Pink Party Set for Castro

The pre-Pride street party in the Castro will start sooner and end earlier this year.

The inaugural Pink Party, set for 3 to 8 p.m., Saturday, June 27, replaces Pink Saturday, the event that for years drew thousands of people to the gayborhood's streets the night before the city's Pride parade.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, which had organized Pink Saturday for more than 20 years, announced in February they were withdrawing from the event this year, citing concerns about violence.

Worried that people would flock to the neighborhood even without a planned party, gay Supervisor Scott Wiener, whose District 8 includes the Castro, brought in the city's LGBT Community Center to help produce what's become known as the Pink Party. The Sisters, who own the Pink Saturday name, decided not to allow the new organizers to use the moniker and plan to revamp Pink Saturday at a different site for next year.

Pink Party organizers, still without a firm budget just days before the event, nevertheless said it will be fun.

"We want people to have a great time, celebrate the LGBT community and culture, and also to be safe," Rebecca Rolfe, the center's executive director, said in an interview this week.

The party will include four different stages, with entertainers including Disco Daddy, featuring DJ Bus Station John; Hard French, with Tom Temprano and Brown Amy; the Monster Show, featuring Sugah Betes, Sue Casa, and others; and Shawna Virago.

Food trucks and other food vendors will also be on hand.

Budget

For years, the city declined to directly fund Pink Saturday. Last year's party cost the Sisters $80,000.

This year, the city will pay for most of Pink Party, which Rolfe estimated would cost twice as much - from $150,000 to $160,000.

She said producers are "still waiting" on fees and permits from the city, and the final budget figure "could still vary pretty significantly."

The city will be paying for a "significant amount" of the costs, Rolfe said, but she didn't know how much.

"We're still negotiating what that final budget will look like," she said.

The difference would be made up in funds from sources including sponsors, merchandise, and gate revenue.

Fundraising has been a primary goal for Pink Saturday, and that will continue with Pink Party.

Beneficiaries will include Center for Sex and Culture, El/La Para TransLatinas, and others. Beneficiaries contacted for this story didn't respond to requests for comment.

New Times

By starting the party in the afternoon and ending early in the evening, organizers are hoping that the crowd will be less likely to get rowdy.

During last year's Pink Saturday, one of the Sisters and his husband were attacked at about 9:30 p.m.

Asked about how producers are planning to get people to leave at 8 p.m., Rolfe said they would "list a variety of different events available" after the Pink Party on Saturday night.

The dispersal plan also includes moving out the stages, cleaning the streets, and opening the roads back up to traffic.

More security personnel and volunteers will be present at this year's festival, but "not necessarily more police," Rolfe said.

There's a suggested gate donation of $10, although no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

People can pre-register at "https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pink-party-2015-tickets-17075036895" . The site includes several ticket options.

With a Pink Pass, which is $20, partygoers will get 50 percent off the cover charge Saturday at several neighborhood bars.

Castro VIP tickets are available for $50. VIP ticketholders will receive the 50 percent cover discount and access to an area behind the Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street, complete with restroom facilities and light refreshments.

Pink Party is an all-ages, alcohol-free event at street level, meaning alcohol can't be taken into the street. Area bars will, of course, be open for business and are expecting robust crowds.