While San Francisco gets the most attention, there are ways to celebrate Pride Month all around the Bay Area. The Oakland Black Pride Festival is the nation's first Black-led Pride festival, taking place from June 24 to 26. The Black Queer Expo and Masquerade Party are two of the events. On June 4, Sonoma County will hold its 36th Pride Festival, which will include a procession in Santa Rosa. There are also San Jose bar crawls and a pool party in Santa Cruz. There are places to eat, drink, and dance the day or night away no matter where you are in the Bay Area, even despite the troubled times.
Where to Eat
Kokak Chocolates
A Filipina chocolatier Carol Gancia honors three celebrations in June: Pride, Philippine Independence Day on June 12, and her shop’s second anniversary. She’s bringing out limited chocolates, including the Say It Louder 16-piece truffle collection and multiple celebratory single-origin dark chocolate bars and lollipops.
Third Culture Bakery
The Third Culture Bakery is selling ganache-filled rainbow chocolate bars throughout the month of June. In addition, 10% of proceeds will go to the National Black Justice Coalition. You can place your order online for pick-up at their West Berkeley shop. They’re also shipping nationwide.
View this post on Instagram
Canela
A Spanish restaurant in the Castro has put together a Pride box that includes sangria, snacks, rainbow cocktail napkins, and rainbow candy. Order your box now!
View this post on Instagram
Pass The Sauced
A small business specializing in salsas and cooking sauces. They just released a vegan, cashew-based chipotle sauce, Nacho Mama’s Quezo, in collaboration with The Uncreamery. You can submit an order form online (contactless delivery is available) or order one as part of La Cocina’s weekly food box (order this week’s Pride-themed box here).
View this post on Instagram
Humphry Slocombe
In collaboration with Shop With Pride SF, they are offering an Ice Cream Pride Pack. It includes six pints for $60 and is available for nationwide shipping or pick-up this weekend. And if you stop by for a scoop during Pride weekend, they’ll add rainbow sprinkles for free.
For more Where to Eat in SF this Pride month!
Where to Drink
Castro, SoMa, Polk Street, and the Tenderloin to find historically queer-friendly watering holes. Venues like the Lookout, Twin Peaks, Cinch Saloon, Martuni’s, Pilsner Inn, and Trax are just a few of the evergreen hangouts.
The Edge
It sits at the actual western edge of the Castro neighborhood! The Edge is a mostly locals-only bar that draws a diverse crowd, in terms of both age and race.
A small, intimate venue that yet manages to offer Thursday drag acts, DJs, and fundraisers. Musical theater begins about 7 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and occasionally Sundays, with videos of musicals on cinema and stage playing all night. Because the Castro enjoys getting people very drunk, there are two-for-one cocktails all night on Mondays and Wednesdays and Happy Hour and drink deals every week.
440 Castro St
This bar used to be known as Daddy's, and the crowd here still goes by that label, with beards and bellies welcome. On certain nights, you'll find go-go guys dancing for bucks, and mid-week DJs cater to more mature tastes with a well-curated selection of videos from the 1970s through the 1990s.
The room is maintained dark and continues back to a mezzanine with a second bar and coat-check closet, which they used for Underwear Night (Mondays). Drink discounts abound, as they do throughout the Castro, with $3 beers all night on Tuesdays, two-for-one beverages on Wednesdays, and happy hour most days.
The Mix
The Mix, probably the most diverse bar in the Castro, is a favorite of Cleve Jones, the legendary LGBT rights campaigner, and other lifelong Castro residents. The pool table in the front draws some real sharks, while the rear patio is packed with smokers. Drinks are often stiffer than stiff here, and it's not uncommon to see groups of new acquaintances shouting in circles on the patio after their third or fourth round.
Check this link for more on Where to Drink to support the LGBTQ+ community.
Where to Party
San Francisco Trans March
June 24, Friday | 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Mission Dolores Park, 19th and Dolores streets, S.F.
Everyone is welcome to hitch a celebration and march supporting transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals, which includes a stage within the park with a live diversion from 3–6 p.m., followed by a march downtown. When the afternoon events, there'll be a 21 and older "Bustin Out: profit Celebration for TJI Justice" official Trans March afterparty at El Rio.
San Francisco Pride Parade and Celebration: "Love Will Keep Us Together"
June 25, Saturday | 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
June 26, Sunday | 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Civic Center Plaza, S.F.
The city's official in-person celebration finally returns for the first time in three years. It was a 2-day festival with a parade with Dykes on Bikes kicking it off at 10:30 a.m. Sunday and many additional events throughout the month.
With more than 200 parade contingents, exhibitors, and live entertainment on multiple community-run stages and venues, the full lineup of events and activities will be announced shortly. This year also introduces the S.F. Pride app for download, featuring stage lineups, event map, vendor list, artist information, and more!
San Francisco Dyke March
June 25, Saturday | 5:00 p.m. onwards
Dolores and 18th streets, S.F.
This year is the 30th anniversary of this march at Dolores Park, followed by a rally. As a call to action for equality, visibility, and respect, there is room for lesbians to join the march and sign up to volunteer. In addition, allies are welcome to cheer on the parade from the sidelines and participate in the post-walk celebration and rally in Mission Dolores Park.
For more Pride events in the Bay Area, check out SF Chronicle, SF Travel, and SF Tourist Tip!
Happy Pride! To read more about other cities' Pride Month celebrations on the West Coast.
