By Susan Payne
West Hollywood Pride: With Liberty, Diversity, Inclusion and Progress for All
As California enters Pride month, WeHo Pride continues its monthlong Pride celebration with a weekend full of activities and music. Here are the details for several events in June:
WeHo Pride Street Fair — Friday from 4 to 10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from noon to 10 p.m. on Robertson Boulevard
OUTLOUD Raising Voices Music Festival — Friday from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., Saturday and Sunday from noon to 12 a.m. in West Hollywood Park. Tickets can be purchased here.
Dyke March — Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and PRIDE on Robertson Stage
Women’s Freedom Festival — Friday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and PRIDE on Robertson Stage
WeHo Pride Parade — Sunday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. from Crescent Heights to Robertson along Santa Monica Boulevard
WeHo Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival — Queer Diasporas: Lavender City of Dreams runs until Aug. 19, Pride Poets, an interactive typewriter poetry project for custom poems written by an LGBTQ+ poet runs from June 4-5 and June 11-12, Church of Trans Love and Pledge Allegiance to Your Flag! A Festival of LGBTQ+ Flags are both on June 5, and a free LGBTQ comics convention, Q Con, in addition to a free concert is happening on June 18, and ‘Meringue’ art installation lit up in Inclusive Rainbow Colors is ongoing until June 30. More details on these exhibitions can be found here.
Santa Monica Pride: Miles of Pride
SaMo Pride is a month long focus on family-friendly displays and activities that safely celebrate Santa Monica’s inclusive and diverse spirit.
Through June 30, visit the Miles of Pride Light Installation at 11:30 p.m. each night, spanning the Third Street Promenade and Santa Monica Place.
On Thursday, Party with a Purpose Mixer + Fundraiser will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at The Victorian. RSVP here.
Made with Pride Marketplace partners with Streetlet for a pop-up that will take place each Friday, Saturday and Sunday in June starting this weekend. Additionally, Drag Queen Story Hourfrom noon to 1 p.m. at the Cayton Children’s Museum and Pride Pawty from 4 to 6 p.m. at Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel will keep the family and pets busy. Drag Queen Story Hour will happen again on June 10.
On Saturdays, from 2 to 5 p.m. at Santa Monica Place, a live DJ will spin “Lanterns of Love” with a colored lantern installation across Center Plaza.
This Saturday, from 7 to 11 p.m., guests are invited to Drag me to the Loews hosted by Lady Bunny, who will perform with 10 other queens the art of drag. Tickets can be purchased here.
On June 7, children ages three and over can attend the Rainbow Family Storytime at the Main Library, an inclusive story time for LGBTQIA+ and all families.
From June 9 to June 12, Cayton’s Children’s Museum will host Art Project: Self-Portrait Puppetsinviting guests to create a puppet that expresses themselves.
On June 15, OUTLOAD! Ten poignant and hilarious stories that explore love, loss and cross-cultural queer identities through a Jewish lens was created by The Braid at the Annenberg Community Beach House. Q&A to follow, get tickets here.
For the rest of the month, celebrate Pride with Art Studio: Clay Sculpting and Watercolor, the Mortified Podcast, Angel City Market, Pride Bar Crawl, Queer Prom, Dance with Dane, Pride Sunset Swim, HI DE HO COMICS: PRIDE-CON, and the City Council Pride Proclamation!
LA Pride presented by TikTok
Celebrate a full month of Pride with a special LGBTQ+ Dodgers game, LA Pride in the Park with headliner Chirstina Aguilera, the LA Pride Parade on Hollywood Boulevard and the Pride is Universal event at Universal Studios!
Pride Month kick off begins Saturday at Dodger Stadium at 7 p.m. for the 9th Annual LGBTQ+ Night including a pregame party with DJ Bowie J and post-game Friday night fireworks.
The LA Dodgers vs. New York Mets game will feature a commemorative Dodger LGBTQ+ game jersey available for purchase. Pre-gaming starts in the Right Field Plaza Bar at 5:30 p.m. until the first pitch at 7:10 p.m. During the pre-game, former Los Angeles Dodger Glenn Burke, the first openly gay MLB, will be formally recognized.
Tickets for the kickoff party can be purchased here. Game tickets can be purchased here.
2022 LA Pride in the Park festival on June 11 features headliner Christina Aguilera and a full afternoon of activities, music, vendors and exhibitor booths, food and drinks, and sponsor activities at the Los Angeles State Historic Park.
Other main stage artists include Syd, Chika, Michaela Jae (formerly MJ Rodriguez,) Rebecca Black, Eureka Bob the Drag Queen, Zolita, Allison Ponthier, Alexander Stewart, Grag Qeen and Edward Frame. Additional performances throughout the day include A Club Called Rhonda, Boy Untitled x Boy Apocalypse, Drumraq, Gess, Malibu Babie, Mike Taveira, Rossi and San Cha.
The LA Pride in the Park festival runs from 1 p.m to 11 p.m. on June 11. Tickets start at $60 and can be purchased here.
After this full day festival, continue the Pride festivities on June 12 for the free LA Pride Paradeon Hollywood Boulevard starting at 10:30 a.m. This year’s theme is #LoveYourPride celebrating the missed 50th anniversary of the first-ever permitted gay parade in the world. The parade will feature over 130 floats, marchers, trucks, exotic cars, twirlers, performers and more!
The route starts on Hollywood Boulevard and Cahuenga to Highland, south on Highland to Sunset Boulevard, then east on Sunset to Cahuenga.
After the parade, head over to Pride Village on Hollywood Boulevard between Cahuenga and Vine, or the beverage garden on Cosmo between Hollywood and Selma for more Pride fun at this new neighborhood festival organized by The Hollywood Partnership. Sponsor tents are located between Ivar and Vine near the Ferris wheel, community stage and vendor booths.
The final culmination of Pride month in LA is June 24 from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Universal Studios for the Pride is Universal event including an after-hours party starting at 9 p.m.
For this event, access these rides and attractions:
● The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash
● Dreamworks Theatre
● Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem
● Simpson’s: The Ride
● Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
● Flight of the Hippogriff
● Ollivander’s Wand Show
● Transformers: The Ride 3D!
● Revenge of the Mummy — The Ride
● Jurassic World — The Ride
Tour Universal Studios as three DJs spin tracks throughout the park and watch a Drag Show at the main stage in Universal Plaza. VIP tickets include early access to the event, rides and shows. Tickets start at $99 and can be purchased here.
Long Beach Pride: Many Voices, One Spirit
Tickets are now available for the 39th annual Long Beach Pride Parade and Festival — the third largest Pride festival in California — celebrating the LGBTQ+ community.
Beyond headline entertainment, good vibes and great food, attendees will experience Long Beach Pride’s first ever roller rink and silent disco, along with long time favorites including the Drag Makeup Station.
The free Long Beach Teen Pride is set for July 8 at Marina Greek Park on East Shoreline Drive featuring a live DJ, performances and dancing geared toward LGBTQ+ teens. Teens must have school ID to attend.
The main festival at Marina Greek Park begins July 9 at 11 a.m. and continues through July 10 at 10 p.m. featuring headlining artists Iggy Azalea, Natalia Jimenez and Paulina Rubino. Performances times and dates are as follows:
● July 10 — Iggy Azalea is set to perform 8 p.m., Paulina Rubino will perform at 6 p.m., and Gia Banks from the show “Legendary,” will perform at 5 p.m., and Nira from Amoro Prohibido, a Selena tribute band, will sing at 3 p.m.
● July 9 — Natalia Jimenez will take the stage at 7:30 p.m., hip hop singer and actress YoYo will perform at 6 p.m., and Sonora Tropicana will go live at 4 p.m.
Some activations at this year’s festival include:
● Community Walls — spaces for reflection and interaction, where guests can write inspirational messages.
● Senior Fun Zone — music, karaoke and bingo!
● S&M Playground — an adult fun zone where leather, kink and body confidence dominate.
● Transcendence Dome — a pop-up museum celebrating the trans community and trans women of color who have pioneered all things Pride through protest, historical movements and survival.
Long Beach Pride Festival tickets start at $40 and can be purchased here.
