West Hollywood celebrates pride month with weekend-long festival
LOS ANGELES - It's the first week of Pride Month, and festivities will begin in earnest Friday in West Hollywood, with a weekend-long street fair, music festival and parade planned in celebration of LGBTQ+ communities.
West Hollywood will be the center of Pride attention this weekend with its three-day WeHo Pride event, centered primarily around West Hollywood Park, 647 N. San Vicente Blvd., where a weekend-long street fair will be held.
On Friday night, the annual Dyke March will be held, beginning and ending at the corner of Robertson and Santa Monica boulevards. The march will be immediately followed by the Women's Freedom Festival, featuring performances and presentations by an array of musicians, comedians, poets and activists.
Accompanying the festivities throughout the weekend will be OUTLOUD Raising Voices Music Festival, also at the park, with performances beginning at 4 p.m. Friday and at noon on Saturday and Sunday, continuing each night until midnight.
The festival will reach its peak Sunday with the WeHo Pride Parade, stepping off at noon at Crescent Heights Boulevard and traveling along Santa Monica Boulevard through the city's famed Rainbow District.
Singer, actress and entrepreneur Janelle Monáe will be the grand marshal, while social media star-turned-TV personality JoJo Siwa is the event's Next Gen Icon.
West Hollywood Mayor Lauren Meister said Monáe and Siwa "truly reflect the core values of our city."
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"Pride events give the diverse LGBTQ community a place to advocate for equality as well as a place to celebrate exactly who they are -- exactly who they were meant to be," Meister said in a statement. "As our icons join parade contingents rolling down Santa Monica Boulevard on Sunday, June 5, West Hollywood will give #WeHoPride Parade participants and spectators from around the world a safe space and a loving, accepting home.
"At this moment in history, with women's rights and LGBTQ rights under attack, our icons stand as proud, outspoken beacons of light and hope for a better tomorrow," she said.
The events will also coincide with the ongoing WeHo Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival, which began last month and continues through June 30.
Meanwhile, Venice Beach will play host Saturday and Sunday to the Venice Pride Festival, featuring an array of music and DJ performances, vendors, activities, food and dancing. The event will be centered at the Venice Beach Recreation Center.
The Venice Pride Parade will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday along the Venice boardwalk.