Union Street Festival Party Guide
Fun Annual Event Is First Weekend Of June

It's cheers to the Union Street Festival, one of the City's many fun events.

•  2013 Union Street Festival is June 1-2

Booths, bands and beer.

Oh, the beer.

Just two weeks after the crazy and whacky Bay to Breakers mobile party, the city of San Francisco hosts the Union Street Festival. Like Bay to Breakers, it's a open invitation to cut loose and party in the city streets. This is one of the city's many street festivals and, many argue, the best of the bunch.

The beer gardens are lively when the sun shines in the City.

Unlike Bay to Breakers, it does not move slowly through the city but instead is concentrated in a 10-block area of Union Street in the fashionable Pacific Heights/Cow Hollow area, from Gough to Steiner.

Marina District waitresses compete in a beer relay.

The Union Street festival is part party, part stroll and all fun.

The free event features live music on Union Street.

Food, of course, is also a part of the festival.

Billed as San Francisco's largest free festival, it has food and crafts vendors, two stages with bands and tens of thousands of people in search of the real treasures – beer and other single people.

They find both in abundance.

Until recently, drinks were allowed along the street. Now, alcohol consumption is confined to three beer and wine gardens ($7-8 for a 24-ounce draft).

PubClub's blogger (center) enjoys going to the bars during the festival.

But the real action is in the bars along Union Street. Many have lines all day (in particular the Bus Stop, Bar None and, at the end of the day, Left at Albuquerque). Another fun stop –mainly because of the people clowning it up on the steps leading to a balcony – is Luisa's Italian Restaurant.

It's readily apparent that the real attraction for San Francisco's singles is not the fair itself but using the fair as an excuse to hit the bars in the daytime.

In addition, there are house parties on and around Union Street, as well as at local businesses. Many of these are private and have doormen complete with a guest list. But in San Francisco, many people seem to know someone connected to one of these bashes so they, too, become desired destinations.

The beer relays have waitresses racing down a steep hill with brews on a tray.

Some people party on balconies overlooking Union Street.

Patio parties are popular with locals.

People watch the action on Union Street from Left at Albuquerque.

There are food booths and fun events, such as area waitresses i running down a hill with a tray full of beers.

Top Tips: The real crazy day is Saturday. People spill into the neighborhood bars making it a real scene...Expect to wait in line at many of the bars during the day, but the lines move fast...Be sure you are in the bars before the festival ends at 6 p.m. That's when the lines get long...Sunday is a bit calmer – a lot calmer, by comparison – but it's still a social paradise. On this day, the bars are crowded at the end of the festival

She's not masking the fact she's having fun at the festival.

Bars with patios thrive both days of the Festival.