Long Beach Celebrates Pride Month

As Long Beach prepares to throw its 39th annual Pride Parade next month, city residents can still find plenty of ways to celebrate and honor Pride Month throughout the month of June. 

The P3 Theatre Company presents A Celebration of Pride event on Thursday, June 9, and Thursday, June 30, at the Aurora Theatre in Long Beach. For $25 a ticket, guests will not only receive a show featuring a variety of musical performances and a special guest, but also a free glass of wine or soda and two drawing tickets for a raffle. Each event is a different performance, so the P3 Theatre Company invites people to attend both shows, which start at 7 p.m. 

The 2nd Annual Pride Paddle will be held on June 12 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m at Leeway Beach, located at 5437 East Ocean Boulevard. The event will be a leisurely paddle and pride decorations are encouraged. It is also a fundraiser for the LA LGBT Center. For more information about the paddle and where you can donate, visit the Facebook page here.   

Born This Gay is a Long Beach Pride celebration with queer musicians, artists, food vendors and drag performers. The event was founded last year after the city canceled its pride festival the past two years due to COVID-19. It will take place on June 25 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Recreation Park. The address is 701 Federation Drive.

So We Are Silent Disco Pride Night will also be held on June 25. The event is a guided dance journey located at 2630 East Ocean Boulevard, the beach in front of the Saltwater Deck Cafe. Tickets are between $10-$25 and are non refundable. The disco runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Long Beach will also host its annual Long Beach Pride event next month, July 8 – 10, featuring special guests Iggy Azalea, Natalia Jimenez and Paulina Rubio. The lineup of artists will also include Sonora Tropicana, Yo Yo, Nira and Gia Banks. The three day festival will feature a silent disco, family fun zone, roller rink, artist walls, drag makeup and so much more. 

Long Beach Pride will also feature its annual Pride Parade, which will begin at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, July 10. Applications to be a part of the parade are due by June 10 and can be found here. Tickets for Long Beach Pride are on sale now starting at $40 a piece and can be purchased here. 

The city of Long Beach also has a variety of queer-owned businesses that customers can support not only in celebration of Pride Month but all year round.

Plantitas is a small local plant shop owned by “plant daddies” Anthony Diaz and Kevin Alcaraz. The two partners started their business in their Long Beach apartment at the beginning of the pandemic, which quickly grew, causing them to move their shop into their garage. A few months later, business from the small plant shop grew and Kevin and Anthony were able to open the doors of their official new shop on 2011 E. 4th Street in Long Beach. 

Located off Cherry Ave is a specialty coffee and food cafe owned by a lesbian couple, Kat McIver and Angie Evans, called Wide Eyes Open Palms. 

“We are feminists and food activists who believe in bringing quality food and beverages to our Long Beach community,” said the owners on their coffee shop’s website. 

The coffee shop strives to achieve sustainability by using all compostable, eco-friendly products, such as cups, napkins, to-go trays and utensils. The cafe’s coffee, food and tea waste are used as compost at a local farm. 

For those who love to thrift shop, look no further than the AIDS Assistance Thrift Store located off Anaheim Street in Long Beach. This nonprofit charity business helps those diagnosed with HIV and AIDS who live in the area. A wide variety of thrifted accessories, games, clothes, decorations and other hidden gems can be found at the local thrift shop. 

If there are any other events, please let us know at longbeachlocalnews@011669214649011

By Hannah Shields and Casey N. Wilson

Photo from LB Pride on Instagram.