About the Haight Street Fair
On April 29,1978, the first Haight-Ashbury Street Fair was held to celebrate of the re-emergence of The Haight. The primary focus of this event was to draw an awareness & appreciation to the cultural, political & social contributions this neighborhood provided to the American landscape during the 1960's.
But it was also to proclaim that after a dark economic & social downturn following "The Summer of Love", the community had been able to rebound stronger than ever. New retail businesses began occupying formerly boarded up storefronts; local Arts projects such as murals, after school programs & musical presentations began making a positive impact to residential pride & a surge of political awareness to the historical importance of The Haight gave the community the will to once again solidify its identity.
It was the late San Francisco District Supervisor Harvey Milk who provided support & guidance to a group of community citizens to organize a festival to celebrate the neighborhood's re-birth & reclaim its importance in San Francisco history.
Thus, on a sunny April afternoon at the corner of Haight Street & Ashbury Street in 1978, thousands of people gathered to re-affirm the Counter Culture's mantra of "Peace, Love & Happiness".
Since then, the annual event has been held on the second Sunday of June & has endured for more than 40 years. During its existence, HASF has been awarded numerous "Certificates of Honor" from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the California Senate & the Bay Guardian's "Best of..." citations.
HASF has earned local, national & international recognition as one of the most highly anticipated event during the San Francisco Summer Events Season. Our event provides everyone with an opportunity to stroll & dance on a sunny afternoon down Haight Street.
The Haight-Ashbury Street Fair (HASF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating the cultural history and diversity of one of San Francisco’s most internationally celebrated neighborhoods – The Haight-Ashbury. For the last 33 years, HASF has produced the annual street fair that features arts and crafts, food booths, two musical stages and more. It also serves as a means for community groups, artisans and mercantile vendors to interact with the public and expand their base.
The street fair was developed in response to the re-birth of the economic and residential spirit of the community in the mid-1970’s. With the assistance of the late San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, the first openly Gay supervisor, a group of neighborhood merchants, activists and residents developed the idea of producing a day long community event. The first Haight-Ashbury Street Fair was held on April 30, 1978, to the fanfare of the neighborhood and the City.
Since then, the street fair was moved to the second weekend in June where it has become a San Francisco cultural event. The two stages – Main Stage and Masonic Stage – hosts a variety of musical presentations that have featured such bands as the Jefferson Starship/Airplane, The Tubes, Metallica, and Noel Redding (Jimi Hendrix Experience) among others. These stages have also served to showcase for up-and-coming artists and community musical groups and will continue to do so.
In December of 2006, Pablo Heising, the Executive Producer of the street fair, passed away. His dedication and guidance over the years enabled this street fair to solidify its place in the neighborhood and in the City of San Francisco. In the wake of his death, every effort was made to ensure that the 30th Annual Haight-Ashbury Street Fair was to take place in his memory.