Black is the color for the Folsom Street Fair.

By Joseph S. Amster

Whether you’re an experienced leatherman or a newbie, the Folsom Street Fair is the place to be on Sunday, Sept. 30. “People recognize the Folsom Street Fair as the ‘daddy’ of the leather events. With 400,000 people expected to attend, this is the world’s largest,” says Folsom Street Events Executive Director Demetri Moshyannis. “It’s actually the third largest single-day event in California, just behind the Rose Bowl Parade and San Francisco Pride. People come from all over the world, and the event is spread out over 13 city blocks. We have two live stages, a dance area and 250 vendor booths selling all kinds of fetish gear—there’s a lot going on.”

Between the pre-fair Magnitude Party on Saturday, as well as Sunday’s festivities, the leather weekend is the peak of San Francisco’s summer. “I believe this is the fourth time, if not more, that we were voted best street fair by the readers of the San Francisco Bay Guardian,” says Moshyannis proudly. “This is something that San Franciscans are very proud of, have fun at and want to share with people who are new to it all. We get a lot of support not just from the South of Market businesses, but also from the city overall. We work with local government agencies to make this event happen, and we wouldn’t be able to do it without their support. This event is supported by the mayor and several local agencies, so we do really well with support from the city.”

Newcomers to the leather community, or those who are curious, will find a friendly atmosphere where they can learn more about the leather lifestyle. “A lot of the vendors take the time to teach people about leather—it’s definitely an educational experience as well as an amusing one,” says Moshyannis. “The leather community is one of the friendliest, so if you’re curious, it’s really easy to get some information and meet new friends. Some people might think it’s intimidating, but when you talk to people, you realize how accessible it is. We’re also going to have a dedicated women’s area, so for those women who are interested in coming, but haven’t felt particularly safe or comfortable and feeling a little exposed on the street, there’ll be a tented area.”

For those used to paying $20 or more to attend Pride festivals, the suggested donation of $5 might be surprising, plus no one is turned away for lack of ability to pay. “If you choose to give $5 that’s great, and if you choose to give more, that’s even better, because every single dollar that’s put in goes to charity,” says Moshyannis. In addition to benefiting local charities, this year the organization is hoping to make grants available to organizations in Southern California, as well as around the world.

The Folsom Street Fair is known for top-notch entertainment, and this year is no exception. “We’ve got great bands performing, and we’re definitely going to be selling out at our Magnitude Party. The line-up of bands we have this year is really exciting. Our headline band is Imperial Teen, and Ladytron is doing a DJ set. They’re coming over from England, and we’re really excited about that,” says Moshyannis. Other acts performing include Caroline Lund, Cazwell, Charm School Dropouts, Crash Berlin, eMpulse featuring Zhana Saunders, Ethel Merman Experience, FAUXfoe, Glen Meadmore, Heklina and Sister Roma!, John Marinello, Leather Title Holders, Little Yellow Perfect, Nekked, Risqué, Sean Greene, Seattle Eagle Radio, Smash-Up Derby, Speed Queen, Ted Eiel, theStart and Trannyshack Presents Kimo's 20 Years of Madonna in 20 Minutes.

With the best weather of the year, September is a great time to visit San Francisco, and with a weekend of leather, how can you say no? The Folsom Street Fair happens Sunday, Sept. 30, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Folsom Street between 7th and 12th Streets. The Magnitude party is Saturday, Sept. 29, from 10 p.m.-4 a.m. at the Factory, 525 Harrison St.

For more information (including the complete program), go to www.folsomstreetfair.com.