Everything you need to know about Folsom Berlin
by the eyes of a straight cis female, but useful for the rest of the colorful spectrum of genders and sexuality
Folsom Berlin is a BDSM and Leather street fair that happens every year in Berlin. Since 2003 loads of people, gays, and straights, men and women, trans and cis, get together in the neighboorhood of Schöneberg to celebrate this non-profit leather festival that originated in San Francisco.
Nowadays, it is the most significant gay fetish event in the whole continent together with another fantastic event, the BLF or “Easter in Berlin” if you prefer. This other event happens in the first half of the year in Berlin as the name naturally suggests. The letters in BFL stands for Berlin Leder und Fetish e.V. in case you’re wondering.
Around the area of Wittenbergplatz, on Fuggerstrasse to be more precise, every September, for 1 weekend, you’ll see loads of groups of people being free and completely open about their fetish.
We went there after winning the Popraci’s festival because we thought that our amazing makeup and metal outfits deserved more than just a daytime appearance in Berlin. And the fact that we won the festival for best costume on the day that Folsom happens, it was too much of a coincidence.
Let me tell you what Folsom Berlin is all about
Like I mentioned before, Folsom is the biggest BDSM event in Europe, and it is getting bigger and bigger every year. It is mainly gay, but all sexual orientations are welcome. It was very interesting to experience that with my boyfriend. As a girl, it was quite curious to be in a place where you are not treated like a piece of meat on the streets. Instead, your boyfriend is.
Folsom is a must go if you’re into BDSM or if you’re curious enough to open up for being around such free folks. Several parties are happening during the Folsom weekend, but this year we missed all of them. Maybe next year I try. Can I have some tips from the audience? If you have any, please let me know here in the comments or on our facebook group.
This great street festival is also the backdrop for the annual German Titleholders’ Conference. All the information about this fantastic parallel event can be found here but I’ll give you a sum up. The German Titleholder’s Conference is an event that aims to bring together titleholders from all over Europe and the world. It is a place to meet others with same interests, make friends and raise money for several and very important organizations in Berlin.
Fundraising is at the very core of Folsom, which in my opinion makes everything even greater. Folsom is the only event where the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. You can find the divas in the entrance and you can donate to their cause right there if you want. And if you don’t know what it is, just start loving them by their name because it is awesome.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence is a protest, charity and street performance organization from San Francisco that uses religious imagery and drags to call attention to the awfulness of sexual intolerance. They do an excellent work by satirizing issues of gender and morality in a great way.
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