It has to be love…
The attention span and focus of their audience is minimal. Most passersby are looking for lunch.Or the next ferry to Alcatraz. Street performers, or buskers, must relish the act of performing enough to ignore being ignored. Exposing a bit of soul-felt art in hopes of an answering smile, a bit of applause and hopefully, a dollar bill or two… This is not for the faint of heart or those desiring a steady income.
Street performance is encouraged along San Francisco’s Wharf waterfront. 
The Fisherman’s Wharf Street Performer Program regulates twelve designated performance locations in the public access Port area in recognition of the cultural contribution of such open air shows. Miming, street dancing, instrumental performances and even operatic arias are but a few of the offerings one might wander past on a trek along the Embarcadero. The eclectic and energetic ambiance fits San Francisco -with her fluctuating temperatures, inclined streets and varied cultural pockets, very well.
Updated from February 1, 2010.
There are numerous hotels in Fisherman’s Wharf, such as the stylish Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf and the Argonaut Hotel, both within a couple blocks of all the action.
