It goes without saying that in a city so famed for it every-day eccentricity, visitors to San Fransisco should expect its inhabitants to go above and beyond when special events are concerned. Reveling San Francisco style is always an adventure in a city that excels at making the ordinary extraordinary.
Bay to Breakers is a USA Track and Field certified 12k with a twist. Although you’ll find your average marathoners participating, in true San Francisco style, you might see them running alongside storm troopers, Santa Claus, Spartans, or Spanish bullfighters. Every third Sunday in May, the serious athletes and the costumed along with some rather wacky beer-spilling floats follow the route from which the 12k takes its name, stretching from the Embarcadero street on the BAY and ending at Ocean Beach, at the BREAKERS. Live music is played at many points along the course, making the event more enjoyable for participants and observers. Pit-stops might include grabbing street vendor hot dogs in Golden Gate Park, stopping for a mobile rave along Panhandle Park, or pausing to watch thousands of tortillas flung into the air along a 2-block stretch near the start. If you feel so inclined to join the masses on this sometimes steep and challenging event, you’ll want to keep your eyes out for the “spawning salmon” who travel the course backward from finish to start just to add to the contrary nature of things.
If you perhaps prefer dancing to running, LoveFest may be the event for you. Formerly known as the Love Parade, is modeled after the original Love Parade in Berlin, Germany. Held in early fall, when the weather in San Francisco is at its best, the parade boasts some of the best electronic DJs and artists and encourages onlookers to become active participants and dance in the streets. The parade, which drew crowds of 60,000 people in 2007, begins at 2nd and Market and ends at Civic Center Plaza, where the participating A-list DJs and artists entertain until early the next morning.
If all this isn’t enough, the San Francisco residents even have an interesting take on Valentine’s Day. Each year thousands of people gather at Justin Herman Plaza for a good old-fashioned pillow fight. When the Ferry Building clock strikes 6pm, the madness begins, with feathers and squeals of the participants filling the air for two fun-filled hours. It’s all for a good cause, as the event collects donations for local food shelves and charities benefiting the homeless. Can you feel the love?
The idea for the San Francisco Pillow fight originates from the concept called “flash mobs”, a term derived from Larry Niven’s book “Flash Crowd” which describes a future where teleportation technology has been perfected and swarms of ordinary folk materialized en masse at events seen on television, escalating them into a riot. Flash mobs are not typically announced far in advance and the information is often spread only by email, text message or word of mouth to keep up the element of surprise and spontaneity.
San Francisco has no shortage of such inspired events, from the Zombie Mob, which, just as it sounds, involves masses of the undead rampaging through various parts of the city. 2004’s subway party on the BART was arranged by self proclaimed hackers and nerds who took over a designated line at the 16th and Mission Station, transforming them into a club in motion. The yearly Santa Rampage is an unruly mob of drunk Santas wielding bizarre gifts who descend upon tourist centers within the city, sending unsuspecting visitors home with plenty to talk about.
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