Castro Halloween returns after nearly two decades
Organizers ceased throwing the spooky festivities after a 2006 shooting. Now it’s back with a family-friendly motive.
Big block parties collectively ghosted us in the pandemic, but the Castro’s annual costume soirée vanished long before that. Pleasant news ahead for us though: the iconic Castro Halloween returns this Saturday and Sunday. A 2006 shooting sent it on hiatus, but organizers aim to make the event less chaotic by tailoring it for families.
Activities include face painting, trick-or-treating for kids, a costume contest, and Halloween movies at the Castro Theatre.
The Merchants are working alongside the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Manny Yekutiel and Daniel Lurie, who collectively intend the modern Castro Halloween to be “a far cry from the chaotic street parties that once dominated the neighborhood ... It’s all about infusing the neighborhood with a Halloween spirit that’s fun and inclusive for everyone.” Up to $150,000 will fund the affair through the Civic Joy Fund.
The Bold Italic plans to attend and celebrate this festive moment with just a little dubiousness. Parties gonna party in San Francisco, we think; if you create the space for it, the rager might come anyway. Castro Halloween began in 1948 as a costume contest for kids, organized by that eclectic everything store Cliff’s Variety.
Bearrison Street Fair caps off SF’s kink season with a growl
With Folsom and Dore Alley behind us — and Halloween quickly approaching — it was the perfect day for San Francisco Bears to come out and play.
Bearrison Street Fair is still in its infancy compared to our other sex, intimacy, and body-positive offerings; at only three years old, the festival celebrates our queer community members with curvaceous, beautiful bodies. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and the Bears of San Francisco jointly put on the festivities at 11th and Harrison this past Saturday, Oct. 14.
Read the latest by Daniel Lyons
Pink feels adopted by San Francisco lesbians
I had no idea Pink spent all her concerts in the last decade with her legs in the air. Her latest show at San Francisco’s Chase Center felt like Cirque du Soleil teamed up with the House of Air trampolines in Crissy Field, and then added rhinestones, neon, acrobatics, interpretive dance, and silly costumes. Pink definitely pulled out all the stops to keep our attention.
Read the latest by Saul Sugarman
It’s Halloween season — here’s what we’re up to
There’s so many costumes to wear, pumpkins to pick, and candy to eat. Get out there and enjoy this very orange and colorful time of year in San Francisco and the Bay Area. Here are some great options.
Día de los Muertos with SF Symphony
The San Francisco Symphony celebrates its 16th annual Día de los Muertos celebration on November 4, 2023. This event features a concert program of traditional and contemporary Latin American music, preceded by a festive array of family-friendly activities.
WHEN: Nov. 4, 2023 at 2 p.m.
WHERE: Davies Symphony Hall at 201 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco
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.
Poll results show city is off track
GrowSF is proud to announce its first quarterly poll. The GrowSF Pulse measures the pulse of public opinion in San Francisco, bringing transparency to what San Franciscans think and feel, and where City Hall is failing us.
The top-line results from our poll:
68% think the city is on the wrong track, but 86% believe San Francisco’s problems are solvable
Mayor Breed is the favorite in the upcoming mayoral election (though her approval is low, she’s much more popular than her challengers)
93% are tired of open-air drug dealing and want fentanyl dealers arrested
69% want people using drugs in public arrested, with the caveat that they be taken to sobering centers, not jail
25% have been victims of crime, with half saying they didn’t report the crime to police
75% believe homeless drug addicts should be required to enter treatment in order to obtain housing and other social services
80% want people suffering from mental health crises on the streets to be held without their consent to undergo an evaluation by psychiatric staff
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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