Mission & Castro

1. 2:00 PM 52nd Castro Street Fair, 'Where We Belong,' Castro and Market — Sunday Oct 4 only, 11 AM to 6 PM. Admission is free, with a suggested $10 to $20 donation. Three sources carry the date and hours: the fair's own site, SFMTA's travel advisory and Funcheap. Expect street closures around Castro and Market, and come by Muni Metro to Castro Station rather than by car. Arriving at 2 gives you three and a half hours before the next stop. The Castro Art Mart is also listed for Sunday, 2 to 8 PM, on Noe St between Market and Beaver, one block east. We saw it only in listings, not on its organizer's page, so walk over if it is there and do not plan around it.
2. 5:30 PM Octo Octa, the Castro Street Fair after-party, Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St — Sunday Oct 4: doors at 5:30, show at 6, all ages. Tickets start at about $35 on the theatre's own page, which is the place to buy them. The fair closes at 6 and the theatre is one block from Castro and Market, so you leave the fair half an hour early and walk in at doors. Buy before Sunday. Both of our sources trace back to the same promoter, which is why we link the venue rather than either listing.

Why it lands: The street fair gives you hours of easy company with plenty to look at, and you don't have to settle on a plan. The after-party gives the day an ending you both agreed to in advance: at 5:30 you walk one block and go inside. The whole day costs about $90 for two if you put the donation in the jar.

Weather backup: If Sunday is gone, the Castro Art Walk on Friday Oct 2, 5 to 8 PM, is free and walks the same few blocks. It is on the radar below. If the Octo Octa tickets sell out, stay at the fair until it closes at 6 and eat on Castro St; Hardly Strictly also runs until 7 that day across town.