Dykes on Bikes, a Lit Pink Triangle, and More Only-in-SF Pride Events
There are so many parades, parties, and more to enjoy at San Francisco Pride this year.
There’s nothing quite as uplifting and festive as SF Pride, and this year’s celebrations promise to be as raucous, colorful, and full of love as ever. For the entire month of June, San Franciscans will come together to celebrate, uplift, and support the members, voices, cultures, and rights of our LGBTQIA+ communities, culminating in the official Pride weekend on June 24th and 25th (get a VIP pass to maximize your fun or volunteer your time to create the best celebration possible). There are a million ways to celebrate, including dance parties, film screenings, drag shows, conversations, block parties, and so much more, just a few of which we’ve highlighted below. This year we’ll be “Looking Back and Moving Forward,” which is more important than ever considering the political climate.
On sale Friday, June 9
Tank Garage Winery, a Calistoga winery with a tasting room in a 1930s-era gas station) is releasing “Out of the Closet,” a red wine blend that celebrates the LGBTQ+ community with a label by artist Hizze Fletcher King. Best of all, $1 per bottle to Out of the Closet Thrift Store, a foundation founded in 1990 to help raise funds and awareness for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. You can get it at the tasting room and online beginning June 9th.
Friday, June 9–Sunday, June 11
The annual San Francisco International Queer Women of Color Film Festival is happening at the Presidio Theatre, showcasing films that reflect the lives of queer women of color and address social justice issues that concern multiple communities. (And they’re all free.)
Friday, June 9–Saturday, July 2
This year’s theme for the largest queer arts festival in North America, “Murmurations of Queer Power,” celebrates the convergence of a swarm of queerness and the power of coming together in service of liberation. The festival takes place in spaces all over the Bay Area with performances, visual arts exhibitions, and interdisciplinary showcases.
Wednesday, June 14
There is no better time to support Drag Story Hour, a nonprofit organization where “storytellers use the art of drag to read books to kids in libraries, schools, and bookstores,” and you can do exactly that at a special Drag Story Hour at The Academy, SF’s premier LGBTQ+ social club. The fundraiser and cocktail reception supports Drag Story Hour and the GLBT Historical Society and is open to the general public.
Wednesday, June 14–Sunday, June 18
After a three-year hiatus, this festival is taking over Z Space for five days of Bay Area trans, queer, and gender non-conforming artists performing Afro-Latin dance, bomba dance and music, vogue dance, opera, aerial dance, stand-up comedy, live music, and more, all around the venue. Wander from the main stage to the balconies to quirky nooks for intimate performances available to the public on a sliding scale.
Wednesday, June 14–Saturday, June 24
Frameline46, the world’s longest-running showcase of queer cinema, is hosting 11 days of LGTBQ+ cinematic events in theaters all over SF and Oakland (plus digital screenings for those who prefer to watch at home). The in-person events kick off with an opening night film and gala at Fairyland in Oakland. During the next ten days, audiences will be able to see over 90 films (narratives, shorts, documentaries, etc.) representing more than 30 countries, plus live talks, Q&As, and more.
Saturday, June 17
Sister Roma of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence is hosting this Pride celebration at the Fairmont’s iconic Laurel Court Restaurant with delicious food and Juanita MORE! as DJ.
Thursday, June 22
NightLife is getting fierce for Pride with a party featuring performances by The Oaklash Festival, cocktail bars throughout the museum, and a chance to explore the museum with an adult-only.
Friday, June 23
Make a sign of solidarity, line the sidewalks, or march in one of the largest trans events in the country at the SF Trans March. Details have yet to be announced but based on past marches, there will probably be a stage in Dolores Park with live entertainment followed by the march downtown. And don’t miss the official after party “Bustin Out: Benefit Celebration for TJI Justice” at El Rio.
Friday, June 23–Sunday, June 25
Julie Crothers is taking the stage at ODC to perform Holy Crap, “a story of coming out, coming of age, and coming together with all the parts that make her whole. In an attempt to investigate the things she came to believe about goodness, value, purpose, and meaning within a deeply evangelical culture.”
Saturday, June 24
Run a 5K loop once or make it 10K by running it twice at the San Francisco FrontRunners Pride Run, a family-fun friendly way to engage with your local community during Pride Month—all while raising money for LYRIC: Center for LGBTQQ+ Youth. The run is followed by snacks, entertainment, and awards.
Saturday, June 24th
While all of the parties above (especially the one at the Power Exchange) are for adults, there’s a block party on Saturday that’s very family-friendly. Take pics with the Castro Unicorn, pet goats and other cute animals at the petting zoo, attend a drag story time, and more.
Saturday, June 24
Join in or cheer from the sidewalks to celebrate dyke communities, advocate for justice for dykes around the world, and support dykes as they demand “space, rights, visibility, and respect” at the 31st annual SF Dyke March. The march starts at Dolores and 18th Street in the Mission at 5 pm.
Sunday, June 24
La Bande, the patio restaurant at The Proper Hotel, is hosting a Pride party complete with delicious shared plates, live DJ beats, and an up-close view of the festivities.
Saturday, June 24–Sunday, June 25
The theme of this year’s official #SFPride celebration is “Looking Back and Moving Forward,” and the official festivities take place over the last weekend in June, including the beloved Pride Parade down Market Street with floats, marchers, and performers, ending at a party at the Civic Center with live entertainment on multiple stages, exhibitors, and more. Download the Pride app for all the details, including maps, line-ups, vendors, artists, and more. Think your feet are going to be tired after a weekend (month) of non-stop dancing? Buy tickets to sit in the Grandstand.
Keep the Pride celebrations going with after parties
Friday, June 24–Sunday, June 26
There are the official Pride celebrations, and then there are all the club parties that happen after-hours, and whatever your kink, there’s a party for you. There are too many to list here, but just a few that promise to be worth the price of admission are Young Hearts Pride, a cross-generational trans-galactic soul-strengthening discotheque for all, and Bearracuda San Francisco at Public Works; Oasis’ Pride Sunday with Kerry Colby; The Mighty Real Pride Weekender at The Phoenix Hotel; Afterglow Pride hosted by Comfort & Joy at Space 550; all of the parties at The Great Northern; the Pride SF Glow Party at the Power Exchange which promises a “sexy night of glowing adult fun”; and pretty much anything happening at any bar in the Castro.
Sunday, June 25
Juanita MORE! is partying at 620 Jones from noon well into the night on Sunday of Pride weekend. There will be music and drinks flowing, and all the donations raised will go to Queer LifeSpace, a nonprofit counseling agency that provides affordable, evidence-based mental health and substance abuse services to the LGBTQIA+ community in the Bay Area. (Please note: The event page says sales have ended, but cash-only tickets for the daytime are still available at multiple locations, and tix for the night party can be purchased here.
Wednesday, June 28–Sunday, July 2
The Oakland Black Pride Festival kicks off with “Breaking Bread: A Benefit Dinner,” a seven-course meal with optional cocktail pairings. Check out the Queer Expo on Saturday and show off your kickball skills during the Queer Kickball Tournament on Sunday.
Throughout June
Kokak Chocolates is a woman- and LGTBQ-owned chocolate shop/company in the Castro and is offering several Pride collections of its small-batch, single-origin heirloom chocolates. It’s a delicious way to show someone your love and support while also showing a small local business the same.
Throughout June
You’re guaranteed to find a good time at Oasis any month of the year, but this June, the party is non-stop. Witness grown-ass adults share their most embarrassing teen (queer-themed) traumas at MORT-PRIDE (a special edition of Mortified); party with Hunks and Housewives (featuring Sutton Stracke of RHOBH fame); watch a drag performance of Sex and the City Live; and more.
Throughout June
The GLBT Historical Society preserves and exhibits materials and knowledge that support and promote understanding of LGBTQ history, culture, and arts in all their diversity. Right now, exhibitions include “Queer Past Becomes Present,” a long-term exhibit that shows all kinds of photos and artifacts from the everyday queer life of San Franciscans; a recently discovered segment of one of the original 1978 rainbow flags; and Doris Fish: Ego as Artform, a showcase about the power of drag to change the world. Go for free on the first Wednesday of the month.
Throughout June
Manny’s, a community cafe/bar/event space with cafe-in-the-front and living-room-in-the-back vibes, is hosting Pride events all month long, including a few talks about Trans Grief, the State of the LGBT Movement, and “Queer North Beach Before the Castro,” as well as a marketplace featuring over a dozen LGBTQ+ San Francisco artists and makers. See their event page for all of the listings.
Throughout June
All through June, this famous pink triangle will be lit up with 2,700 bright pink LED nodes on the hillside of Twin Peaks as a nightly reminder of equity and resilience. (Walk up the car-free part of Twin Peaks Blvd (enter at the Burnett Gate), drive up (via the Portola Gate), or hike up one of the trails if you want to see it close-up. Prefer to see it from afar? The triangle, which covers about an acre, is visible from over 20 miles away (depending on the fog’s disposition, of course).