Castro Street Fair: Living History in SF

The Castro Street Fair has become a San Francisco Institution. Harvey Milk arranged the first fair as a way to unify the local gay community in defiance of the Eureka Valley Merchants Association which refused to cooperate with gay merchants in the neighborhood. The first Fair was held on August 18, 1974, and the event has grown into a tradition as meaningful as the gay pride parade. It's another excuse for the tribe to come together and celebrate community pride and enjoy a day in the sun with our friends and neighbors.

The Castro is relatively small. Castro Street is a major crosstown route and Market is even busier. The intersection of the two is a transfer point for many bus routes. The first few annual Fairs caused little more than a slight inconvenience to motorists since only one block of Castro was closed. These photographs show that through the 1970's the Fair grew in importance as a social event for the Gay Community. It was a fabulous Sunday afternoon party. Everybody was there. The alcohol flowed freely. The sun (usually) blazed down on us, providing maximum comfort to the scantily clad! Nudity was rare, but there was plenty of skin to satisfy the needs of all who admire the male body as an art-form! The few booths that occupied the street were for food and drinks. This was a party, not a shopping mall.