While it’s San Francisco’s newest major music festival, this weekend’s Portola Music Festival sourced its inspiration from the annals of local history.
The event, which brings electronic artists, metaverse pop stars and other legendary performers to San Francisco’s Pier 80 in Bayview, gets its name from the 1909 Portola Festival, which was held in the aftermath of the earthquake of 1906. Organizers were eager to show the world that The City was back and better than ever.
Danny Bell, Goldenvoice’s vice president of talent, called the event his brainchild. “This is the festival I’ve wanted to produce for the past decade. San Francisco is the perfect city for it, and now is the perfect time,” he said.
A party back in time
Bell’s iteration mirrors the spectacle of the 1909 event, as attendees will see artists performing in tents, a 400,000-square-foot warehouse and a main stage, all with the backdrop of the San Francisco skyline.
The original 1909 Portola Festival was designed to honor Juan Gaspar de Portolá’s discovery of San Francisco Bay in October 1769. In a nod to Portola’s homeland of Catalonia, Spain, red and yellow were chosen as the festival colors.
San Francisco also wanted to show that the city could host major events in the future, such as the 1915 World’s Fair.
With a theme established, organizers sought a young woman to be both the queen of ceremonies and the festival’s face. Entrants from all over California submitted their photograph for a chance at winning a grand prize of $100.
A 23-year-old named Virgilia Bogue ended up being declared the winner.
Organizers were also tasked with finding a man to portray Portolá himself. Seventy-year-old Nicholas Covarrubias of Santa Maria was chosen, having built local fame from being a showman horse rider.
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At the time, the San Francisco Call, which was eventually bought by The Examiner, wrote that “in figure, face and bearing he is specially well qualified to fit the character.”
As planning commenced, the festival quickly surpassed its budget and organizers sought public donations.
In an article intended to mobilize residents, the Call wrote that “the nations of the world are coming to visit us and be the city’s guest for the festival. The obligation rests on San Francisco to do her part worthily and in her accustomed manner of hospitable magnificence.”
A $25,000 contribution and then another $100,000 contribution were raised. Residents could also make extra money by letting visitors stay in their homes during the festival.
The Portola Festival opened with a blessing at St. Mary’s Cathedral.
Dressed as Portolá, Covarrubias entered by sea through Golden Gate and landed at Pier 2 before leading a procession down Market Street.
Sporting events, such as automobile races, amateur wrestling tournaments and boxing matches were held. Other extravagant displays included fireworks, live bands, a carnival and parties.
Attendees and organizers declared the event a rousing success. Plans were drawn up for the Portola Festival to become an annual event, but they never materialized.
A second edition of the festival was held in 1913 and a third edition followed in 1948 as an attempt to bring post-World War II business to the city.
Soon Goldenvoice’s music festival may breathe new life into what’s regarded as the great San Franciscan bash of 1909.
