apparel from one of the merchandise vendors selling shirts and sweaters with awesome designs (Engraft). One of my favorite parts of the event was checking out Art Alley, which had many mesmerizing artworks on display. Note that seating is pretty much nonexistent which makes sense since they encourage dancing, but just know that eating may be tough if you need two hands unless you sit on the curb. Though many of the DJs were great, nonstop electronic music at an extraordinarily high volume for hours is not really my scene. I came for the unique experience, the awesome art, decor, and costumes, and carefree crowd of people, and that's exactly what I got. I don't think the value's that great based on $40 per ticket, but we still had a fun time.

I went back and looked at a 2014 youtube of How Weird and it is truly amazing how much…read moreclub/burner/candy kid fashion has changed in 5 short years. 2019 was my first year at How Weird, and I absolutely did not know what to expect. But what did I find? My mecca! I love burner fashion, I'm a spoonie and unfortunately don't have the health to go to Burning Man, but I love me some sequins, fur, pastels, rainbow colors, unicorn horns, and captains hats. How Weird was literally what I always wish Pride was, and it was here the whole time! I loved the vending at at How Weird and wished I'd been in a more party mood so I could've gotten more out of it, but my first visit definitely convinced me to go next year, or to the version that may be coming in Santa Cruz at the end of the year. 5 stars the whole way.

The SF Night Markets move locations, and this month's was in the Inner Sunset... specifically on…read moreIrving going West from 19th Avenue. I was happy about this one. Big turnout, which felt refreshing even this long after the start of COVID. Good live bands, good selection of food (Gets more reasonable as you go West), and I'm sure the businesses loved the lively volume of foot traffic. The only trick was finding parking... this was the worst it's been for anything I've tried to do in years! But it wasn't hard once I got to MLK in the park.

I elected to come to the Night Market fundraiser on Friday night(8/17/12) at the Alemany Farmers…read moreMarket instead of the Saturday daytime event. Although they ask $25(plus ticket fees) for attendees to attend the Night Market, I was generally happy to donate to La Cocina just for the convenience of not waiting in super big lines on Saturday. I got there a little bit before 6pm, the event's official start time. I had originally treked over to 25th and Fulsom to find a booth where I can redeem my voucher for a passport. Upon getting there, a La Cocina worker told me that the booth was located at the site....uggghhh. Note to self: go straight to the event for future reference. I arrived at the Alemany Farmers Market with parking pass in hand(bought online for around $9) thinking I was early...ummmm nope. The place was already packed full of people! The people who took the shuttles already arrived and they already had a lengthy head start! The food options were aplenty, lots and lots of businesses were there offering everything from sandwiches, soups, tacos, and other tasty treats. My favorite was the Boss Hog provided by the Bone & Gristle Boys and 4505 Meats. This sandwich initially looked like a huge McGriddle but it was way better than that! Between two griddled English Muffins, nestled a serving of corn meal crusted deep-fried pork and slow roasted chili rubbed pork with a jalapeno ranch dressing. Add vermont cheddar, market greens, smoked red onions, and chicharrones for crunch, and it was AMAZING! It literally was a mess to eat with plenty of stuff falling out and juice getting on your hand, but I'll gladly wipe my hands clean as long as I can have another! Other food booths that I tried included the Jim 'N' Nicks whole hog pork with adobo sauce, The Whole Beast's merengez lamb sausage on a bun with peppers as well as their kefta lamb meatballs on a stick with yogurt dipping sauce, Huarache Loco's lamb taco and lamb soup both of which packed a wallop in spicy punch, and lastly, a serving of Locandoa Osteria's grilled short ribs. Hot and spicy soup does wonders for warming up in the chilly conditions! I can't forget about the alcohol...Whole Foods was there with eight selections of beers ranging from IPA and pale ales to cider too. Ryed from the Road were also there doing cocktails like old-fashions too. Note to future attendees: Wristbands are needed to purchase alcohol although this fact may not be conveyed to you when you arrive. I didn't learn of this until I got to the front of the beer line. Also, alcoholic drinks require you to exchange for tokens as well. Each token is $4(1 token for beer, 2 tokens for mixed drinks). Wristbands and token exchange were located near the entrance of the event. Overall, it was a fun event that had a good turnout and lots of communal seating and many portable heaters for warmth. It was super windy and cold on the night we went so bring your hat, scarves, and jackets when attending. I'll likely come back again for the good food and drinks and to support La Cocina and their charitable endeavors. One thing that I absolutely wish I had tried: Endless Summer's Bacon Maple Kettlecorn!

Beerfest was awesome!!!!!…read more $60 is a bit pricey. But tons of reasons making it worthwhile. 1. ~200 breweries. (Let's do the math. If you intend to try every one of them, given 3 hours, that's one brewery per minute!) 2. Unlimited noshings! Noshings = snack foods. Which turned out better than expected since there were some bomb foods! (stuff i ate: chili, corn dogs, popcorn, pretzels, pasta, calamari, hot wings, pizza, salad, bread w/pate. Omg...I'm such a pig.) 3. Crowd roars. Where everyone cheers and lifts their mugs up every couple minutes throughout the whole night. 4. Freebies. I don't know how half of the stuff ended up in my purse, or so I will claim. *mental note: bigger purse next year =P 5. No lines. Never had to wait long for anything. Well except for the bathrooms. The guys line was actually longer than the girls! haha. 6. Well stocked booths. Brews were still flowing towards the end of the night. Food...well good supply for the most of the night... ...except Pizza Orgasmica who lasted til the very end, but not without a riot occurring. They had ran out of pizzas before 9pm, and had a sign saying more will come at 9:45pm. Around 9:35pm, a crowd gathered at the booth, fist pumping, bottle-beating, and chanting "We want pizza! *dun dun dun dun dun* We want pizza! *dun dun dun dun dun*" Paper plates were thrown around as frisbees. Some guy would randomly yell out "I looove pizza!!!!" People cheered as the pizzas arrived. And the pushing and mobbing began. Some tried to get the pizzas themselves and the workers had to fend them off. I'm not sure how many pizzas there were exactly, 15-20? But they were all gone in less than 5 minutes. Good times!!! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/iPe7afvSSXpuWUY3csT8Zw?select=fn63ISiFQ2F50VsCfqismA http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/iPe7afvSSXpuWUY3csT8Zw?select=7dM03CGTNJR-71Yp62sU9A http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/iPe7afvSSXpuWUY3csT8Zw?select=Uww4I_a07_oR1_Nyg-gT9w http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/iPe7afvSSXpuWUY3csT8Zw?select=vKbMMn97BODHDpemH2nyXQ http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/iPe7afvSSXpuWUY3csT8Zw?select=Xkzl4ozuPu6wgkIEtQTs_w http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/iPe7afvSSXpuWUY3csT8Zw?select=Erz-dKTOL50kpau0y2DZpQ http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/iPe7afvSSXpuWUY3csT8Zw?select=1X_T0TtV4HRwsCCUti0geg

I thought Oktoberfest only came to San Francisco once a year... and then, for the first time in…read morethree years, I managed to get a ticket to "Beerfest" before they sold out (in about 3 hours!). I love SF's Oktoberfest but Beerfest might be, gasp, even better! Reasons why Beerfest Beats Oktoberfest: - Once you buy the ticket, beer samples from 300 breweries are free!!! - Food is also free!!! - Proceeds go to charity! (the Telegraph Hill Preschool - this preschool must have a lot of money now because I'm guessing 5000 guests at $60 per ticket!) - The beer variety is fabulous and you are bound to discover so many new beers that you'll LOVE! Why settle on one or two types of beer when you can enjoy 500?! - You don't have to coordinate with your friends to choose the "morning shift" or the "afternoon shift" like Oktoberfest Ways Beerfest could be improved: - I missed important beer-drinking time by waiting in the bathroom line for 20 plus minutes; please put some porto-potties outside like Oktoberfest! - Add a costume element :) - Raise the volume of the music a bit and possibly add a dance floor - More food options! - More swag Can I buy my ticket for 2011 now please?!

Last nights event was amazing!! I don't know how I didn't know about this event last year, but only…read morethis yr. So, my friend and I got free VIP tickets to go check out Eat Drink SF. I didn't expect much, it's just food and drinks, unlimited. However, the food was exceptional with amazing chefs on hand and the drinks, well, it was an open bar of wine and all types of liquors. They had so many types of food to taste from: fresh oysters, duck liver, pizza, ceviche, roasted beef, chicken pot pie, salmon hand rolls, caviar, ice cream to handcrafted chocolates, and anything you were craving. I was so stuff from all the delicious foods and drinks! The vendors were really organized and did amazing setting up so many awesome booths. I hope next yr the chefs can step aside to talk to customers and have their staff prep the foods. I am definitely signing into this event next yr.

This was so fun but crowded, met a lot of coffee connoisseurs, was high after tasting so many…read morecoffees. It was very interesting to learn of the recipes n their magic brewing techniques. Looking forward to it next year hopefully.

Firstly, to La Cocina. Congratulations on your new cookbook as well as the ongoing construction…read moreprogress with your food hall in the Tenderloin. Also, thank you to the volunteers for your hard work and additional thanks to Doordash. They certainly weren't the only sponsors there but provided a lot of great free merch. We underestimated how sunny it was going to be, so the free sunglasses were actually SUPER USEFUL and I thought the packs of wet wipes were a nice consideration of the event. Quick overview for those new and/or unfamiliar: La Cocina is a nonprofit organization working to help and support low-income women, immigrants, and minorities start their own culinary businesses. The basic idea is to turn the small, home eateries into legitimate businesses and promote the local community as a result. SF La Cocina Street Food Festival is a one-day event that promotes these businesses and is just generally a really fun event. While the part of 23rd street leading to the festival (so east of Illinois Street) is closed off, street parking in most of the surrounding area is pretty available. I've always primarily parked along 24th street personally. Remember that basic tickets are $5 with tax if brought beforehand and $10 with tax if you buy at the door. You can also buy the VIP package that includes certain perks, including being able to enter earlier and (this year) the La Cocina cookbook. Once inside, they do have ATMs if you need cash. If you want to buy alcohol, you'll need to purchase tokens. Super appreciative of the water stations they set up as well as the trash setups they have, actually having separate bins for landfill, recyclables, and compostable. However, I maintain that packing/keeping a small plastic bag for trash is still very useful. Between the four of us juggling things between us and rushing from one thing to another, keeping a trash bag for the four of us really kept the juggling (of used wet wipes, napkins, utensils, bowls, plates, food waste, and wrappers) to a minimum. This year, the festival did seem to be a bit smaller with fewer tables set up. Just a bit threadbare. To be fair though, this feeling maybe because there were collections of vendors that banded together into one space and had these cool little squared off/standing bar areas for their customers to eat at. Honestly, a number of people used the Night Market tables without actually getting anything from there. Nevertheless, food and variety are still pretty entertaining. You have a lot of Mexican and Latin vendors, as well as some varieties of Asian food and the usual BBQ. Meanwhile, there was also a really nice La Cocina shop area set up that had everything from clothes to fancy jello shots and treats (ex. milk tea brittle). First for us was Bini's Kitchen, one of the regular festival vendors. Always a treat, but I was especially happy this time with their pan-fried lamb momos. There was a Fried Chicken Bar was one of the aforementioned collection of vendors stalls, where they sold several kinds of chicken created by several different chefs/vendors. They were all really amazing honestly, but my favorites had to Aburaya's garlic miso chicken and Xingones chicken and waffles. Seriously, they used the thinner, crispier BRUSSELS WAFFLE (my favorite kind of waffle) and the combination with the syrupy chicken was AMAZING. I'm ashamed to never have thought of/tried it before. X. x Some other noteworthy places include Red Boat (another sponsor), who were giving out free pieces of corn doused in the fish sauce they were advertising. We actually grabbed several servings because they were so good. Plus, the people staffing the stand were hilarious, with one boss lady posing when she saw I was taking pics of their booth. The TacoThai stand had an interesting Latin-Thai fusion, and the family-run Bocadito stand that sells Colombian obleas, or giant wafer sandwiches. They're kind of like stroopwafels, but with a thinner and different kind of wafer and dulce de leche instead of syrup. As mentioned earlier, it was sunnier than we predicted. So kudos to the stands selling cool drinks and generally taking advantage of this. Like illy's, who was super smart about it and gave out four kinds of iced, canned coffee. We got a lot of those. XD Also, we loved the stand selling custard bars. Heads up if they're there next year, each bar is surprisingly a LOT. Overall, the Street Food Festival was a lot of fun with a great variety. It's definitely a great place to go, especially if you're already in town for Fleet Week.

It was my first time attending La Cocina's SF Street Food Festival which I understand has just…read morereturned after a 5-year hiatus. It took place at China Basin Park this past weekend and featured live music, activities such as caricature portraits, several merchandise vendors, multiple bar tents, and plenty of good eats... though lots of menu items were sold out around 5pm (three hours before closing time on Saturday), and I'm not sure if it's perhaps different earlier in the day. Diverse food offerings included Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Indonesian, Nepali, and Jamaican bites, a variety of Latin American cuisine (Guatemalan, Salvadorian, Venezuelan, Mexican, etc.), along with French and Taiwanese pastries. Dessert booths were selling cookies and other sweet treats in unique flavors, too. I enjoyed a crispy beef empanada from Camucha's Kitchen and a yummy skirt steak arepa from Pacifico's food stand. Noise Pop's live entertainment schedule was equally and possibly even more exciting than the food lineup. Hip-hop, jazz, rnb, latin fusion, garage rock, and more, presented by the bands on stage. I particularly enjoyed the sounds of Orchestra Gold (Afro-psych) in the afternoon. There was not much light in the grassy meadow after dark, but the stage was definitely lit, and so was Oracle Park stadium across the way which kept the area illuminated to some extent. To me, it felt like the cost of admission was expensive for the food selection available, especially with vendors running out of items halfway through the event and the price of menu options being sky high compared to the portions given. But the food I did end up getting was tasty. And the waterfront views were gorgeous, especially at sunset, creating an ideal setting to go along with lovely weather in SF (a somewhat warm evening in November). I appreciated my time here.

Amazing ! So many vendors with so much to show. The weather was another thing it was pretty cold…read morebut that is July in San Francisco. Music everywhere delightful place to be. The food was everywhere and the lines were long . The crowd was pretty calm no ruckus. A nice day I came out both days . First day was colder . Luckily I ducked in to a venue to warm up . I would definitely recommend it as I go most every year. Just another nice fair and we as San Franciscans are very lucky to have.

This year festival on July 4th weekend. Bring so many people come to this event, First I feel safe…read moreMany police around, 4 different location with music stage , many small shops and lots of food , this is one of the best festivals people must come !

We had a great time at the North Beach Festival's 70th anniversary celebration this past weekend…read more Endless vendors selling food, drinks, and unique merchandise such as stereos made out of vintage tin lunch boxes, or purses created out of aluminum can tabs. Lots of good eats on site, from pies to gyros... the grilled pork belly plate from GIM Belly's food stand was especially tasty. Multiple stages at different corners of the event entertaining crowds with amazing live music. My fave was the Good Bad band, playing awesome bluegrass tunes on various string instruments including the mandolin and banjo. Parking wasn't easy, but we got lucky finding a spot on the street a block away after circling a couple times. Overall, a positive experience.

In terms of street festivals in San Francisco, the North Beach festival has been the best one we've…read morebeen to in 2024, it's also one of the biggest ones in regards to sheer size and street closures. They block maybe 6-7 blocks for food, vendors, shopping, etc, plus it's dog friendly. We never miss a chance to stroll in the middle of the streets and soak up a sunny day in the city. We got there around 12ish and it was already starting to get packed. They had a good selection of food, and we ended up eating some sweet chili chicken tenders and crab fries. Forget the $28 we spent, it was well worth it. We also did some shopping and picked up some unique pieces for an upcoming trip. If you've been to other street festivals, you'll notice to see a lot of repeat vendors from the other festivals, but North Beach's size allows for more. The smaller beer gardens were kinda lackluster though. 3 different areas for live music more than made up for it and kept things interesting. Being there for a day and experiencing the festival is proof once again that the city has fallen off and is still a great place to visit and explore Definitely will be back next year for this festival!

It is great to have the streets closed for the family to stroll down, ride a bike, scoot or skate…read moredown. There are tables and booths set up to bring awareness to community members, activities, social groups, an opportunity meet local representatives and hopefuls. It's also a fun opportunity to explore a neighborhood and check out shops. We enjoyed the musical performances scattered throughout the promenade. The bicycle collation had a raffle for a bike and a stationary bike set up for kids to pedal and make a smoothie. The booths were spread out so there was some large open space between the clusters of tables. This made it easy to stroll and take in the neighborhood.

Western Addition--I guess. I've been to four or more Sunday Streets since my last review update…read more The most memorable was SoMa, mainly because it was a new route. I don't really remember much about my last experience in fall 2019 because--well, you know why. San Francisco's Slow Streets program is kind of like permanent Sunday Streets, without the festive activities and any no-cars enforcement whatsoever, so I guess it's not really the same. I still love Sunday Streets, and I hope it returns soon, although I suspect that it will morph into something horrible and expensive and permanent and infuriating, because isn't that what everything turns into in San Francisco, eventually?