Boas, flags and dykes on bikes: San Francisco Gay Pride
What happens during San Francisco Gay Pride
San Francisco is one of the most LGBT friendly cities in the world and the whole neighborhood celebrates the annual San Francisco Gay Pride event, from high street shops to the city hall, everybody goes all out with rainbows and colors to mark their support.
From beautifully crafted cakes and confectionary to limited edition sneakers, it seems every corner you turn in San Francisco, you’re bound to see a rainbow.
I don’t think we’ve seen as many Pride flags in one city in our entire lives!
Shops help promote San Francisco Gay Pride with carefully planned promotional material, including the fairly new concept of same-sex romance imagery. Back in the day of our youth, this was relatively unknown.
We were in San Francisco the day after the United States make it legal in every state for gay people to marry and as you can imagine the atmosphere was electric!
If you’re wondering what to expect from the week-long celebration that is San Francisco Pride, then look no further as we bring you our summarized itinerary of San Francisco Gay Pride events.
The Pink Triangle at Twin Peaks
A large Pink Triangle is placed on the North hill of Twin Peaks every year at the San Francisco Gay Pride celebration to commemorate the gay victims who were persecuted and killed in concentration camps in Nazi Germany starting in 1933 through the end of WWII.
The Pink Triangle was used on uniforms of those living in the concentration camps who identified as homosexual.
The Pink Triangle symbol is an important reminder for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community of the continuing homophobia and inhumanity against them and other repressed minorities around the world.
The North Hill of Twin Peaks faces the gay-friendly Castro district and downtown San Francisco so it can be seen by the city.
The Pink triangle is made up of dozens of pieces of pink canvas, you can hike right up there and enjoy the view of the city on the backdrop.
Enjoy the incredible views of the city from one of the top attractions of San Francisco.
San Francisco Gay Pride Parade
The biggest tip, get there early! Over 1 million people watch the 6-hour long+ parade every single year.
The dykes on bikes traditionally start the parade and we’ve really seen nothing like it! Engines vroom down Market Street and it’s all very overwhelming.
Tha San Francisco Gay Pride Parade route cuts through the city in a straight line:
Enjoy the well-invested floats from the big Silican Valley names such as Facebook….
Apple…
NASA…
Air b and b…
IT giant’s Salesforce…
Enjoy colorful displays of celebration from San Francisco locals…
Including the traditional city trams…
The local Police Department…
Keep an eye out for the amazing Tom and Jerry’s Christmas House float with their incredible festive contribution to the parade.
Animals were not left our of the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade, enjoy the wonderfully bright costumes worn by the fury passersby.
We spotted celebrities at thick and fast at the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade, including pop-singer Pitbull on a dance float…
The Netflix float with two cast members from Orange is the New Black…
Danielle Brooke and Selenis Leyva looked like they were having just as much fun as we were…
The participants in the parade had heart warming banners and signs, we were truly overwhelemed by the incredible atmosphere.
Lots of freebies were handed out throughtout the day, the San Francisco Gay Pride parade is family-friendly, there is something for everyone as paraders float on by in their thousands.
The best place to stand for the parade is on Market Street, remember, one million people turn up to watch the 6-7hour long event so get there early if you can.
We stood on Market Street in between Union Square and the City Hall, it was hard to see the parade but we got as close as we could after showing up late. People start turning up at 7am with chairs to reserve a spot by the railings and it is absolutely worth it.
We couldn’t find a rest room during the parade, we recommend standing by a restaurant/mall if possible to use their facilities, you will more than likely have to buy something to get a key.
If you wanted an unspoiled iew of the parade, you could always show up in the latter stages, around 3-4pm, but you may have missed the best floats and celebrity attendees.
Without a shadow of a doubt, this was the best gay pride parade we have ever seen in the world. Thwe carnival atmostphereand diverse floats gave us an experience we will never forget for the rest of our lives at a crucial time for the USA. Love won.
50,000 people took part in the most recent San Francisco Pride Parade making it one of the largest in the world.
Overall, there were 271 contingents in the 2017 parade, you really have to see it to believe it.
For more information on the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade route and events, visit the official website.
After Parade fun at the City Hall
The Main Stage of the San Francisco Gay Pride Celebrations is located at the San Francisco City Hall at the Civic Center Plaza. Two days of exciting events are held here including local, national and international touring acts, community organizations, and engaging thought leaders. Expect thousands of attendees, lots of beer and food tents, dancing, fun, heat and partying.
All of the celebrations and events at the City Hall are free and donations are welcome that will continue to fund future gay pride events. The Celebration and Rally is a free community event funded by our donors, and we ask for a $1 donation at the gate. The City Hall event ends in the early evening and many people then flock to the Castro district to continue celebrating Pride.
Of course, after the Pride weekend, the streets of San Francisco are a glittery mess…
Like our blog on ‘San Francisco Gay Pride’?
Did we miss something from our take on San Francisco Gay Pride? Let us know in the comments below.
