Students celebrate love in the streets of San Francisco

The dull thud of techno bass echoed through the streets of San Francisco on Oct. 4. People of all ages dressed in outlandish hats and outfits roamed the streets, yelling and screaming as they exited the Bart and Caltrain stations on their way to LoveFest.

San Fransisco’s LoveFest is the largest single day electronic dance music event in the United States. People from all over the country came to celebrate peace and love on the streets of San Francisco. Parade floats moved along Market Street before ending in McAllister Park. Twenty eight DJ’s dotted McAllister Park on floats playing techno music from noon until late into the night.

Senior Nikil Balakrishnan was one of the many students who attended LoveFest.

“I was a little unsure about LoveFest because I had never been there before,” said Balakrishnan. “I just expected a lot of different electronic music and interesting characters. I was also hoping to meet up with some friends from different part of the Bay Area that I haven’t seen for a while.”

LoveFest originated in Berlin, Germany, in 1989 and grew out of a celebration for the fall of the Berlin Wall. Originally a political movement, LoveFest has now spread to cities all around the world.

The theme of the event is to bring people together through love and electronic music, and Balakrishnan said he definitely felt a welcoming and open atmosphere.

“The people there ranged from high schoolers to people in their 50s and 60s,” said Balakrishnan. “Most people were in their mid-20s, and they were all open and friendly.”

This year’s LoveFest was set on the same day of the Homecoming Dance, and there was also a 30 percent chance of rain. In order to be back in Saratoga for the dance, many students had to leave San Francisco early. However, Balakrishnan stayed with his friends at LoveFest late into the night.

“Even though it’s my senior year, I felt that I would have more fun at LoveFest than if I came back for the Homecoming Dance,” said Balakrishnan. “The experience was amazing, the parade, the music, and all the people I met made the trip totally worth it.”