Long Beach has named the grand marshals for this year’s Pride Parade, with the honorees representing outstanding leadership, advocacy and contributions to the LGBTQ+ community and beyond, officials said this week.

The parade, which will kick off at 10 a.m. on May 17, will feature more than 100 participating organizations, businesses and stakeholder groups showcasing a variety of floats and displays, according to a press release. This year’s theme is “Fearless and Free.”

The grand marshals, whom the city announced on Thursday, April 30, will lead the way from Ocean Boulevard and Lindero Avenue all the way to Alamitos Avenue in downtown Long Beach.

For the third consecutive year, the city will serve as the official host and funder of the Pride Parade, continuing its role in supporting one of Long Beach’s most-cherished traditions and celebrations of the LGBTQ+ community, according to the city’s website.

The parade will coincide with the Pride Festival, which continues to be organized by the Long Beach Pride nonprofit. The festival will take place on May 16 and 17 along the downtown waterfront.

The celebrity grand marshal this year will be XB Valentine, a first-generation queer Latina musician. Her sound blends hip hop, R&B, and Latin influences into a bold, genre-bending style, according to her biography. XB Valentine will also perform during the festival on Sunday.

This year’s “Dr. Robert Garcia Youth Grand Marshal” will be Helena Donato-Sapp. A 16-year-old national and global award-winning speaker, educator, artist, activist and poet, Donato-Sapp believes it is urgent for young people like her to understand and be empowered to confront critical issues, such as anti-Blackness, ableism, misogyny, homophobia and climate change, according to her website. She served as Long Beach’s Youth Poet Laureate for 2024-25, following her role as an inaugural Youth Poet Ambassador the year prior.

Austin Metoyer, president and CEO of the Downtown Long Beach Alliance, will be “Pride Progress Grand Marshal.” The “media grand marshals” will once again be Annabelle Sedano, from NBC4, and Enrique Chiabra, from Telemundo 52. The “Robert Crow Grand Marshal” will be Bill Sive, president at Gay Elder Circle, a nonprofit dedicated to assisting gay men and others make the transition from adult to elder — and in the process, consciously assuming a new role in the community.

The “Judith Doyle Grand Marshal” will be Ellie Perez, executive director of the LGBTQ Center Long Beach. Perez is known for her advocacy and leadership within the LGBTQ community and has been a lifelong champion for queer and marginalized voices, according to the center’s website.

Local drag queen, actor, dancer and impersonator Scott Kaske “Dolly Levi” will be this year’s “Marilyn Barlow Grand Marshal.” Mark Ramos, chair of the LA County Democratic Party, will be the “Bryan ‘Whitey’ Littlefield Community Bridge Building Grand Marshal,” and Signal Hill Mayor Keir Jones will be the “Morris Knight Political Grand Marshal.”

The city also announced street closures for the parade route and the surrounding area.

On the day of the parade, there will be no parking from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Ocean Boulevard, from Redondo to Atlantic avenues, and on immediate side streets on the north and south sides of Ocean.

The following streets will be closed to vehicular traffic during the designated times:

6 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Ocean Boulevard from Redondo to Lindero avenues, including side streets on the north and south sides of Ocean Boulevard.
7 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Shoreline Drive from Ocean Boulevard to Shoreline Village Drive.
8 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Ocean Boulevard from Lindero to Atlantic avenues, including all side streets on the north and south sides of Ocean Boulevard.
8 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Alamitos Avenue from Ocean Boulevard to Broadway.

More information about the 2026 Long Beach Pride Parade is available at longbeach.gov/prideparade.