Guide to Annual Halloween Activities in San Francisco
San Francisco Vampire Tour
No San Francisco Halloween would be complete with encountering some of the spooky history that makes the city famous, and there’s no better way to do it than by taking the San Francisco Vampire walking tour. The tour offers a vampire-centric slant on the city’s history, winding its way through iconic locations like the Mark Hopkins hotel, Grace Cathedral, the Fairmont Hotel, and the Nob Hill CafÃ?©. The hostess goes by the pseudonym Mina Harker, a name taken from the original Dracula novel by Bram Stoker, and dresses to the nines in gothic style regalia that makes the freakier parts of the past come instantly to life. This walking tour runs all year round, but is most popular, and most appropriate during the San Francisco Halloween season. If you want to take part in this San Francisco Halloween tradition, make sure to call for reservations well in advance of the holiday crowds. You can get ticketing information and event details at Sightseeing Tours online, located at http://www.affiliate.viator.com/brochure/product_show.jsp?CODE=2602VAMPIRE&ID=1010&PRODUCTID=1016&AUID=3683
Castro Halloween Party
More of a throng than an organized parade or party, this San Francisco Halloween tradition is home to the wildest costumes and events in town. The city closes off the major thoroughfares in the area to all automobile traffic, and the neighborhood becomes a massive pedestrian mall packed with locals and visitors from throughout the region. Castro street, 18th street, and Market street swarm with people from all walks of life. The neighborhood is famous for its large and vocal LGBT population, which means the costumes include plenty of drag, and representatives from almost every other queer-friendly subculture under the sun or the moon. The huge throngs of revelers make for quite a raucous atmosphere, and there is little doubt that when it comes to a San Francisco Halloween night, the loudest and most varied nightlife action is in the Castro. A traveler’s guide to the Castro neighborhood will help you get to know the area: check this one out on SFGate at http://www.sfgate.com/traveler/guide/sf/neighborhoods/castro.shtml
Exotic Erotic Ball
If you’re in the mood for a truly adult San Francisco Halloween experience, there’s nothing quite like the Exotic Erotic Ball, a huge bash that celebrates alternative lifestyles. This longstanding annual party is arguably the most comprehensive yearly gathering of the local fetish and BDSM communities. Leather and vinyl are the costume staples, and the prevailing attitude is “get ready for anything.” The event, which has endured for over a quarter of a century, is held in the Cow Palace, a large venue to the south of the city. The Exotic Erotic Ball began as a local tradition, but became so successful that it drew members of the fetish community from all over the United States. The Exotic Erotic party has now expanded to New York City, but the heart of the event is definitely firmly located in the San Francisco Halloween milieu. The ball is preceded by an Expo, where adult vendors offer revelers the chance to browse the latest goods and products, and where there are a wealth of panels and seminars that range from tips on becoming a porn star to everything else you can imagine. Although this San Francisco Halloween tradition isn’t as, well, traditional as a vampire tour or a costume parade, there is no doubt to be had that the Exotic Erotic ball is a major fixture of the San Francisco Halloween landscape. You can get event details at the official site, online at http://www.exoticeroticball.com
