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San Francisco Pride 2023: Your ultimate guide to the grand finale weekend

Members of the Apple procession walk in the San Francisco Pride Parade on June 26, 2022. | Juliana Yamada/The Standard

The final weekend of Pride Month 2023 is here, and all of June’s biggest events, marches and parties honoring the LGBTQ+ community are going to be crammed into a three-day celebration, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

San Francisco Pride’s annual parade and two-day schedule of performances and programming are among the weekend’s marquee events, but these “official” gatherings aren’t the only fêtes in town. From a drag contest with some serious prize money and a Doggy Pride Parade to the “world’s largest Pride flag” stretching more than 4 miles down Market Street, here’s your guide to finishing Pride 2023 with a flourish. 

Parades, Marches & Rallies

‘Welcome’ Shines Bright Down Market Street

🗓️ Friday-Sunday | After sundown
📍 From the Ferry Building down the length of Market Street
🔗 illuminate.org

A drone view of a rainbow light show down Market Street at night.
A 4.1-mile laser art show titled “WELCOME” by Illuminate beams horizontally from the San Francisco Ferry Building up Market Street toward Twin Peaks. | Brian Feulner for The Standard | Source: Brian Feulner for The Standard

Rainbow rays will beam down Market Street once again in honor of Pride. The dazzling laser display created by arts nonprofit Illuminate and billed as the “world’s largest Pride flag” will shimmer down 4.1 miles of the thoroughfare as it did last year to much fanfare. The Grand Lighting Ceremony to flip the switch on the art installation happened Friday with U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi doing the honors.

READ MORE: Watch How San Francisco’s Iconic Pink Triangle Comes Together Every Pride

The San Francisco Dyke March in the Castro

🗓️ Saturday | 5 p.m.
📍 Dolores & 18th streets
🔗 thedykemarch.org 

The 2015 San Francisco Dyke March took place days after the Supreme Court enacted marriage equality nationwide. | Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images

This rally for queer women makes its way from the Mission to the Castro to claim space for women-loving-women and fight against the erasure of the lesbian community. “We’re calling all dykes. To show up. To take up your space,” wrote organizers. Allies are invited to show their support from the sidelines. 

READ MORE: What’s Behind the Decline in Lesbian Bars?

San Francisco Pride Celebration & Parade in Civic Center & Downtown SF

Civic Center Celebration

🗓️ Saturday-Sunday | Noon-6 p.m., 11 a.m-6 p.m.
📍Civic Center Plaza
🎟️ $0-$200+

People gathered in front of City Hall following the 2022 Pride Parade. | Juliana Yamada/The Standard

San Francisco’s signature Pride celebration is so big it can’t be contained by one day. The organization’s pride-full weekend kicks off Saturday with rapper Princess Nokia headlining a showcase of singers, DJs, drag performers and more. 

Parade

🗓️ Sunday | 10:30 a.m.
📍 Along Market Street, from Beale Street to Eighth Street
🔗 sfpride.org 
🎟️ $0-$70 

Sunday morning, the SF Pride Parade begins its colorful procession down Market Street, concluding at Civic Center, where the celebration continues with more performances and expected appearances by SF’s first-ever drag laureate, D’Arcy Drollinger, and Mayor London Breed.  

Ken Prag and Steve Collins go down Market Street for San Francisco Pride. | Juliana Yamada/The Standard

Pride is free to attend, but donations are welcome, and those looking to upgrade their experience can spring for grandstand seats at $70 or a Pride Pass for access to VIP events and after-parties.  

People’s March & Rally

🗓️ Sunday | 11 a.m.
📍 Polk & Washington streets
🔗 juanitamore.com/events 

This protest is centered on queer voices of color and is intended to draw attention to a range of civic issues, from racial injustice to trans rights. It will follow the same route as SF’s first Pride celebration and concludes with a gathering of DJs, performers and artists booths at Fern Alley.  

Gerri Saint Germain raises her fist at the 2022 People’s March. | Ben Fanjoy for The Standard

Doggy Pride Parade in Berkeley 

🗓️ Sunday | 12:30 p.m.
📍 2701 Eighth St., Berkeley
🔗 berkeleyhumane.org
🎟️ Free, but donations welcome

Berkeley’s Humane Society and Third Culture Bakery host the second annual Doggy Pride Parade to celebrate Pride and raise funds for the animal charity. Families are invited to come together with their canine companions and sashay down a block in costume. Prizes will be given for the best-dressed paraders, and the walk will include a short pit stop at the Humane Society for photo ops, treats and a disco dance party. Two drag performers will entertain attendees at 2:30 p.m. Third Culture Bakery, which bills itself as the home of the original mochi muffin, will also donate $10 for each participating dog, match all additional donations up to $1,000 and cover all adoption fees for new pet parents who bring home a pooch on Sunday. 

Berkeley Human Society's Doggy Pride Parade will feature opportunities for pet parents to pose for photos with their furry friends. | Courtesy Berkeley Humane Society

Parties, Music, Art & More 

Drag Me Downtown 

🗓️ Thursday | 5-7 p.m.   
📍 One Market Restaurant
🔗 downtownsf.org
🎟️ $0-$10

The penultimate "Drag Me Downtown" pop-up performance features the glamorous Voodonna and Helixir Byntwell, with MGM Grande hosting. The sequin-studded event designed to encourage folks to bring their fabulous selves to the Financial District is free, but preregistered guests receive a free fan and feather boa. 

Fat Cat Wine Club Pick Up Party in the Tenderloin

🗓️ Thursday | 6-9 p.m.
📍 Emperor Norton’s BoozeLand
🔗 @fatcatsf

Queer-focused wine club Fat Cat hosts Drag King Bingo at its monthly pickup party for members. But anyone also dressed in drag can get in on the game. Fat Cat will be pouring wines from its curated lineup of vino made by queer winemakers and giving away prizes.  

Fleurs de Villes Kick-Off to Pride in SoMa

🗓️ Friday
📍 The Mint
🔗 showpass.com
🎟️ $10

International floral sensation Fleurs de Villes brings a special Pride edition of the flower show to San Francisco. | Courtesy Fleurs de Villes

International floral sensation Fleurs de Villes brings together the creations of some of San Francisco’s finest florists for a showcase blossoming with pride. The elaborate display of mannequins decked in blooms and inspired by LGBTQ+ icons like Harvey Milk and late SF drag artist Heklina will celebrate the start of Pride weekend with a cocktail party in the Mint’s beautiful courtyard and drinks from the Hendrick’s Gin Bar. The exhibition continues at the Mint through July 3, with tickets ranging from $15-$35.

Tenderlove: An SF Queer Pride Day Party in the Tenderloin

🗓️ Saturday | 3-10 p.m.
📍 Record Bar
🔗 eventbrite.com
🎟️ $20-$35

Forget Tinder and get tender. Let your hair down and get low at this intimate daytime dance party as DJs spin beats for indoor and outdoor dance floors.

Castro Drag Performer of the Year Contest

🗓️  Saturday | Noon-5 p.m.
📍 250 Noe St., between Market and Beaver streets
🔗 eventbrite.com
🎟️ Free

Calling all drag artists. Saturday is your chance to vie for the title of best drag performer of the year. Six celebrity drag icons, including SF’s first-ever drag laureate, D’Arcy Drollinger, will judge a lineup of 15 contestants during a series of lip-sync challenges. The winner will take home a $1,000 cash prize and bragging rights. The runner-up receives $500.  

Queerly Beloved Pride: Peaches Live in SoMa

🗓️ Sunday | 9 p.m.
📍 1015 Folsom
🔗 seetickets.us
🎟️ $40+

Boundary-pushing electroclash music artist Peaches headlines an evening of music, drag performances and dancing across three floors. Your Munther, a fixture of Los Angeles’ nightlife scene, rounds out the musical programming. 

Sour Cherry Comic’s Buy Gay Art! Pride Pop-Up in the Mission 

🗓️ Sunday | 2-6 p.m.
📍 Sour Cherry Comics
🔗 eventbrite.com
🎟️ Free

Lesbian-owned bookstore Sour Cherry Comics hosts an artists’ pop-up featuring zines, comics, stickers, arts and crafts by queer creatives. Support LGBTQ+ local artists by showing up and buying some art as the event’s name encourages. Sour Cherry also hosts a booze-free "Sapphic Tea Party" on Saturday.  

READ MORE: San Francisco Weekend Events: 5 Things To Do in Addition to (or Besides) Pride Parade

Juanita More! Pride Day & Night Parties 

🗓️ Sunday | Various times
📍 Various locations
🔗 juanitamore.com/tickets 
🎟️ $42.06 for night party

SF drag artist and activist Juanita More! puts her stamp on two Pride-themed gatherings, one at 620 Jones from noon to 7 p.m. and another at Halycon from 6 p.m. to late into the night.   

A Look Ahead  

Oakland Black Pride Festival

🗓️ June 28-July 7 | Various times
📍 Various locations
🔗 oaklandblackpride.org 
🎟️ $0-$250

Party it up with Oakland Black Pride Festival's celebration of Black queer chefs and establishments. | Courtesy Oakland Black Pride Festival

The celebration of Pride in the Bay Area doesn’t stop this weekend. Oakland Black Pride’s 2023 festival spotlights Black queer chefs and establishments through the first week of July. A seven-course charity dinner prepared by Top Chef alum Preeti Mistry, who’s also helmed the kitchens at the de Young Museum and Google HQ in Mountain View, kicks off the celebration on June 28. Sample specialty cocktails from a suite of queer-friendly bars on June 30. "Biscuits and Belinis" take center stage for a Black Pride Brunch at Otto’s Uptown Kitchen on July 2. And a good old-fashioned cookout caps things off also on July 2. A kinky workshop for sex-postive exploration, a kickball tournament and an expo featuring queer vendors and a vinyl swap round out the festival’s activities.  

How To Watch the Parade From Home

If you’re not going out to the parade on Sunday, you can watch it on the platforms of our media partner ABC7 News.

ABC7 is the official live broadcast partner of the parade. Its broadcast coverage starts at 10 a.m., and you can stream the parade from the ABC7 Bay Area mobile and connected TV apps or at abc7news.com/pride/.

Correction: An earlier version of this post misstated the dates of the 2023 Fresh Meat Festival.

Christina Campodonico can be reached at christina@sfstandard.com