“I didn’t think it was going to be in-person, but here we are,” remarked Dylan Phaneuf from San Francisco. 

Phaneuf is referring to the Folsom Street Fair, which, as with the majority of the Bay Area’s popular public events, was held virtually in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the annual leather and BDSM-focused street fair returned to San Francisco’s South of Market District on Sunday. The large crowd, Phaneuf among them, was all the proof needed that the move from online and back onto the city’s streets was very much welcomed.

“I’m enjoying the general atmosphere, the public displays, the performances. It’s an amazing celebration of sexuality, of fetish, of queerness,” said first-time Folsom Street Fair attendee Matt, who didn’t give his last name.

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Dubbed “MEGAHOOD2021,” this past weekend’s fair continued the tradition of highlighting a key LGBTQIA+ subculture in San Francisco’s historic Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District — with the added consideration of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“I appreciate the ‘proof of vaccination to enter’ [rule]. And it’s outdoors, so I felt it was safe to come,” said Matt, who is from Los Angeles and was there with his boyfriend.

  • At this year’s Folsom Street Fair, attendees were required to wear masks when standing in line to enter the event. Once they showed proof of vaccination, they were permitted to remove their masks and join the fair festivities. Entrance to the fair was free, though a $10-$20 donation was welcomed. (J.L. Odom/Bay City News)
  • Restaurants on Folsom Street, like V Cafe, were open and ready to take food and drink orders from Folsom Street Fair attendees. (J.L. Odom/Bay City News)
  • The booths, tents and tables of various vendors and organizations, such as PFLAG, set up shop on Folsom Street for Sunday’s annual leather and BDSM-focused street fair. PFLAG describes itself as “the first and largest organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, their parents and families, and allies.” (J.L. Odom/Bay City News)
  • A group of pet-play practitioners pose at Folsom Street Fair. Signs at the fair’s entrance read, “Gear is not consent. Nudity is not consent.”, and “Ask before photographing or touching someone. No means no.” (J.L. Odom/Bay City News)
  • The stages at the Folsom Street Fair featured music and demonstrations. (J.L. Odom/Bay City News)
  • Masks were a feature at this year’s Folsom Street Fair, both as an item worn and as an item sold. (J.L. Odom/Bay City News)

There was much to see and do at Sunday’s fair. Along the span of Folsom between Eighth and 13th streets, a variety of vendors had set up shop, including those selling fetish items; beverages were available for purchase, such as a $7 White Claw; bars and cafes were open; music and BDSM demonstrations were held on the three performance stages. And, of course, there was the crowd itself. 

“I didn’t know people were going to be straight-up nude,” confessed Emily Van Buren as she glanced around. Van Buren, visiting from out of town, had heard about the event from a friend and wanted to see it for herself.

“It’s like the stereotype of San Francisco that people might have, like people in the Midwest. But not in a bad way,” Van Buren said of the Folsom Street Fair.

  • On Sunday, a line formed outside of Powerhouse Bar, a popular gay and leather club on Folsom Street. (J.L. Odom/Bay City News)
  • As in previous years (except for 2020), Sunday’s Folsom Street Fair took place on the street it is named after, between Eighth and 13th streets, in the South of Market neighborhood. These streets are part of San Francisco’s historic Leather and LGTBQ Cultural District. (J.L. Odom/Bay City News)

With the skin-exposing, tight-fitting leather and latex attire, the pet play outfits — and the nudity — attendees embraced the opportunity to express themselves and, importantly, be themselves, openly and on the streets of this LGBTQIA+ inclusive city.

As Phaneuf said, “It’s people being real. It’s bringing our community together.” With a smile, he added, “You can just be yourself here.”