Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District - LeatherWalk
The Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District will present LeatherWalk 2023, San Francisco’s annual celebratory march through SOMA stopping at favorite spots for entertainment and beverages. The event creates Leather/fetish community and visibility while kicking off Leather Week. Participants can opt to fundraise and compete for the Kinky Boot Award. All are welcome to walk whether fundraising or not.
San Francisco's Folsom Street Events produced another fantastic Up Your Alley street fair centered around the Dore Alley and Folsom Street intersection environs on Sunday, July 30. It was sunny and most of the usual vendors were there. The Up Your Alley fair only lasts seven hours on the last Sunday of July, but there are so many events surrounding the Fair that one could
Up Your Alley
The weather was the best it could be for the Up Your Alley Fair in San Francisco, CA on Sunday, July 28 and there was a hug crowd. It was warm enough to get shirts off, nudists doing their thin and cool enough that people were not hydrating from heat. Seems there were less booths, especially on Market Street, but don't take that as official. The 15 Association had its open dungeon on the north part of Dore Alley which was where most of the booths were. There is a hot batch of men for San Francisco's Bare Chest Calendar which was on sale. Peter Fiske had his whips and books available. The Mama's Family photo shoot was cancelled a few days before the Fair.
http://www.folsomstreetevents.org
International Puppy and Trainer
By Pup Kona
The 18th Annual International Puppy and Trainer Contest (IPTC) was held at IPAHW on July 26-28 in Indianapolis, IN where NE puppy 2019 Pup Sirius was sashed as the 2019-2020 International Puppy and Handler David as the 2019-2020 IPTC International Trainer. 20 outstanding contestants from all over the world graced the stage and competed, 16 puppies and four Handler/Trainers. Representation this year came from the USA, Canada, UK, Austria, and Australia. Contestants competed over the course of the weekend, with the choice of doing a show ring or fantasy/play scene as one of their main judging components. 10 judges (which included two international judges from the Netherlands and Australia), five for the Puppies and five for the Handler/Trainers, were brought to IPTC to adjudicate the contest.
Officially named Up Your Alley, but best known as Dore Alley, San Francisco hosted the 2013 version under overcast skies on Sunday, July 28. Some shirts came off and it did not stop the nudists. The City had plenty of parties all weekend.
The 15 Association drew a record 175 to its Saturday night play party at The Citadel on Saturday night. It never seemed packed because the space is so huge. There was a cigar party at the SF Eagle that filled that bar on Saturday afternoon. Other events were held at the SF Eagle and the line was long going north on 12th Street late Sunday afternoon and after the Fair was over.
We were at Mr. S Leather much of Saturday afternoon as almost all of the who's who of Leather showed up. The store was packed beyond what one would expect. The line for sales at one register was so long that some waited almost an hour for their purchases - many of which were dress and/or accessories for Sunday's Dore Alley Fair. Mr. S had free soda and beer. This party was a clear winner on any level one could imagine.
Ken Hedrick has done a magnificent job with Stompers Boots and it was evident from Noon on as there were people waiting to get in. The Dore Alley Fair started at 11 AM and the line began forming a little after that. Jeffrey Ketzler, the President of Dehner Boots visited Stompers Boots and The Leather Journal was able to meet him briefly. We think he liked what he saw.
Many of the usual suspects had booths on Folsom Street, 10th Street and Dore Alley for which the Fair is named. The Steamworks had a large crowd surrounding its stage as muscle studs entertained. Mr. S Leathers had demos going all day.
The 15 Association had a larger area on Dore Alley and made the most of it as there were chairs for releaxing and a St. Andrews cross that was in use from beginning to the day's end. Folsom Fringe was promoting Folsom Fringe which will be held in San Jose during the Folsom Street Fair Weekend in September.
The San Francisco K-9 Unit's puppy mosh pit was a big attraction as puppies and handlers had a venue for their fun. Outside an orange mesh barier, pupply play lovers watched and their cameras were busy.
There are over 200 photos in the Dore Alley / Up Your Alley 2013 Gallery. Click on Gallery at the top of this page and take a look. Register and you can order copies.
The Bare Chest Calendar Men were there hawking autographed calendars. Many of them had individual admirers. The Bare Chest Calendar Men were at other events, including some at The Edge bar bootblacking on Saturday night.
The traditional Mama's Family photo shoot was taken on Dore Alley across from the Powerhouse bar. Plenty of Mama's Family members, but Mama was not able to be there.
The official Saturday night event of Up Your Alley weekend, the Bay of Pigs, brought a huge crowd to 525 Harrison Street. The dance party went on until 4 AM with deejays Frank Wild and Eddie Martinez, sexy dancers, demos and play spaces.
There was the usual nudity and the aesthetic quality of the nudists seemed better than in recent years. The old adage that those who should never be seen nude were the ones who were, did not apply so much this time around.
The official closing party was the Play T-Dance: The Black Party at Mezzanine on Sunday night.
Talk about truth in advertising, the Folsom Street Events web site gave an accurate description of what would take place. "Up Your Alley is an unrivaled fetish fair, always on the last weekend of July in San Francisco. It's only for real players - and not for the faint of heart. There are sweaty athletes in full kit, motorcycle studs, hairy chested muscle men, spit-in-your-face punks, and Leather daddies galore. You won't find a filthier event here in the States. If you're into it, there's a scene for you at Up Your Alley. With over 10,000 sexy Leathermen, you're sure to find your match."
Hotels were booked as far away as San Jose and the rates were high. There were other events going on in ther Bay Area that helped fill the hotels. The A's were playing Oakland at the Coliseum in and the Giants were bust at AT&T Park in San Francisco. There were two huge Rock and Roll concerts, too. The lesson here is - book a room now for the Folsom Street Fair because there will be 10 times as many people.
And, if you think there was plenty to do during Up Your Alley, wait until Folsom Street Fair week. The Leather Journal will have a detailed schedule of events in the September Issue and on www.TheLeatherJournal.com We are working with Folsom Street Events and others to present a Calendar that one can have in their hands before they leave for San Francisco. Some of the biggies will be the Roll Call dinner hosted by the California B&B Corps, the Cruise of San Francisco Bay by the Golden Gate Guards, the Magnitude Dance produced by Folsom Street Events, The 15 Association play party. the Folsom Fringe bus ride up to San Francisco on Folsom Street Fair Sunday from San Jose, the raising of the Leather Pride Flag in Harvey Milk Plaza the weekend before, Mama's AIDS Walk and more.
Up Your Alley 2014 will be held July 27.
The Leather Journal was founded in May, 1987. The Leather community was hungry for news magazine that covered clubs, organizations and events. TLJ has successfully met that need for 34 years. We have adapted to change more than once and when the Internet came about we were there by adding www.TheLeatherJournal.com
