As people made their way through the Marina Green Park during the last day of the annual Long Beach Pride Festival, they were ready to dance, watch drag shows — and celebrate the LGBTQ community.
A rainbow of color washed over downtown Long Beach on Sunday afternoon, Aug. 6, with hundreds — many in extravagant, colorful and glittery outfits — enjoying the final day of Pride weekend, hours after the traditional parade marched down Ocean Boulevard.
Carlos Gaitan, from North Hollywood, was among the crowd Sunday, donning an ensemble that included four-inch heels with rainbow laces. Pride celebrations like the one in Long Beach provide spaces for many members of the LGBTQ community to dress like their authentic selves, he said.
“This is the only time that I can really put myself together,” Gaitan said. “All this is what you represent, and this is me.”
Gaitan had been looking forward to the festival for months. He was looking forward to seeing one of the musical headliners for the event, acclaimed actress/singer Laura León, at the Fiesta Caliente Stage.
Grammy Award-winning artist Mya was also slated to perform later that evening at the Urban Stage. Throughout the day, attendees also had other entertainment options to enjoy, including DJ sets at stages spread around the festival grounds ranging in genres from Latin to country music.
The two-day Long Beach Pride Festival, as well as Sunday morning’s parade, has become one of the largest LGBTQ events in the region since its inception in the early 1980s. This year’s event also celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Long Beach Pride nonprofit that started it all.
But for some people, this year was the first time they had attended the popular festivities.
Amy Saenz and May Nelson, from San Clemente, said they were enjoying their first time at both the parade and festival
“It’s amazing,” Saenz said. “We went to the parade, which was pretty fun and we’ve enjoyed the Drag Dome. Pride is…
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