FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Original artwork by Ece Kalabak, with graphic design and campaign adaptations by Özgür Baltutan, will shape the Fair’s visual identity with this year’s theme, “Where We Belong”
SAN FRANCISCO — September 9, 2026 — The Castro Street Fair is proud to share the full key art for its 52nd annual celebration, bringing this year’s theme, “Where We Belong,” to life through an original illustration by artist Ece Kalabak.
The newly revealed artwork will serve as the foundation of the Fair’s 2026 visual identity and marketing campaign, appearing across advertising, social media, digital communications, print materials, merchandise, signage and other creative elements leading up to the Fair taking place on Sunday, October 4, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood.
“‘Where We Belong’ is both a celebration and a promise,” said Redge Roberts, President, Board of Directors. “The Castro has long been a place where people come together, find community and live more openly and joyfully. This year’s theme reflects our belief that every member of our community deserves to belong.”
Rooted in the Castro’s history as a place where generations have found community, safety, visibility and joy, “Where We Belong” celebrates the neighborhood’s enduring spirit of radical inclusion while looking toward its future.
Kalabak’s original key art translates that sense of belonging into a maximalist, densely layered portrait of the Castro. The composition brings together the neighborhood’s Victorian homes and rolling hills, the iconic Castro Theatre sign, lush California foliage, rainbow forms, fabulous performers and a joyful crowd of characters. The exuberant colors, fluid shapes and playful details look toward the diverse community that continues to make the Castro its own.
Designed as both a standalone artwork and the creative foundation for the wider campaign, Kalabak’s illustration will extend well beyond the central key art itself.
Working alongside Kalabak, partner and graphic designer Özgür Baltutan is developing a visual system from the original illustration for use across social media, digital and print advertising, onsite signage and wayfinding, and other Fair marketing materials, allowing Kalabak’s visual language to remain cohesive and recognizable across a wide range of formats and platforms.
Their unified visual identity for the 2026 Fair celebrates the Castro’s history, people and unmistakable character while reinforcing the message at the heart of this year’s theme: everyone deserves a place where they belong.