You'll be able to catch parade contingents when their energy level is at its peak, before they've hoofed it over a mile up Market Street. However, if you don't want to shell out the cash for a seat and don't mind walking several blocks to Civic Center, consider setting up camp near the parade staging area, at Market and Beale, the starting point for the parade.

The Grandstand is conveniently located near Civic Center, so you'll be perfectly poised to hop over to the party when the parade wraps up. Kick off Pride weekend with a massive party in the streets of the Castro, hosted by perennial favorites, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Visualize Verasphereįlamboyant Vera and her band of merry misfits are easily recognizable for their high-energy parade antics and elaborate DIY costumes (feather dusters and plastic straws make for an excellent gown). Make sure you make it to the Parade sidelines by 11am as these gals are prompt in how they initiate the annual parade.

A parade fixture since 1976, these biker babes are impossible to miss: if the roar of several hundred motorcycle engines doesn't get your attention, the topless riders will.