Santa Monica will launch its first Pride month this June.
Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica Place, the Third Street Promenade and surrounding businesses will host food festivals, happy hours, storytelling time for kids and silent discos to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. A “Miles of Pride” rainbow light installation will span the Promenade, Santa Monica Place and the Pier during SaMo PRIDE.
“We are so excited to see the historic Pier bridge light up in rainbow colors this June, and are so proud of the larger Santa Monica community for joining together to start a robust PRIDE program that can signify to other cities across the world the importance of standing with the LGBTQ+ community,” said Negin Singh, executive director of the Santa Monica Pier Corporation.
The Pier will host a kick-off celebration for the light installation Saturday, June 1 at 8 p.m. following food festival Smorgaburg earlier that day, which will begin on the Pier deck and proceed through downtown to the north end of the Promenade.
The Pier will also host SaMo PRIDE happy hours at its aquarium and an L.A. Pride Silent Youth Disco Sunday, June 16 from 7 to 8 p.m. Other downtown events have not yet been announced.
“As a member of the LGBTQIA community, I am proud of our inclusive, welcoming and progressive community that champions the fundamental human rights of all people,” said Kathleen Rawson, CEO of Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. “It’s time we stand together to celebrate our PRIDE as we continue the fight for equality.”
The LGBTQ+ community in Los Angeles first held a pride parade in 1970, and the parade and festival moved to its current location, West Hollywood, in 1979.
madeleine@smdp.com
