{"id":311054,"date":"2026-05-11T23:40:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T23:40:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/311054\/"},"modified":"2026-05-11T23:40:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T23:40:15","slug":"43rd-annual-long-beach-pride-parade-and-festival-returns-this-weekend-press-telegram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/311054\/","title":{"rendered":"43rd annual Long Beach Pride Parade and Festival returns this weekend \u2013 Press Telegram"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 43rd annual Long Beach Pride Parade and Festival, a celebration of the city\u2019s vibrant LGBTQ+ community \u2014 featuring live entertainment, cultural programming and more \u2014 will kick off this weekend, starting on Friday, May 15.<\/p>\n

The iconic celebration has been a fixture in Long Beach for decades. This year\u2019s theme, \u201cFearless and Free,\u201d is a direct response to ongoing attacks against LGBTQ+ people across the country, according to a news release from the nonprofit that organizes the festival.<\/p>\n

Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, executive orders, and rhetoric have been on the rise across America in recent years<\/a>. Long Beach\u2019s LGBTQ+ community, including the people who founded the first Pride Parade back in 1984, are no strangers to discrimination. The event, organizers said, serves as a reminder of the community\u2019s resilience, and continued fight for equality and justice.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is times like these \u2014 surrounded by violence and political militants \u2014 that create fear within our community,\u201d Long Beach Pride President Tonya Martin said in a news release. \u201cWe must remember that where our spirits join is the place of unbreakable fearlessness and the road to freedom. By living fearlessly and free, the LGBTQ+ community continues to lead the way for all vulnerable groups, proving that every voice matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the parade will take place on Sunday, May 17, the Long Beach Pride festival will run on Saturday and Sunday \u2014 with Teen Pride, a special event for LGBTQ+ youth \u2014 kicking off the weekend\u2019s festivities on Friday.<\/p>\n

\"Spectators<\/p>\n

Spectators line the parade route along Ocean Boulevard for the 41st Long Beach Pride Parade on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Spectators<\/p>\n

Spectators view the Long Beach Pride Parade from a balcony on Ocean Boulevard on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The 41st incarnation of the Long Beach Pride Parade moves along Ocean Boulevard on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Participants<\/p>\n

Participants on motorcycles ride west along Ocean Boulevard at the 41st Long Beach Pride Parade on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A spectator views the Long Beach Pride Parade through large bubbles on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Attendees<\/p>\n

Attendees at the 40th annual Long Beach Pride Festival on Sunday, Aug. 6. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Attendees<\/p>\n

Attendees watching drag shows at the new Drag Dome at the 40th annual Long Beach Pride Festival on Sunday, Aug. 6. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Attendees<\/p>\n

Attendees dancing at the Fiesta Caliente stage at the 40th annual Long Beach Pride Festival on Sunday, Aug. 6. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Participants<\/p>\n

Participants walk along Ocean Boulevard at the 41st Long Beach Pride Parade on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Attendees<\/p>\n

Attendees dance at the Long Beach Pride Festival on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023, at Marina Green Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"California<\/p>\n

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, left, rides with Long Beach Vice Mayor Cindy Allen in the Long Beach Pride Parade on Sunday, May 19, 2024. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A participant waves to spectators at the Long Beach Pride Parade on Sunday, May 19, 2024. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Spectators<\/p>\n

Spectators line the parade route along Ocean Boulevard for the 41st Long Beach Pride Parade on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Participants<\/p>\n

Participants walk along Ocean Boulevard at the 41st Long Beach Pride Parade on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 14<\/p>\n

Spectators line the parade route along Ocean Boulevard for the 41st Long Beach Pride Parade on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

Teen Pride, according to the event\u2019s website, is \u201cmore than an event \u2014 it\u2019s where friendships are forged in the spirit of joy and acceptance.\u201d A school ID will be required for entry.<\/p>\n

The event will kick off in earnest on Saturday, with various live performances and other activations planned throughout the day. Day one entertainment will include a set from DJ Retroclub, a screening of the film \u201cLong Beach Pride Throughout the Years\u201d and a performance by iconic local drag queen Jewels of Long Beach<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Saturday evening will close out with performances from Grammy Award winning singer Thelma Huston, known for hits like \u201cDon\u2019t Leave Me This Way\u201d and \u201cI\u2019m Here Again,\u201d alongside a show from Thea Austin, the co-writer and lead vocalist on \u201cRhythm is a Dancer\u201d released by Snap! \u2014 which gained massive success overseas upon its release.<\/p>\n

Robin S, best known for her 1992 \u201cShow Me Love,\u201d which has since become an extremely popular dance hit, will headline the Saturday lineup at the Pride Festival. Her set will start at 9:05 p.m.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, the entertainment will continue with performances from xBValentine, Brenda Guzman, DJ Angie V, and DJ Les Ortiz. Sunday\u2019s main headliner, according to the Long Beach Pride website, has not yet been announced.<\/p>\n

The Pride Parade, meanwhile, is now organized by the city instead of the Long Beach Pride nonprofit.<\/p>\n

That change was first announced in 2024, when Long Beach Pride leaders asked the City Council for help funding the parade, citing financial challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and other issues.<\/p>\n

The city is once again organizing the parade this year.<\/p>\n

The parade will kick off at 10 a.m. Sunday and will feature more than 100 participating organizations, businesses and stakeholders showcasing a variety of floats and displays.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s grand marshals include xBValentine, former Long Beach Youth Poet Laureate Helena Donato-Sapp, Downtown Long Beach Alliance President and CEO Austin Metoyer, LGBTQ Center Long Beach Executive Director Ellie Perez, and local drag queen, actor and dancer Scott Kaske \u201cDolly Levi.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other grand marshals will include Bill Sive, president at Gay Elder Circle; Mark Ramos, chair of the LA County Democratic Party; Signal Hill Mayor Keir Jones; and California state Treasurer Fiona Ma.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The following streets will be closed to vehicular traffic during the designated times:<\/p>\n

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.
\n7 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Shoreline Drive from Ocean Boulevard to Shoreline Village Drive.
\n8 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.
\n8 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Alamitos Avenue from Ocean Boulevard to Broadway.<\/p>\n

Admission to the Pride parade is free. For additional details about the parade, go to longbeach.gov\/prideparade<\/a> and visit longbeachpride.com\/festival<\/a> for more about the festival.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 43rd annual Long Beach Pride Parade and Festival, a celebration of the city\u2019s vibrant LGBTQ+ community \u2014…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":311055,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[7,2434,23,131,133,132,137],"class_list":["post-311054","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-california","tag-lgbtq","tag-local-news","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news","tag-los-angeles-county"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=311054"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311054\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/311055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=311054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=311054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=311054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}