For those worried that San Francisco is losing its reputation as a destination for the unusual, the sights and sounds at Sunday’s 16th annual How Weird Street Faire should put their fears at rest. From the performances and art, to the costumes and lack of costumes, SoMa’s Howard Street corridor was a haven for the weird and wild.

“At the entrance on Mission and Second alone, we easily saw a few thousand people before 2 p.m.,” said Rachel Red, who’s been a volunteer for four years. “I guess that means we still have a strong freak factor in the city.”

This year, the festival offered 10 performance stages and an expanded Art Alley on Tehama Street that included everything from face painting by San Francisco artist Cassandra “C-Love” Lambert to appointments with fake detective Mikey Greco, who solved real cases like “Where’s the bathroom?” Aerialists from Sky High Odditorium swung with precision at the intersection of Second and Howard as groups of festivalgoers in furry mascot costumes looked on, seemingly unfazed by the effect of seasonably warm weather on their body temperature inside fuzzy suits.

“No matter the heat, there’s always a big furry contingent. It’s like having cartoon characters here,” Red joked.

San Francisco clown troupe TrashKan Marchink Band riled the crowd at the Dos Equis-sponsored stage with their combination of comedy and drill team antics.

“Clearly we’re in this for the money,” TrashKan clown Cha Cha quipped, adjusting her blue wig.

“Actually, we’re just here to play,” Fellow clown Snugs added. “It’s nice to know we can still play in San Francisco.”

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The How Weird Street Faire initially grew out of a community of artists in the ’90s known as the Consortium of Collective Consciousness whose offices were located in the neighborhood. CCC then founded the nonprofit organization World Peace Through Technology whose goal of creating transformative experiences through art, music and technology led to the first faire in 1999. This year’s theme, “The Weirdest Show on Earth,” was inspired by circuses of old and, specifically, San Francisco’s long-vanished seaside amusement park Playland-at-the-Beach.

While the human plumage was considerable, with feathered headdresses and peacock embellished bikinis both widely employed costume elements this year, it was the literal plumage in one case that caused the biggest commotion.

“This is Yoda,” San Franciscan and first-time How Weird attendee Brent Andrada said as he released his 2-year-old Indian runner duck from its carrier. Because even animals at How Weird are required to go in costume, Yoda was festooned in a tuxedo bib with matching black cloth shoes over his webbed feet. Where Yoda went, the eyes of the crowd followed.

“I knew he’d draw a lot of attention, but I also worried about him cutting his feet on the pavement, so I figured the shoes were one part costume, one part practical.”

The fair, which organizers estimate costs about $100,000 to produce every year, attracts locals and visitors alike, with Sacramento couple Molly and Joe Purvis among the out-of-town attendees.

“We’re street festival regulars,” Molly Purvis said. “But this is our first time at How Weird. It’s Joe’s birthday, and we wanted to make it special. So far, it’s more than living up to its name.”

Tony Bravo is a San

Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: tbravo@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TonyBravoSF