As do cities farther up the coast, such as Portland and Seattle. And most of the larger Pride festivals feature community marketplaces or expos at which local organizations and businesses looking to reach out to the LGBTQ community appear.Ĭalifornia’s largest cities-Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Long Beach-all have particularly spirited Pride celebrations that draw participants and spectators from all over the world. Some communities hold Pride-related events-including art and history exhibits, concerts, film screenings, workshops, and myriad parties-over a full week or more leading up to the main day or weekend, when there’s typically a Pride parade and festival. The first of these were begun as efforts to express support and solidarity for LGBTQ rights following New York City’s infamous Stonewall Riots of 1969, and over the years they’ve spread into even relatively small cities around the world.
California and the West Coast are home to some of the world’s largest and most inspiring LGBTQ Pride festivals.
