Long Beach Pride Celebrates 40th Anniversary with Parade, Festival

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Long Beach Pride celebrated its 40th anniversary with nearly 20,000 people at its festival and parade last weekend in downtown Long Beach.

“We are thrilled to mark Long Beach Pride’s 40th year with an amazing festival and parade that celebrates our dynamic and growing LGBTQ+ community,” said Elsa Martinez, Long Beach Pride co-president. “We are grateful to our talented music artists and many other performers who brought so much excitement and enjoyment to our fabulous crowd of supporters and fans, many of whom have been with us for many years!”

The festival kicked off on Saturday with drag artist Symone, of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” performing live, along with Mexican best-selling music artist La Diva Lucia Mendez and acclaimed singer Gio Mendez. On Sunday, Grammy Winning R&B artist Mya headlined the stage along with Mexican superstar Laura Leon, along with pop artist Edith Marquez and others.

The event also featured a dedicated stage for drag artists for the first time. The Drag Dome featured Jasmin Masters, Delta Work, Jewels Long Beach, Honey Davenport and many others who shared their musical and dancing talents to an appreciative crowd.

At the Dance Stage, EDM, Reggaeton, house music and more was spun by a slew of popular deejays that included DJ Ivan, DJ Joe Pacheco, DJ Jerac, DJ Kidd Madonny, DJ Kimberly S and many others as fans rocked to the beat.

Festival goers also enjoyed a variety of international foods from renowned chefs as well as from local food vendors and many of the area’s acclaimed food trucks that specialize in unique cuisine and local favorites. The event also featured a variety of vendors selling shirts, tops, hoodies and various apparel, as well as health and wellness products, headgear, footwear and more.

The weekend was capped by the popular Long Beach Pride Parade led by Parade Grand Marshals and R&B artists The Mary Jane Girls, as well as Media Grand Marshals Annabelle Sedano, NBC4 anchor; and Enrique Chiabra, Telemundo 52 anchor. Serving as Political Grand Marshal was Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, who was joined by other community members who also served as grand marshals.

The parade, which was be held on East Ocean Boulevard, between Linden Avenue and Alamitos Avenue, featured Long Beach Pride co-founder Bob Crow, the last living co-founder, along with a variety of dancers, bands, community dignitaries and others who have contributed to the event’s success over the years.