Flyertalk Gayla 2020: The San Francisco Gay High Holy Holidays
It's been a while since many of us have met up for a Gayla. So I'm starting the ball(s) rolling.
In San Francisco we have two Gay High Holy Holidays: Dore Alley and Folsom Street Fair. Dore tends to be smaller and the participants are mostly gay men. Folsom is a fetish fair and includes gays, lesbians, and straights. Folsom definitely gets more "lookie-loos" who aren't wearing any "party dresses".
I usually go to both with a group of friends and would be happy to organize some fun events around each of the holidays.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Up You Alley - "Dore Alley" - July 24-26, 2020
https://www.folsomstreetevents.org/up-your-alley/
Friday, July 24:
8:00pm - Flyertalk Gayla Evening Mixer in The Castro. We can probably hold a drinks and appetizers event for people to meet and mingle.
10:00pm - Castro Pub Crawl - Experience the best of The Castro as we sample some local delights.
Saturday, July 25:
2:30pm - Mr. S Leather Beer Party: The worlds largest gay department store becomes the hot spot on the Saturday before Dore. They serve beer on their outdoor patio while people shop and do things that would make your mom blush inside the store. It's great fun. And you can pick up any last minute party dress accessories while you're there.
5:00pm - SF Eagle Pre-Dore Party: At some point we will walk a few block down to the DNA Lounge to grab a slice of pizza and then end up at the famous SF Eagle. Everyone is in a festive mood and it's a great place to warm up your harness before Sunday.
Evening - The main option that night is the Bay of Pigs Dance Party with huge play space! Advanced tickets required. For the past few years, we haven’t gone to the Bay of Pigs. Instead we just stay at the Eagle until we poop out and Uber home. The next day is a long day so some sleep helps!
Sunday, July 26
1:00pm - THE BIG EVENT - Up Your Alley Fair. It’s the reason you’ve come to San Francisco. Enjoy the music, the men, the food, strutting your stuff, enjoying the the sights… There is nothing like Dore Alley!! As the day moves on we might end up back at the Eagle or inside the Powerhouse. We’re in God’s hands at that point.
Then if you want to make a longer vacation out of it, Lazy Bear Weekend is the next weekend up in the Russian River.
Lazy Bear Weekend - July 31 - August 3, 2020
https://www.lazybearweek.org/
Friday, July 31 - Many out of towners will stay until the weekend after Dore to enjoy a bears in the forest weekend about 1.5 hours north of SF in Guerneville.
8:00pm - We arrive on Friday and we can met up for drinks and appetizers.
10:00pm - Friday Night Dance Party - One night there will be an underwear party and the other night will be “gear”. But really wear what you want at any time! You will see the gambit. It’s hot, sweaty fun.
12:00am - Bonfire and the “Giving” Tree - We will end the evening with a big bonfire. Off to the side, is the infamous “Giving” Tree where you can take a walk in the dark and see what you might bump into as you follow the crowd and circle the tree.
Saturday, August 1 -
12:00pm - The Woods Pool Party - The highlight for me of this weekend is the pool party at the Woods. It’s clothing optional and the crowd is there for fun.
10:00pm - Saturday Night Dance Party - The River Theater is once again Guerneville’s hotspot for some bear-y drinking and dancing. Even if you’re aren’t really a dancer, you might be tempted to join in on the fun.
12:00am - Bonfire and the “Giving” Tree - By this time, you might be ready for some more Giving Tree fun. Yes, the bonfire is nice too but did you really come for the bonfire?!?
Sunday, August 2 -
12:00pm - Pool Parties - The LB organizers will often have a big pool party but we often just prefer it a little quieter and return to The Woods.
10:00pm - Bonfire and the “Giving” Tree - By Sunday, you’ll be a pro at walking around a tree in pitch black darkness. Hilarity ensues.
Then in September we do it all again!
Folsom Street Fair - Sept 27 - 29, 2020
https://www.folsomstreetevents.org/folsom-street-fair/
The schedule for Folsom is very similar to Dore. The big party on Saturday night is called Millenium instead of Bay of Pigs. Otherwise it’s very similar. But more people.
So that’s what’s on offer. It’s a nice crowd of all ages but tends to be a little older and a little more on the bear side. Google “Dore Alley” and “Folsom Street Fair” for lots of pictures.
Gay High Holy Party Dress Ideas:
You can wear whatever you’d like. For my low-impact participants, wear jeans and a t-shirt. At some point you will take off your shirt even though you normally don’t do that. For medium impact participants, your party dress might include any of the following: harness, jockstrap, sports shorts, knee pads, boots, Nasty Pig hat… Finally for my high impact participants, you might decide to go the Full Monty and let the spirit of San Francisco embrace your naked body.
SHARE YOUR TESTIMONIALS:
For people that have been to either event in the past, please share your thoughts and impressions. Include what you wore as a teaser!
We had 50 people fly in from around the world for the Oktoberfest 2009 Flyertalk Gayla that I organized. Let’s see if we can break that record for Dore or Folsom.
Travel agents are standing by.