This October 4, the Castro Street Fair turns 52 — and the planning is ramping up!

The Castro Street Fair is all about celebrating the vibrancy of the neighborhood, the diversity of our community, and the importance of supporting our local merchants, artisans, restaurants, and nightlife. Most of all, it’s about the family we’ve built together for over five decades.

Every year, the Fair transforms the Castro into a place where old friends reconnect, new friends are made, and community thrives. There’s literal dancing in the streets — and this year promises to be bigger, bolder, and even more joyful than ever!

On this first day of Pride Month, the Castro Street Fair announces “Where We Belong” as the theme for its 52nd annual celebration, taking place Sunday, October 4, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the heart of San Francisco’s Castro District.

Founded by Harvey Milk in 1974, the Castro Street Fair began as a celebration of gay-owned businesses and the vitality of the Castro neighborhood. More than five decades later, the Fair continues that legacy by bringing together LGBTQIA+ people, neighbors, families, artists, performers, merchants, community organizations and allies for a joyful celebration of queer life and community connection.

This year’s theme, “Where We Belong,” honors the Castro as a place where generations of LGBTQIA+ people have found community, safety, visibility and joy, and affirms that the neighborhood remains a beacon of freedom and diversity today.

The theme also creates space for a broader declaration of belonging: Where trans people belong. Where drag belongs. Where chosen family belongs. Where hope belongs. Where we belong.