Long Beach 2018: What you need to know about festival, parade, road closures

LONG BEACH  — Say it loud and say it proud.

It’s the week before Long Beach Pride, and the rainbow colored flags are hung with care along Ocean Boulevard, signaling that more than 60,000 onlookers will soon be there for the festivities.

The Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride Festival and Parade, the city’s second largest attended event, will take place Saturday and Sunday in downtown.

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Here’s what you need to know:

FESTIVAL AND PARADE

• The Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride Festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on Shoreline Drive between Shoreline Village Drive and Alamitos Avenue at Marina Green and Rainbow Lagoon parks.
• Jussie Smollett “Empire” headlines Saturday night.
• Sheila E. headlines Sunday night.
• Advance tickets are$20 online and and $25 at the gate.
• Children under age 12 are free, but must be accompanied by an adult.
• Senior citizens over 65 are free with valid ID as well as veterans and active military with ID.
• The parade will step off at 10:30 a.m. Sunday on Ocean Boulevard at Lindero Avenue and march west to Alamitos Avenue.

FESTIVAL RULES

• No re-entry
• No distribution of pamphlets, flyers, or handbills
• No solicitations
• No beverage containers allowed into the festival
• No pets; only service animals will be allowed
• No folding chairs, bikes, skates, rollerblades, or skateboards
• Anyone under the age of 21 found consuming alcohol will immediately be evicted from the festival and turned over to Long Beach police

FESTIVAL ROAD CLOSURES

• Shoreline Drive westbound between Alamitos Avenue and Shoreline Village Drive will close 10 a.m. Thursday
• Shoreline Drive eastbound between Shoreline Village Drive and Alamitos Avenue will close 7 p.m. Thursday
• Shoreline Drive will re-open 10 a.m. May 21

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PARADE ROUTE CLOSURES

Ocean Boulevard

• Between Redondo and Cherry avenues from 5 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Between Cherry and Atlantic avenues from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Temple, Molino, Kennebec, and Junipero from Ocean Boulevard to First Street 5 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• All side streets from Lindero to Alamitos avenues from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Alamitos and Lime avenues from Ocean Boulevard to First Street from and Medio Street  from Alamitos to Lime avenues from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.