What's Fair For the Haight Street Fair

This year, the Street Fair in trouble is the Haight Street Fair. The reason why it's in trouble is for the usual reasons-- too much drunkeness with a debate on booths thrown in for good measure. Not mentioned, however, were those magic medicinal brownies SFist once bought that made little leprechauns dance around our heads while singing Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Relax." The Interdepartmental Staff Committee on Traffic and Transportation recently put a permit that was requested by fair organizers on hold for two weeks so they can figure out what to do.

The complainers against the festival are the Haight Ashbury Improvement Association, the Cole Valley Improvement Association, the Waller Street Association and the Buena Vista Neighborhood Association. They're requesting that a beer garden is established so all the drinkers can be in one isolated area, just like the one in the North Beach Festival. Festival organizers, however, don't quite think that would work for the festival and are starting to feel a little henpecked with all the complaining. Another request is to move the booths from the sidewalks onto the street to help merchants get more visibility.

In order for the fair to proceed, Haight Street Fair Board Director Robert Leon says they need to move fast to start securing the vendors. This is the big 30th Anniversary Fair too so they're all pretty geared up to throw this thing.