The weekend of the year is almost here! After you're done partying with us at our 111 Minna and Lookout shindigs, let yourself loose in the city and celebrate Pride in all its glory and craziness. Here are some ideas to get you going.
Thursday, June 23
Trannyshack at the Academy of Sciences
Party after-hours at the museum. It'll be a full night of madness, starting with Frameline films in the Planetarium and African Hall at 6:30 pm, followed by drag performances by Heklina, Juanita MORE! and Verasphere. Music and cocktails will be on hand all night to keep the vibe flowing. Oh, bring your A-game to the Tranimal costume contest to win awesome prizes. Tickets here.
Friday, June 24
Kick off Pride in the Castro with Chaz Bono, new author of Transition (and Pride Parade Grand Marshall). He comes to the 'hood's best book shop for a book reading and discussion of what it means to be transgender in today's society. Free, 7:30 pm.
Saturday, June 25
Big Top vs. Trannyshack at Club 8
As seen on TV, the "Heathers" clique from RuPaul's Drag Race season 3 (Raja Gemini, Carmen Carrera, Delta Work) will perform on stage in honor of Pride, followed by a meet and greet for rabid fans. They'll be up against the city's own Trannyshack crew (Heklina, Terry T, Hoku Mama Swamp, Sister Roma) in an epic battle of the drag queens. Grab tickets here, starts at 9 pm.
Dyke March + Cockblock After Party at Rickshaw Stop
The yearly celebration of dykes, women of all stripes and anyone challenging societal norms culminates in a rally in Dolores Park and a bumpin' after party courtesy of the women behind Cockblock, Natalie Nuxx and special guest direct from Vegas, DJ C.LA. Dance with go-go girls, enjoy drink specials, and buy tickets before they sell out (which they do every year!) here. Dyke March starts at 3 pm, Cockblock starts at 9 pm.
Bootie at DNA Lounge: Lady Gaga vs. Madonna
Would a Pride celebration be complete without Madge or Lady Gaga? Bootie's legendary mash up night is a Clash-Of-The-Titans style Pride celebration that requires fancy footwork and a heck of a lot of dancing stamina. The first 100 people to the door get free Bootie CDs! $8 before 10 pm, $15 after. Tickets here.
Sunday, June 26
Pride Parade along Market Street
Floats, sequins, costumes, motorcycles and beats oh my! The annual Pride Parade–the biggest and flashiest in the country by far–is not to be missed, so get your butt down to Market Street and get ready for a full day of revelry. Free, starts at 10:30 am at Market & Beale Streets.
Official Closing Party with Taylor Dane at Regency Ballroom
Honor Pride month with a bang. Taylor Dane ("Tell It To My Heart") performs and Peter Paige (of Queer as Folk), Leonardo Glovibes and Cookie Dough host, while RuPaul's Drag Race season 2 winners Tyra Sanchez, Raven and JujuBee bring the ruckus. Tickets to this bash here, starts at 7 pm.
One of the most important and influential film festivals in the nation closes in the midst of the beautiful Contemporary Jewish Museum and the gala screening of Christopher and His Kind, a dramatization of novelist Christopher Isherwood's life as a gay man in 1930s Germany, which served as the basis for Cabaret. Cocktails, wine and food get the night going, and the distinguished AT&T Audience Award announcement closes another great year of LGBT films. Tickets here, starts at 10 pm.
Aunt Charlie's "A River Runs Through It" Pride Party
If you like partying off the beaten path, head to Aunt Charlie's in the Tenderloin is throwing a house music party entitled "A River Runs Through It". Just beyond the Pride Parade route, there will be pulsing beats and cheap drinks to transport you away from the screaming masses. Think of it as the calm before the storm of parade after parties. Free, starts at noon.
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In addition to places to party, folks should take note of the many street closures and transportation changes that will be in effect this weekend. The San Francisco Sentinal brings us a detailed list of these changes:
Critical Mass
On Friday the monthly Critical Mass bicycle ride will leave from Justin Herman Plaza sometime after 6 p.m.
Motorists and transit riders may be delayed as the bicycle ride passes. Roads will re-open as soon as bicyclists have passed.
Local
Transgender March
On Friday, the annual Transgender March will begin at 6:30 p.m. from Dolores Park. The route will be as follows: north on Dolores Street, east on Market Street and north on 7th Street into U.N. Plaza .
Streets will re-open after the march passes. The area will be very congested, though, and motorists are advised to allow extra travel time or to use alternate routes.
The following Muni lines and routes will be affected:
· F Market
· J Church
· 5 Fulton
· 6 Parnassus
· 9 San Bruno
· 21 Hayes
· 22 Fillmore
· 33 Stanyan
· 47 Van Ness
· 49 Van Ness/ Mission
· 71/71L Haight-Noriega
Giants vs. Indians
On Friday, the San Francisco Giants will host the first of three games with the Cleveland Indians at AT&T Park . First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. The series continues Saturday, at 1:10 p.m. and Sunday at 5:05 p.m.
Heavy traffic is expected both before and after the games. Game attendees and those traveling in the area are encouraged to take public transit (Muni, Bart, SamTrans, and CalTrain).
Dyke March
On Saturday, the annual Gay Pride Pink Saturday festivities and Dyke March will take place in the Castro area. The rally will begin at 3 p.m. and is expected to finish at 7 p.m.
The March will begin at 7 p.m. with the following route: from Dolores Park along Dolores Street , right on 18th Street , left on Valencia Street , left on 16th Street , left on Market Street to Castro and into the Pink Saturday Celebration. The end of the march will reach Castro more than two hours after it begins. Attendance is estimated at over 100,000.
Note: Motocycles will turn right on Sanchez Street to the parking area between Sanchez and Noe streets at 17th Street .
Pink Saturday
On Saturday, the Pink Saturday event will be held from 6 p.m. to midnight. The following street closures will be required from 5:30 p.m., Saturday to 1 a.m., Sunday:
· Market Street from Diamond to Noe streets
· Castro Street from 19th to 16th streets
· 18th Street from Diamond to Noe streets
· Hartford Street from 17th to 19th streets
· 17th Street from Noe to Castro streets
· Collingwood Street from Market to 19th streets
All iIntersections within closure boundary will be closed. Other peripheral streets may also be closed to traffic for crowd control.
Police will barricade Market Street from Noe to Diamond streets beginning at 5 p.m. for traffic control. Motorcycles will park on 17th Street between Castro and Noe streets.
Muni bus shuttles will operate between 14th Street at Church Street and 8th Street at Market Street from 5 p.m. – 1 a.m., stopping at the boarding islands on Market Street .
The following Muni lines and routes will be affected:
•F Market
•J Church
•L Owl
•22 Fillmore•24 Divisadero & 24 Owl
•33 Stanyan
•35 Eureka
•37 Corbett
Golden Gate Triathlon
The Golden Gate Triathlon will take place on Sunday at 6 a.m. in the Presidio. 400 participants is expected to participate at the event.
From 6 a.m. to 11 a.m., the following street closure will be required:
•Lincoln Boulevard between Crissy Field Avenue and the 25th Avenue Gate
•Mason Street at Crissy Field Avenue to West Crissy Parking area
Local access will be available.
The 29 Sunset Muni route will be affected.
Washington Square Bar Fundraising Event
On Sunday, the Washington Square Bar Fundraising event will take place between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Powell Street between Filbert and Union streets.
Muni line 39 Coit will be affected.
SF Pride Celebration
On Saturday, from noon to 7 p.m. and Sunday, from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., the annual SF Pride Celebration will be held in the Civic Center .
The following street closures will be in effect:
Starting at 9 a.m. on Friday, the following streets will be required:
· Grove Street between Polk and Larkin streets will be closed until 6 a.m., Monday.
· Fulton Street between Hyde and Larkin streets will be closed until 3 p.m., Monday.
Starting at 8 p.m., Friday and continuing until 6 a.m., Monday, the following streets will be closed:
· Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place between McAllister and Grove streets
· Polk Street between Grove and Market streets
· Lech Walesa Street between Van Ness Avenue and Polk Street
· Larkin Street between McAllister and Market streets
· Grove Street between Hyde Street and Van Ness Avenue
Intersection Closures: Grove and Polk streets, Polk Street and Lech Walesa, and Grove and Larkin streets.
Note: The intersection of McAllister and Larkin streets will remain open until 8 p.m., Saturday.
All northbound traffic coming from 9th Street will be directed to use Hayes Street to either Van Ness Avenue or Franklin Street . Southbound traffic at Polk Street should use Golden Gate Avenue to Hyde Street until Saturday evening when both Hyde Street and Golden Gate Avenue will be closed.
From 8 p.m. on Saturday until 6 a.m. on Monday, the area bounded by Van Ness Avenue, Turk Street, Market Street (except for Hayes Street), and Leavenworth Street will be closed to provide a larger celebration area.
Closure In detail: Golden Gate Avenue between Van Ness Avenue and Leavenworth Street; Polk Street between Market and Turk streets; McAllister Street between Van Ness Avenue and Levenworth Street; Larkin Street between Market and Turk streets; Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Hyde Street; Hyde Street.
Sutter Street between Market and Sansome streets will be closed for KRON’s Broadcast Site from 12 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Motorists are encouraged to avoid the Civic Center area on Saturday and Sunday as there will be extreme congestion especially on Sunday.
Event participants are strongly encouraged to take public transportation or their bicycles to this event as parking and traffic will be extremely difficult.
All Muni Metro trains will stop at Civic Center station for the Pride Celebration and Parade, as well as at Powell and Montgomery stations for the Pride Parade.
Bicycle Parking
On Saturday and Sunday, unmonitored bicycle parking will be available in front of the library on Grove Street between Larkin Street and Hyde Street . On Sunday only, monitored bicycle parking will be located at Hastings Plaza on the northeast corner of Hyde Street and McAllister Street . The San Francisco Bike Coalition will staff the bicycle parking.
Taxi Zones
On Saturday and Sunday, taxi zones will be set up on Van Ness Avenue in front of City Hall and on the south side of Turk Street between Polk and Larkin.
Muni round-trip transfers will be sold Saturday at select locations:*
Locations Hours
Civic Center Station East /West 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Church Station 6:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. (last train)
Castro Station 6:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. (last train)
Powell Station 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
* Subject to change based on staff availability and operational needs.
SF Pride Parade
The annual SF Pride Parade will take place on Sunday beginning at 10:30 a.m. from the lower Market Street formation area. The parade will commence at Market and Beale Streets and proceed west on Market Street to Hyde and 8th streets, where it will disband on 8th Street .
At 9:30 a.m., Market Street from The Embarcadero to Van Ness Avenue will be closed for the Parade. All intersections will be closed to cross traffic during the parade. As each section of Market Street is cleaned by the Department of Public Works, it will be reopened.
Street Closures
The following streets comprise the formation area and will be closed beginning at 7 a.m. Traffic on the cross streets will be allowed to continue, subject to delays, except when parade units are actually crossing the intersections.
· Beale Street from Market to Howard streets
· Main Street from Market to Howard streets
· Spear Street from Market to Mission streets
· Steuart Street from Market to Folsom streets
· Market Street from Beale to Steuart streets
Mission Street from The Embarcadero to 12th Street will be posted as “Tow Away/No Parking” to provide additional traffic lanes in order to ease congestion and keep transit moving. Both Van Ness Avenue and the The Embarcadero will be open for through traffic.
Muni service Impacts
Service that normally travels on or crosses Market Street will be affected by the Parade. The following lines are affected:
2 Clement 27 Bryant
3 Jackson 30 Stockton
5 Fulton 31 Balboa
6 Parnassus 38 Geary
8x Bayshore Express 45 Union/Stockton
9 & 9L San Bruno 71 Haight/Noriega
10 Townsend 108 Treasure Island
12 Folsom F Market (motorcoach)
14 & 14L Mission K Ingleside (motorcoach)
19 Polk L Taraval (motorcoach)
21 Hayes N Judah (motorcoach)
76 Marin Headlands T Third (motorcoach)
Due to street closures in the Civic Center during the Pride Parade and Celebration, the following muni routes will be affected until 6 a.m. Monday:
· 5 Fulton
· 19 Polk
· 21 Hayes
Muni round-trip transfers will be sold Sunday at select locations:*
Locations Hours
Castro Station 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Church Station 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Van Ness Station 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Civic Center Station East/West 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Powell Station 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
· Subject to change based on staff availability and operational needs.
Post Pride Parade Event in the Castro
On Sunday, after the Pride Parade there will be a gathering at 18th and Castro streets and nearby streets starting at 4 p.m. with ending time to be determined. SFPD will attempt to keep the streets open and have assigned additional personnel.
Those traveling in the area should expect delays.
