Folsom Street Fair

folsom street east

FOLSOM STREET EAST - was a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization in New York City that held fundraising events and served the BDSM, leather, fetish, kink, LGBTQ community and New York City in general.

It was the largest annual event, Folsom Street East, the largest open-air fetish festival on the East Coast, bringing thousands of sexy kinksters to the streets of New York City on a summer afternoon to celebrate sexual diversity and self-expression. The festival later made its way to Europe.

Folsom Street Fair (FSF) is an annual BDSM and leather subculture street fair held in September that culminates San Francisco's Leather Pride Week. Folsom Street Fair, sometimes simply called "Folsom," takes place on Folsom Street between 8th and 13th Streets, in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood.

The event began in 1984 and is California's third largest one-day outdoor spectator event, as well as the world's largest skin event showcasing BDSM merchandise and culture. It has grown as a non-profit charity, and local and national non-profits benefit as all donations at the door go to charity groups, as well as numerous fundraising schemes within the festival, including games, drink booths and even slapstick for donations to capitalize on adult-themed exhibitionism.

You can find some videos from the festival on hot granny porn tube, GrannyTube.Net keeps the history of the festival for you. We don't collect donations for the festival, we just tell you about it!

Atmosphere and what was going on at Folsom Street East

Atmosphere and what was going on at Folsom Street East

 

As one of the few instances where sadomasochistic acts are encouraged and performed in public, it attracts a large number of spectators and those who enjoy people's attention, as well as hundreds of photographers and videographers. Although the costumes and actions are often transgressive, many people gather at the food court, many attendees find the event "eye-opening" and positive. On the other hand, the event has sometimes drawn public and internal criticism for its lewd atmosphere and widespread tolerance of lewd behavior, and it is regularly targeted by anti-gay organizations such as Americans for Truth About Homosexuality.

The organizers have reportedly earned a lot of credibility from city officials, as they have demonstrated not only an exceptional level of community and volunteer support, but have also become role models for other street fairs in San Francisco that have faced opposition from various neighborhood groups. With the help of high-profile Sisters of Perpetual Innocence, donations to the fair totaled more than $300,000 in 2006, and the technique has been used at other street fairs, such as Pink Sister Saturday, the Castro Street Fair and San Francisco Lovefest.

The fair claims to attract 250,000 visitors annually, including leather fetishists from around the world, and is the third largest street event in California after the Tournament of Roses and San Francisco Pride parades. Each year, the net proceeds from the Folsom Street Fair, including donations from gates and beverage sales, are donated to local charities ("beneficiaries"). These include health, social services and arts charities, as well as beverage partners and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, who lead the organizational efforts at the gate. The event regularly raises more than $300,000 a year for charity. The fundraising events also include a slapstick charity booth, live BDSM demonstrations and a twister stage.
Left: Dick and ball torture demonstration at the Folsom Street Fair.
Right: Men playing steam twister at the fair.

Fair organizers present one or two live stages for alternative bands and artists. Previous headliners have included Austra, Little Boots, Miami Horror, Ladytron (DJ Team), Dragonette, Imperial Teen, Berlin, The Presets, Monarchy, The English Beat, Missing Persons, MNDR, Light Asylum, Shiny Toy Guns, Natalie Portman's Shaved Head, Nitzer Ebb, MEN (featuring JD Samson of Le Tigre), My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, The Limousines, Ladyhawke, Adult and Yacht. Over time, the fair has become increasingly known as a venue for top-notch international underground musicians. There are one or two dance floors with DJs and cage dancers, featuring DJs Tony Moran, Manny Lehman, The Cucarachas featuring Tom Stefan and Mark Moore of S'Express.

In 2006, the Folsom Street Fair added a women's area, which in its first year was called Betty Page's Secret, then Venus Playground, and as of 2016, the current area is called Playground. The playground is open to "women of all types and all trans and non-binary people." The playground is also home to Queer Commons, a space for all genders of homosexuals. In 2007, there was an area for erotic artists, and in 2013 there was a performance stage in honor of the 30th fair.

What started the Folsom Street Fair

Folsom Street

In the 1970s, residents actively resisted the city's redevelopment program for the South of Market neighborhood. City officials wanted to "revitalize" this historic neighborhood of office workers, warehouses, and industrial plants by continuing the successful high-rise development already underway on Rincon Hill.

But when the AIDS epidemic struck in the 1980s, the neighborhood's relative autonomy from City Hall diminished dramatically. The crisis became an opportunity for the city (in the name of public health) to close the bathhouses and regulate the bars, which it did, beginning in 1984.

As these establishments for the leather community were rapidly closing, a coalition of housing activists and community organizers decided to organize a street fair. The fair was to raise community awareness, raise much-needed funds, and create opportunities for members of the leather community to obtain services and vital information (such as about safe sex) that bathhouses and bars would not otherwise be able to distribute.

Because of the success of the first Folsom Street Fair, organizers created the Up Your Alley Fair on Ringgold Street in 1985. In 1987, that fair moved to Dore Street ("Dore Alley") between Howard and Folsom Streets.

Street photographer Michael Rababy says the age of artists and poets is being replaced by an age of algorithms and hipsters with trust funds, but while the millennium tower sinks, the Folsom Street Fair stands its ground.
In 2020, the fair was not held because of the Covid 19 epidemic. But now the festival has resumed.

Folsom Street Festival in Europe

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Folsom Europe was founded in 2003 to bring the concept of a non-commercial leather festival to Europe, pioneered by the Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco, California.

Today it is one of the largest gay fetish festivals in Europe, along with Berlin Leder und Fetisch e.V. (or BLF, in English: Berlin Leather and Fetish), held in Berlin every Easter holiday. The main venue for the two fetish festivals is in Schöneberg. The Folsom Europe street festival takes place on Fuggerstrasse and Welserstrasse, near Wittenbergplatz.

Folsom Europe is also the backdrop for the annual German Titleholders Conference, an event where title fetishists from all over the world gather to meet and raise money for charities in Berlin. Fundraising is an important part of this fetish street party, as it is the only event in Europe where nuns from the Order of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence stand at the gate and collect funds from visitors.

When is Folsom Street Fair 2022?

Folsom-Street-2022

The Folsom Street Fair is held on the last Sunday in September each year. The week leading up to the fair is filled with some of the biggest gay happenings in the United States. You'll find lavish productions, world-class DJs, amazing venues, and the hottest fetish acts you'll see all year!  In 2022, the festival will take place on September 25.

Folsom Street Circuit Events

Folsom Street Fair weekend features several big parties that raise money for local charities. The official Magnitude and Deviants party is not to be missed, nor is SF Eagle's Parking Lot Party. Other non-official events continue to thrive. Many of them use the term "FLSM" or "Leather Weekend" so as not to violate Folsom's trademark. Major events include:

  •     HEAT – Pre Folsom Kick off event, for those who arrive a week early.
  •     Big Muscle at DNA Lounge – Saturday afternoon event – very popular and fun.
  •     MR S Leather Block Party – Friday & Saturday outdoor block party, shop and drink!
  •     Mr Leather Queen – Open Air Event at District 6, food trucks, circuit music and more.
  •     Real Bad San Francisco – The official Dance party after the fair.
  •     Leather Pride at the Eagle – A series of events in the new Eagle Plaza and Bar. Held after the San Francisco Leather Walk.
  •     Masterdrome – Three of the biggest party organisers combine to bring you one epic night of fetish and kink.
  •     Folsom Closing Party – The official event, always a sell out success.
  •     Hot Tea, “Leather Edition” – Popular Afternoon tea dance in San Francisco, post fair.
  •     Aftershock – The official “After Party” at Folsom with a 4am kick off.
  •     RAM Party – New York gear event comes to San Francisco.
  •     Matinee PERVERT – Big circuit style event with world class DJs.
  •     BRUT – Big production party, underground music and excellent DJs.
  •     Prime Meat Party – A trophy dad production with hot daddies and those who love them.
  •     Bearracuda Horse Meat Disco – Two epic party brands combine for one Friday night kick off event.
  •     Folsom Sunset Cruise – Leather and fetish boys on a boat! Ahoy sailor.

 

What is BDSM

BDSM stands for Bondage & Discipline, Dominance & Submission, Sadism & Masochism . It is a term used to describe a range of erotic and sexual practices that involve exchanges of power, dominance and submission. BDSM can include a variety of activities such as bondage, spanking, role-playing and other forms of consensual physical and psychological stimulation, you can see this on porno foto's as an example.

The BDSM community is based on the principles of safe, reasonable and consensual play, with an emphasis on communication, respect and trust between all participants. Although BDSM play may involve pain and physical restraint, it is only practiced in a consensual environment and with the full understanding and consent of all parties involved. This can be clearly seen by looking at the photos on pornpics.de.

It's important to note that BDSM is not a mental disorder or a form of abuse, and that it is distinct from non-consensual abuse or violence. It is a consensual and intimate expression of human sexuality, and it can be a fulfilling and positive part of someone's sexual identity and experiences.