Bay to Breakers 2024 scenes and stories
From the Embarcadero to Ocean Beach, the streets of San Francisco came alive with creativity, humor, and community.
San Francisco’s Bay to Breakers has always been a celebration of the city’s eclectic spirit, and the race on Sunday drew its typical runners alongside video game characters, superheroes, farm animals, and pretty much every costume in between.
This was Bay to Breakers 2024 in photos by Courtney Muro. We sent two reporters and also published a history by Alec Scott.
Why I love Bay to Breakers now and always
The last time I ran the San Francisco Bay to Breakers race, I was balancing a stiff martini — shaken not stirred — in my left hand and a cigarette in my right, running in fishnet stockings and a black satin slip. Not my conventional running style, but then again the Bay to Breakers is not your conventional running race. In fact it’s the most famous unconventional running race in the world.
Come race day you will be uplifted — I certainly witnessed the joy of San Francisco on Sunday while hanging around the finishing line festivities at the 113th Bay to Breakers.
Read the latest by Schatzie Frisch
How I felt as the only man in a dress at the Kentucky Derby
Our privilege in San Francisco extends beyond food, parties or iconic architecture: We live in the most saturated progressive community in the United States, which affords us radical inclusivity and self-expression. I’ve become so enmeshed in this bubble that I seldom ventured outside California since moving to San Francisco in 2010. Still I wanted to see the Kentucky Derby this year, and it turns out most of my concern was unwarranted; I had a fantastic time.
Read the latest by Saul Sugarman
What we’re doing this week
BottleRock Napa
The 2024 music festival will feature headlining performances by Stevie Nicks, Pearl Jam, Ed Sheeran, Megan Thee Stallion, Maná, and Queens of the Stone Age, among others. Past headliners have included Imagine Dragons, Robert Plant, No Doubt, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Foo Fighters.
The festival provides official hotel packages in Napa, Sonoma, and surrounding areas, as well as shuttle services from major cities like San Francisco and Sacramento. Downtown Napa hotels tend to sell out early and have inflated pricing during the festival weekend.
WHEN: May 24–26
WHERE: 575 3rd St, Napa
Free movies in San Francisco parks
Sundown Cinema is a popular free outdoor movie series held annually in San Francisco from May to October. It features seven films screened at seven different parks across the city, offering a unique cinematic experience under night skies.
The screenings begin shortly after sundown and are completely free and open to the public. However, reserved seating can be purchased through SF Parks Alliance membership. Notable screenings in 2024 include a Selena sing-along at Dolores Park, Bullitt at the Presidio, Barbie at the Ferry Building, and The Nightmare Before Christmas with a costume contest at Jerry Garcia Amphitheater.
What’s on our mind
We keep content mostly fun and light at The Bold Italic, but the future of the Bay Area interests us, too. Here’s what we are thinking about in local news. Brought to you by GrowSF.
PG&E will add a fixed fee to your bill starting in 2026
The California Public Utilities Commission recently approved a restructuring of residential utility bills, effective as of early 2026 for PG&E customers, according to Julie Johnson at the Chronicle. A fixed fee will be applied to bills, based on income. Most households will see a $24.15 fixed charge, while lower-income households will see a fee of $12 or $6.
Fixed charges are a fairly standard practice used by municipal utilities in California. They are meant to cover the cost of basic infrastructure – like transmission lines and cables – as well as operations and maintenance work. Previously, PG&E and other investor-owned utilities were not required to implement fixed charges, and rolled the cost of infrastructure and maintenance into the cost of energy usage itself.
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The Bold Italic publishes first-person stories on topics that are on the brains and lips of San Franciscans. We’re a hub for conversations to be heard and discussed, and we celebrate all that’s great about living in San Francisco and the Bay Area. We hope our continuing conversation will get you thinking, talking, and inspiring you to share your opinions with us on living in San Francisco.
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The Bold Italic is brought to you by GrowSF and edited by Saul Sugarman. Send us a pitch, a question, comment, or advertise with us: info@thebolditalic.com