PERSHING SQUARE — DTLA Proud — celebrating downtown Los Angeles’ growing queer community and businesses — will return to Pershing Square this weekend for a three-day festival.
DTLA Proud will have a water park, live music, community booths, food trucks, live art installations, and interactive exhibits.
The area also is home to three queer bars: Precinct, Redline, and the New Jalisco Bar.
A fourth bar, Bar Mattachine, closed Sunday.
QUEER HISTORY
The location for DTLA Proud is fabulous because from the 1920s to the 1960s, Pershing Square was the center of “The Run,” a large collection of gay friendly cafes, bars, and cruising areas along the Fifth Street corridor, stretching from the Los Angeles Central Library to Los Angeles Street. The Fifth Street corridor was so populated with gay establishments, that during World War II, the U.S. Army and Navy distributed a list of more than 30 known queer establishments along Fifth and Main streets where service members were forbidden to visit.
More than 9,000 people attended the 2017 DTLA Proud Festival in Pershing Square. This year’s event will take place Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Photo: Andrew Ge.
FESTIVAL
- DTLA Proud Festival will take place Friday, Saturday, and Sunday inside Pershing Square.
- Friday — free and all ages — is from 4 to 10 p.m.
- Saturday and Sunday — 21 and over with ID — is from noon to 10 p.m.
- Tickets for Saturday and Sunday are $10.
SUMMERTRAMP
Summertramp, a self-described “magical Brigadoon of decadence and delight,” will turn Pershing Square into a 20,000-square-foot water park with pink astro turf. DJs will include Casey Alva, Josh Peace, Mateo Segade, and Derek Monteiro.
QUEER VENDORS
Fruitcake Pop-up has partnered with the festival and will feature more 20 queer artists and small business owners in Artist’s Alley, located in the Southeast corner of Pershing Square. Among this year’s vendors and artists are The Pleasure Chest, Soft Daddy Leather, Folklore Salon, Starrfucker Mag, and Lag Vintage.
FESTIVAL RULES
- No weapons ( including permitted weapons) knives, chains pepper spray/mace, flares, or fireworks
- No food, beverages, alcohol, cans, bottles, flasks, coolers, drugs, illegal substances
- No pamphlets, product samples
- No skateboards, rollerblades, bicycles, helmets, chairs, (soft, low-back beach chairs allowed), beach balls
- No laptops or tablets, 2-way radios, laser pointers, flashlights
- No permanent markers, spray paint
- No noise making devices: Air horns, drums, whistles
- No photo, audio, or video equipment
- No suitcases, luggage
- No signs, flags, banners, poster
ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS
FRIDAY
6 p.m. Trans Chorus
6:15 p.m. Enyce
8 p.m. Tigerheat
SATURDAY
4 p.m. Echo V
9:25 p.m. Sasha Colby
9:35 p.m. Vander Von Odd
9:45 p.m. Jesse Alvarado Extravaganza Show
SUNDAY
4 p.m. Abby & The Myth
7:40 p.m. Iconique
8:40 p.m. Tease If You Please
9:15 p.m. Big Dipper
