THE SUGAR VALLEY MANIFESTO

"There were drag queen makeovers. A big red floating ball. Dancing and music-making in the street. A narcotics-addicted clown performing jazz improv. A deliciously comfortable lounge straight from Tangiers. Our favorite lunch lady played accordion. Kids made necklaces in their own special tent. I got my portrait done, and it looked like a shrunken head! Silk screening! Paintings! Photos from Fire Island of a maniac with orange hair and a gigantic pink cat! What the heck is it? It's Sugar Valley."

— Michael Wertz

          Sugar Valley is an outdoor arts festival celebrating a diversity of style and talent within a contemporary frame of reference. Our festivities are influenced by pop culture, vaudeville, carnivals, fashion, art that is colorful, fun, playful, inventive, and the Castro/San Francisco lifestyle. We are a unique part of the Castro St. Fair, with approx. 100,000 people in attendance.

         In Sugar Valley, we engender community building and create an artistic welcoming open atmosphere for people to enjoy the delightful Castro neighborhood, our special valley and further discover the creative in themselves, in us and in the community as a whole. We have a special sweet village at the fair that includes approximately 50 different booths/activities presenting some of San Francisco’s most diverse and innovative artists, performers, & creators of all sorts. We encourage and support public participation and development, creative community pursuits, humor, appreciation, visionary costumery, theatrics and play for all ages. Come on down to our delicious neighborhood and meet your neighbors, we want to meet you. Join us in sugar valley for a taste of the sweet life!

          Sugar Valley artists have chosen to create art as a lifelong goal, with perseverance, sacrifice, generosity, and above all, fun. They are artists who have consistently exhibited their work with the utmost quality in one or more of the following areas:

• Visual Arts in a wide variety of genres.
  Performance including modern cabaret, vaudevillian antics, artistic fashion shows, performance art & comedic endeavors.
  Music live and electronic musical performances and vocal stylings to make your heart sing…
  Zines & Alternative Publications, we have some wonderful zine makers, writers, authors, &
  publishers who create great things to read, learn from and have fun with.
  Digital Media
  Program/Project Development & Administration in fine arts, dance, music, theater, writing, community development and much more…
  Creating unique Games, Play & Social Interactive Art
  

          Sugar Valley loves community participation. Please join us. We welcome volunteers and artists who are mavens of art and culture or would just like to join in making a fantastic community arts event happen and meet new and exciting friends. We are interested in people who have a knack for bringing together creative individuals, acting as catalysts and enhancing our community experience. We are looking for people who are passionate and active in helping to provide a great environment for artists and the people of our community to grow. If you have experience in building community & hosting events, we’d love to hear from you. If you don’t and would sincerely like to learn or would just like to help out with making it all happen we want to hear from you as well. We especially would like to hear from you if you can do any of the following:

• Curate art exhibits and performances
  Organize and/or host public events
  Edit & publish publications
  Have a talent for digital media of all types
  Community outreach for the arts
  Host websites that support artists, website development
  Be a sponsor, its fun, satisfying and rewarding! You can help with funds to support Sugar Valley and in return, the opportunity to reach about 100,000 people at the event and a variety of other marketing perks that can help to increase your clientele for your business, organization, or services.
  Be a volunteer to help make it all happen and connect with your community, it’s super fun (see home page)