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Here at The Marker Hotel, as well as our sister property Hotel Spero, we are pleased to highlight the following festivals. First, make a point to attend an event or two during the month-long annual event that is Architecture and the City, featuring such activities as home tours, walking tours, films, and more. Next up is the San Francisco Fringe Festival, happening at the EXIT Theatre from September 5-14. Fringe is all about paradigm-pushing, and these live performers and performances are not juried or curated, resulting in an exciting, provocative, powerful, and thought-provoking experience. From September 20-22, don your finest Trachten and head over to Pier 35 to celebrate all things German at Oktoberfest by the Bay. You’ll find traditional German food and drink along with nonstop music and dancing.

Finally, get your retail therapy the last weekend of every month at TreasureFest on Treasure Island, September 28-29. This enormous gathering of artists, designers, and vintage/antique collectors make up the Bay Area’s largest modern urban market, and you’ll enjoy the live music, along with the delicious and diverse selection of food and adult libations as you shop. Also on September 29, get ready to experience an event like no other—the Folsom Street Fair. Popularly known as the world's biggest leather event, this annual happening features 13 blocks containing 250,000 fetishists, 200 exhibitor booths, BDSM demos, and more. Other fascinating fests this month include the Festa Coloniale Italiana and the California Rum Festival on September 7, the Chinatown Autumn Moon Festival on September 8-9, the Bloody Mary Festival on September 14, and the SF Cheese Fest on September 14-15.

First, head over to Zombie Village in the Tenderloin, just three minutes away from our front door. Boasting an assortment of unique spirit blends, the cocktail menu includes drink names invented by Skipper Kent. Next, pay a visit to the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar. This legendary bar opened at the Fairmont Hotel in 1945 and has since undergone a million-dollar restoration. Fabulous libations and cuisine are offered in an environment that includes live music and tropical rainstorms with thunder and lightning.

Pagan Idol invites you to sip on modern Tiki cocktails in the belly of a wooden ship. Next, named by the Times of London as one of the “50 Greatest Bars on Earth,” Smuggler’s Cove is considered among the elite of exotic cocktail destinations. They also offer the largest rum selection in the country, a stunning interior design, and genuine Tiki artifacts. Of course, you can’t do Tiki without a stop at Trader Vics. Located across the Bay in Emeryville, this is a must-stop for the “home of the original Mai Tai.” For a truly creepy Tiki experience, check out Last Rites, which features a theme of “Polynesian Noir” that includes a floor-to-ceiling skull, and such dark delights as a Valley of the Shadow cocktail. Lastly, Trad’r Sam is another must-do. Dating back to the 1930s, this remains the oldest and longest-operating Tiki Bar in the city, offering a true, nostalgic Tiki experience.

We here at The Marker Hotel and our sister property Hotel Spero are offering the following suggestions for our guests: First, don’t miss a trip to Alameda Island. This friendly village is renowned for many things, from having the most awesome view of San Francisco and the Bay Bridge to being the birthplace of the popsicle. It’s also pet and bike-friendly and boasts an amazing array of craft breweries and diverse ethnic eateries, such as the only Lithuanian restaurant on the west coast, Mama Papa.

You’ll also want to visit Angel Island State Park, a former immigrant processing center also known as “San Francisco’s Ellis Island”, and the largest natural island in the Bay. Hike around the island and enjoy optimum views, soak in the natural beauty, and learn about the island’s fascinating history. Next to see is Treasure Island, which is actually a neighborhood of San Francisco. From wine tasting to music festivals to monthly flea markets, there’s always something to do in Treasure Island.

Last but certainly not least, you can’t forget Alcatraz Island. A former fort, military prison, and a notorious maximum-security federal penitentiary, this island’s also home to some of the area’s most stunning natural beauty. A variety of tours are offered by the Park Service and private companies to suit your fancy, from focusing on the flora and fauna to behind-the-scenes tours and night tours of the prison areas rumored to be haunted.

Noted as the largest gathering of the LGBT community and allies in the USA, the festivities traditionally kickoff the last full weekend of June, with this year’s legendary and spectacular parade taking place on Sunday, June 30. You’ll also find over 200 exhibitors featuring businesses, nonprofits, artists, and artisans, along with a host of food and beverage vendors selling water, soda, beer, and cocktails, while the Castro Country Club Sober Stage will offer an alcohol- and drug-free zone in United Nations Plaza.

More than 20 stages and venues will host a lineup of such luminaries as filmmaker Leo Herrera, Sister Roma, Honey Mahogany, Senator Scott Wiener, Mayor London N. Breed, and a plethora of additional distinguished special speakers. Scheduled performers include Amara La Negra, Book of Love, the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, Big Dipper, Miss Trans USA Candi Stratton and International Cher, Cheer San Francisco, and many more. Additionally, SF Pride is proud to give back to the community, with much of the proceeds from the celebration going toward local nonprofits working with the issues of cancer, HIV/AIDS, animal welfare and homelessness. 

Stay with us at The Marker, official partner hotel and sponsor of San Francisco Pride, and save up to 20% off! Check dates and reserve your room today!  

As part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Lands End offers sweeping views worthy of its protected status. Its three-mile trail network gives glimpses of the Golden Gate Bridge, Seal Rock, and more — on clear days, even the jagged Farallon Islands can be seen on the horizon, some 34 miles away.

Beyond its lush greenery and rocky beaches, the park boasts a historic pedigree. Visitors can climb the 120-year-old ruins of the Sutro Baths, and touch the shell-gouged bridge of the USS San Francisco at a hilltop memorial.

All that, just six miles from The Marker.