It’s a great time to be OUT and PROUD, San Diego style! The annual San Diego Pride Parade, with all the floats and contingents, is the largest single-day civic event in the region and is among the largest Prides in the United States, attracting over 250,000 cheering supporters of the LGBTQ+ community. This year’s theme is “Justice with Joy,” and the Community Grand Marshal is Trans Youth.
The Parade begins at 10:00 am at the Hillcrest Pride Flag, 1500 University Ave., Hillcrest. The route is 1.5 miles. If you cannot walk that distance and want to ride, please contact Pride coordinator Mike Minnick: mminnick@pflag.com.
IMPORTANT! Our meeting space is section M which is on Harvey Milk Street between Centre Street and Normal Street. If you are standing on the LGBT Center steps looking at Harvey Milk Street, it’s the last car on the right. We are number 61 in the parade line up. Although the anticipated step-off time is 11:15 am, we suggest you be there by 10:30 am.
READ THIS BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME!
If you’ve never walked in the Pride Parade with PFLAG SDC, you are in for a treat. Besides all the excitement of the event, the crowd goes crazy when PFLAG passes by. Here comes the lecture part. These are suggestions that have stood the test of time:
- Get to the shuttle buses early; there are free shuttles from the old Balboa Naval Hospital located on Park Blvd., across from President’s Way. If you are a procrastinator, now isn’t the time, as the buses back up and you’ll be waiting in line so long that you may miss part of the parade
- Wear comfortable shoes
- Put on lots of sunscreen
- Wear hat/sunglasses
- Bring cell phone to take pix
- Make PFLAG signs and bring them
- Wear as much PFLAG/rainbow clothing and paraphernalia as you own!
Here are a few suggestions for signs: Closets are for Clothes, Focus on Your Own Family, Gay Rights ARE Civil Rights, Homophobia – Now That a Choice, I’m the Pink Sheep of the Family, Love Knows No Gender, What Part of Love Don’t you Understand?, We the People Means All of Us.
Hope to see your decorated selves and signs at the Parade.
We need volunteers to staff our booth at the Pride Festival (July 16 from 11:00am-10:00 pm and July 17 from 11:00 am-9:00 pm). To volunteer, please contact Pride coordinator Mike Minnick: mminnick@pflag.com. Volunteers receive free entry on the day of volunteering.
The Festival is located at Balboa Park’s Marston Point, 6th & Laurel in Hillcrest. There are food, community resource, cultural presentations, interactive exhibits, and vendor booths. You can dance to live entertainment from over 100 entertainers at 4 stages.
To purchase General Admission tickets (sdpride.org): $26 1-Day, or $32 2-Day (Online only: Pre-Event), $38 Weekend Pass (Day of or at the Festival Gates), High-school aged youth and younger are FREE at Box Office, and Seniors (65+) discounted tickets at Box Office.
