The official Pink Saturday event annually celebrated during San Francisco Pride Week might not make its return this year, as event organizers have been unable to find a sponsor.
Last year, the annual street party faced a similar fate, but the LGBT Community Center stepped up to host the raucous party, which has been held since the 1990s.
Prior to that, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, an activist group that performs in drag, sponsored the event but had cancelled last year citing escalating violence at the events.
In the past few years, there was one fatal shooting and several outbreaks of violence and theft. Tens of thousands of people turn up each year, also causing street closures.
City Sup. Scott Wiener told NBC Bay Area that the Castro neighborhood is still planning on people turning up to celebrate, and the police department is preparing for crowds.
“We will be very prepared in terms of security and other needs,” Weiner said. “It’ll be just a fun and festive night in the Castro, but it will no longer be a street closure or an official event.”
