CSF Recap

It's been busy over here at IJS and I'm way behind in event recaps. So just to document, I'll report a little back from this year's Castro Street Fair.

This was the first fair all year where I was not volunteering for one group or another. The weather was perfect and I really wanted to enjoy this one. The Castro Street Fair is like a City-wide Gay-wide block party where one sees close friends you see every week, and close friends you wish you saw more often, but these days only see at "family" functions.

And there are some good booths as well. I found some lovely horn-carved bracelets from Columbia to give as birthday gifts to Deb and Emily.

The highlight each year though is large outdoor country/western stage behind the Castro theater. As usual, Sundance Saloon provided a boot/clothes check. I was very grateful for the boot check this year as it was way too hot for boots and jeans for most of the morning, and I didn't want to lug the backpack around all day.

The lovely and talented Beau ("never wear the same hair twice") hosted an exquisitely catered pre-party perched above Castro and Market, with equally exquisite views.

Usually the Castro Street Fair is entirely wholesome. Fetish gear and nakedness are not
part of the program. Although there were a couple of muscle queens walking around shirtless int he late sumer sun, and they looked good enough doing it I had a hard time being bothered by it. All nakedness did, however, stop at the waist.

Literally veering off from the wholesomeness this year was the new "Sugar Alley" which featured the fun and freaky side of the community-- with booths by Peaches Christ, Boylesque and the like. My favorites were the whack a crazy Scientologist/ mock "Free Stress Test" booth, and the Freak Show Petting Zoo. HI-larious.


After social-butterflying my way through a couple of laps, I spent the rest of the afternoon, as expected, on the dance floor. So many of my friends know this is my thing, and had been hovering about waiting for me to appear. I had a ball, and the Sundance stage was wildly popular,



even for the lessons for such crap dances as "Ghost Train."

But I love my cowboy/two-stepping brethren, and got to enjoy some quality time with some quality people.




And some handsome strangers, and the fun girls from Mount Pilot.

The Rodeo beer booth was situated at the main Noe/Market entrance, and was staffed most of the day by the handsome Eric Hanson, the vivacious Skot Land, and the indefatigable Winne Bego. With such good company, I half-wished I had volunteered, or could have been in to places at once. As usual, we closed the place down (note the empty streets).



I loves my Winnie Bago.