The Folsom Street Fair returns to South of Market on Sunday, September 27, 2026, from 11am to 6pm. It is a leather and kink street fair run by Folsom Street, the San Francisco nonprofit that also puts on Up Your Alley in July, and it closes several blocks of SoMa for the day.
What to Expect
The fair fills Folsom Street between 7th and 13th Streets, plus 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Streets between Howard and Harrison, and Dore Street from Howard to its end. Folsom Street runs seven community stages with DJs and performers, along with exhibitor booths from gear makers, artists, clubs, and community organizations. The Playground, a space for women and for trans and non-binary attendees, is on 10th Street between Howard and Folsom.
The Rules
Entry is by donation. Volunteers at the gates ask for $10 to $20, and a donation gets you a fair sticker that is good for a discount at the participating bars.
This is an adults-only event. Folsom Street asks people not to bring anyone under 18, and gate and security volunteers turn families away. People aged 18 to 20 can attend but cannot buy alcohol; the partner bars card at every purchase. Pets are not allowed either.
Nudity is permitted. San Francisco’s street nudity ban carries an exemption for permitted street fairs, and the fair runs a coat and clothes check on site. Public sexual activity is a different matter: Folsom Street enforces a three-strikes policy of a verbal warning first, then ejection, then a citation handled by SFPD.
The fairgrounds are smoke-free, because San Francisco requires it of all permitted outdoor events. Weapons, knives, sharps, glass bottles and cans are not allowed through the gates.
Getting There and Practicalities
Take BART or Muni. Civic Center and Powell Street BART stations are each about a 10 to 15 minute walk from the middle of the fairgrounds, and the closure means Muni routes that normally use Folsom Street will be running differently that day, so check SFMTA before you set out. Accessible parking is available: four blue-zone spots on Howard at Dore, and ten more on Harrison at 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th.
Fair headquarters is at 1401 Folsom Street, where the Safety team is stationed and lost property is handed in. Items turned in after the 6pm close may not be retrievable until the following Wednesday.
September is often San Francisco’s warmest stretch, but the wind still comes up in SoMa in the afternoon, so bring a layer.
Details
When: Sunday, September 27, 2026, 11am to 6pm. Where: Folsom Street between 7th and 13th, SoMa.
Cost: Donation at the gate, $10 to $20 suggested. Getting there: BART to Civic Center or Powell Street, then walk. Check SFMTA for Muni reroutes.
Folsom Street Fair falls on the same weekend as Portola at Pier 80. For the rest of the month, see our September 2026 guide.
Sources: Folsom Street‘s own fair page and FAQ. Note that the FAQ page still lists 2025 dates; the September 27, 2026 date and the 11am to 6pm hours come from the fair page itself.
Photo: Tim Bartel, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
