Organizers of San Francisco’s Loveparade are expecting at least 50,000 people to take to the streets later this month for the annual celebration, the stateside cousin, of Berlin’s legendary techno parade and festival.
By Bill Picture
Published: August, 2005
Organizers of San Francisco’s Loveparade are expecting at least 50,000 people to take to the streets later this month for the annual celebration, the stateside cousin, of Berlin’s legendary techno parade and festival.
"But it could be as many as 100,000 [people]," says Loveparade board member and treasurer, Sean Norris. "We’re actually planning and spending for 100,000 people, just to be on the safe side."
Last September’s inaugural Loveparade celebration drew about 35,000 people to the San Francisco waterfront. Dozens of elaborately decorated flatbed trucks, outfitted with massive, generator-powered sound systems, carrying big-name DJs and a dance-happy sea of festively dressed (and undressed) electronic music fans in tow, snaked their way south along The Embarcadero and across the Third Street bridge to a makeshift festival area adjacent to the SBC Park parking lots.
Loveparade organizers had hoped to move the festival into those parking lots this year to accommodate the anticipated jump in attendance numbers; but a last minute scheduling conflict (Green Day was booked to play at SBC Park on the same day) meant they had to find Loveparade a new home, and quick.
Moving the parade to Market Street and holding the festival in Civic Center Plaza was the most logical solution. But just a year earlier, city officials, unable to wrap their heads around the idea of a participatory parade, had denied Loveparade organizers’ request to temporarily close Market Street.
So Norris and his fellow board members were less than optimistic when they approached The City again a few months ago with the same request.
"But [The City] went for it," Norris explains. "I still don’t think they really get it, but they saw how smoothly last year’s event went, and how much fun it was. And I think when they saw the final numbers they recognized what Loveparade can do for The City."
Judging by the number of hits on the Loveparade Web site and reservations being made at sponsor hotels, Norris estimates that 20% of this year’s attendees will be coming from outside of California. That could potentially mean millions of taxable tourist dollars for area businesses.
Moving Loveparade downtown may compromise the event’s underground vibe just a bit, but Norris insists that the pros still far outnumber the cons.
"[The waterfront] was such a cool spot but I think having it downtown makes more sense," he explains. "It’s easier to control, and there is already a plan in place for events like ours because of Pride and the other celebrations that happen throughout the year."
He also believes that Loveparade itself stands to benefit from the increased visibility that marching through downtown during the peak tourist season on one of the busiest shopping days of the week will surely afford.
Last year, he says he was approached by more than one confused but delighted tourist who had happened upon Loveparade and found themselves caught up in the colorful goings-on.
"They would come up to me and say, ‘What is this thing? This is so much fun! Does this happen every year?’ And I’d just smile and go, ‘I sure hope so.’ So it’ll be fun to see the stunned looks on the faces of the people shopping down in Union Square that day."
Loveparade happens Saturday, September 24. Parade begins at 1 p.m. at the corner of Market and Second Streets and proceeds up Market Street to Civic Center Plaza. For more information, visit www.loveparadesf.org.
