A Festival Dedicated to the Wobbles and the Weird

It’s that time of year again. Well, I guess if you live in San Francisco that time is about every 2 months or so. But this Sunday, May 1st, is the date for the 12th annual How Weird Street Faire in downtown San Francisco.

How Weird 2011 Poster by Brad Olsen and digipop

Many San Francisco residents are familiar with the crazy, electro-inspired festivals and parades that call San Francisco home every year – events like Gay Pride, LoveFest, Pop, etc. But I feel like How Weird doesn’t get as much publicity as the others. Maybe that’s because it isn’t as crazy as those, and hasn’t been labeled as a danger to society….yet.

How Weird kicks off San Francisco’s street fair season that goes into October, so it has to be good. But How Weird isn’t just a dance party like LoveFest or, for people not apart of the gay community, an excuse to run around naked like Pride. It showcases the city’s art and diverse culture, as well as its fondness for electronic music. Electronica, Dubstep, Electro, House, Techno, Drum & Bass, are among the many different types of music that will be performed live at the event.

The stages are setup by local music organizations, many of which put on events throughout the city, such as Temple, Groove Garden, Symbiosis, and Rebel Bass Collective, just to name a few. It’s electronic music in all its sub-genre glory. Click here to see the full lineup!

While the music is the main reason I would go, it definitely isn’t the only. How Weird has to have gotten it’s name for a reason. Along with the subculture of electronic music that will be present, how weird celebrates everyone’s inner weirdness, encouraging people to dress up, lose inhibitions, and have a good time while taking a break from the real world outside of Howard and 2nd Street. How weird attempts to create a different realm of reality – a place where people can come together and make it a “place where our differences and unique perspectives are appreciated as things of beauty, rather than causes for conflict.”

Map of How Weird by Brad Olsen

The How Weird Street Faire is a fundraiser for the local nonprofit World Peace Through Technology Organization, and states that it “uses music to bring many different kinds of people together and create a common bond. We have found that dancing knows no boundaries or political affiliation. Music, more than any other form of communication, is able to transcend differences between people. It is through music and art that peace is always possible.”

So this Sunday, May 1st from 12pm to 8pm, get out, get downtown, and get weird.

YouTube video by Temple Television