Folsom Street Fair 2012 Concert / Fashion Event / Street Fair Sep 23, 2012 11:00 am

On the third weekend in September, several blocks of San Francisco’s Folsom Street get taken over by several thousand people who’ve been waiting all year to proudly display their sadomasochistic best during the Folsom Street Fair.

Free-to-attend, this BDSM and leather fetishist’s mecca attracts upwards of 400,000 people over the single day that it takes place, making it one of the largest outdoor events in all of California.

Normally set up between 7th and 12th Streets, this glorious of a spectacle is not for the faint of heart, as the Folsom Street Fair features bondage demonstrations, public whippings, golden shower galas, subculture craft sales, more bondage, and two live stages where alternative bands and artists perform throughout the day.

Not surprisingly, organizers suggest you leave the kids at home unless you want to pony up for a whole lot of therapy sessions.

Although it is free-to-attend Folsom Street Fair, a $12 donation is requested when you pass through the leather gates marking the Folsom Street Fair’s multiple entrances, with all proceeds going to AIDS charities and other designated non-profits. Organizers of the Folsom Street Fair report raising more than $250,000 for charity every year.