Santa Monica Pride to have downtown festival

Santa Monica City Hall, illuminated in 2019, will be lite up in the rainbow Pride colors for the month of June. Photo: City of Santa Monica

Santa Monica Pride returns next month with the entire downtown district turned into a festival for the first time.

The festivities will stretch from the Third Street Promenade and Santa Monica Place to the Santa Monica Pier.

All ages are welcome to the free festival.

Santa Monica Pride will take place June 3 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Throughout the month, City Hall will be illuminated in rainbow Pride colors, and Santa Monica Public Library will share queer books for kids, featuring a special drag queen storytime, suited for all ages and abilities.

“Colors of Pride” photo booth installations, designed by LGBTQ+ artists, will be located throughout the Santa Monica Pride Festival’s three sites with interactive props at each photo booth. Photos from the installations will be assembled to create a photographic mosaic, bringing the three districts together in a rainbow of colors that make the Progress Pride flag.

A complete lineup of LGBTQ+-related events in June is available here.

Here’s a roundup of events happening during the Santa Monica Pride Festival.

Events on the Third Street Promenade

Drag queen performance by Pickle and other live performances on the main stage
St. Augustine By-The-Sea Church, the Santa Monica Police Department, Big Blue Bus, and other local community groups will offer support and resources to the LGBTQ+ community
The center court on the 1300 block of the Promenade will turn into a dedicated space for pets and their owners to hang out during the festivities

Events at Santa Monica Place

Kid-friendly Pride activities, including crafts with Cayton Children’s Museum, will transform the Center Plaza into an interactive space to play and learn about inclusivity and acceptance.
Made with Pride Marketplace, a retail pop-up on Level One every Friday through Sunday. The Marketplace will showcase more than 20 LGBTQ+ business owners and host an array of workshops and events.

Events at Santa Monica Pier