SAN DIEGO (CNS) - — San Diego Pride events will peak today with the Pride Parade marching through mid-city toward the two-day Pride Festival in Balboa Park, with more than 120 performers on four stages.
The San Diego Pride Parade will begin at the Hillcrest Pride Flag, 1500 University Ave., at 10 a.m. The route will proceed west along University Avenue before turning south at Sixth Avenue and into Balboa Park along Balboa Drive toward the Pride Festival, culminating at Laurel Street.
The Pride Parade is the largest single-day civic event in the San Diego region attracting more than 250,000 people.
Following the parade, the San Diego Pride Festival will begin a two- day run in Balboa Park from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Dozens of music artists will perform, including Todrick Hall, Rico Nasty Slayyyter, J. Worra, Tommy Genesis, Kaleena Zanders, Nymphia Wind and For the Girls Tour ft. Lady Camden, Bosco and Daya Betty.
``The past few years, we have seen queer people demonized, safe spaces threatened, and ugly legislation drafted,'' Saturday's headliner Todrick Hall said. ``This fall when I was on tour, I was advised against performing in drag while in the south. But whether it's Pride month or not, queer people have historically stood tall and stood strong when we were under attack. As an out,
queer, black artist, who uses drag to express myself, I am honored to be making history now at San Diego Pride, to entertain and stand in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community in San Diego and across the world.''
Tickets for the San Diego Pride Festival are on sale at sdpride.org/tickets.
All proceeds from the festival and parade go to supporting San Diego Pride's LGBTQ-centered philanthropy and year-round education and advocacy programs. As of 2023, San Diego Pride has donated over $3.5 million to local, national, and international LGBTQ-serving organizations since 1994.
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