{"id":24527,"date":"2021-05-14T11:33:05","date_gmt":"2021-05-14T18:33:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/?p=30000020149"},"modified":"2021-05-14T13:27:06","modified_gmt":"2021-05-14T20:27:06","slug":"heres-where-and-how-you-can-still-celebrate-pride-this-year-in-long-beach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/heres-where-and-how-you-can-still-celebrate-pride-this-year-in-long-beach","title":{"rendered":"Here&#8217;s where and how you can still celebrate Pride this year in Long Beach"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Though many had their fingers crossed that Long Beach would throw its annual Pride parade this year, what with COVID-19 restrictions easing, the city still decided to forgo the parade this year. They instead opted for a virtual celebration as an extra safety precaution.<\/p>\n<p>As the third-largest Pride parade in the country\u2014some 80,000 attend each year\u2014it&#8217;s unclear when large events like the Pride parade will resume. That said, celebrations still abound and some members of the community have organized their own outdoor, COVID-conscious celebrations.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s a list of where you can celebrate Pride (safely) this weekend.<\/p>\n<h3>LONG BEACH PRIDE NIGHT BIKE RIDE (Friday)<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_10000043984\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10000043984\" style=\"width: 1110px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-10000043984\" src=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/12105009\/Pride_night_bike_parade_promo-1110x624.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-10000043984\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image courtesy Gay Long Beach\/Facebook.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Gear up (you and your bike) in all things glowing and glittery for this Friday, May 14 evening&#8217;s bike ride roll-out in honor of Gay Pride.<\/p>\n<p>The 2.5-mile excursion (round-trip) takes off at the Belmont Pier at 7 p.m. and will travel down the beach path to Downtown. After a 30-minute break, the group will head back up to the pier.<\/p>\n<p>Attendees are encouraged to bring their own bikes or skates, but the parade will be at a brisk walking pace for those who\u2019d like to participate but don\u2019t have any wheels to cruise.<\/p>\n<p>For more information, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/2583281888639228\/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22discovery_this_week_tab%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22bookmark%22%7D]%7D\">click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Belmont Pier is off Ocean Boulevard at 39th Place.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>PRIDE VIRTUAL CELEBRATION (Sunday)<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"LB Pride Virtual Celebration - May 16, 2021 @ 7PM PST\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MKapzGcQ77o?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>In lieu of the annual parade, Long Beach Pride has organized a virtual celebration.<\/p>\n<p>The programming will include video clips of past parades and festivals in Long Beach, performances from local musicians and entertainers, conversations with performers, and a live-streamed question-and-answer session with Pride organizers.<\/p>\n<p>The stream, which starts at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 16, is free to watch and will premiere on all major platforms including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/longbeachpride.com\/\">Click here<\/a> to choose how you&#8217;d like to watch.<\/p>\n<h3>PRIDE-ALONG DRIVE (Sunday)<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_10000044114\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10000044114\" style=\"width: 1110px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-10000044114\" src=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/14085200\/pride_drive-1110x650.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1110\" height=\"650\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-10000044114\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image courtesy organizer\/Facebook.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Deck out your car in all things loud and proud and drive through Downtown and the Broadway Corridor (also known as the &#8220;gayborhood&#8221;) Sunday, May 16.<\/p>\n<p>The two-hour (10 a.m. to noon) parade, or &#8220;pride-along&#8221; was organized by local Steve Gillis-Moore who felt it was still important to celebrate in-person, but safely.<\/p>\n<p>To join the procession, arrive at the Rite Aid in Alamitos Beach (211 Cherry Ave.) between 9:30 and 10 a.m. Once there are at least 20 cars in attendance, the parade will roll-out on the corner of Cherry Avenue and Broadway, move west along Ocean Boulevard and circle back on Elm Avenue repeatedly until noon.<\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">Observers are encouraged to watch and cheer from the sidewalk.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/443718906933914\/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%2252%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22[%7B%5C%22surface%5C%22%3A%5C%22share_link%5C%22%2C%5C%22mechanism%5C%22%3A%5C%22share_link%5C%22%2C%5C%22extra_data%5C%22%3A%7B%5C%22invite_link_id%5C%22%3A504694280943543%7D%7D]%22%7D\">Click here<\/a> for more info.<\/p>\n<h3>BIG GAY BEACH TAKEOVER (Sunday)<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_10000044136\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10000044136\" style=\"width: 1110px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-10000044136\" src=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/14093905\/gay_beach_takeover_promo-1110x624.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-10000044136\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image courtesy organizers\/Facebook.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Following the &#8220;pride-along&#8221; parade, the rainbow clad car procession will drive down to the <a href=\"https:\/\/lbbusinessjournal.com\/new-rainbow-lifeguard-tower-to-reiterate-pride-of-long-beachs-lgbtq-community-mayor-says\">recently burned down Pride tower<\/a> (12th Place and Ocean Boulevard) and take over that stretch of sand. They&#8217;ll be blasting tunes and decorating the spot with rainbow flags, disco balls, and all things glittery\u2014all they ask is you bring your celebratory self.<\/p>\n<p>Dress-up is encouraged as organizers will have a photographer on site to take photos of the celebration. The event is from noon to 5 p.m.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/2327793937354305\/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%2252%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22[%7B%5C%22surface%5C%22%3A%5C%22share_link%5C%22%2C%5C%22mechanism%5C%22%3A%5C%22share_link%5C%22%2C%5C%22extra_data%5C%22%3A%7B%5C%22invite_link_id%5C%22%3A754419368777840%7D%7D]%22%7D\">Click here<\/a> for more info and event rules.<\/p>\n<h3>GAY BARS<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_10000043462\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10000043462\" style=\"width: 1110px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-10000043462\" src=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/03144319\/GAY-BARS-1110x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1110\" height=\"683\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-10000043462\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michael Romero, owner of The Crest, works behind the bar at his North Long Beach establishment, Wednesday, April 28, 2021. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Los Angeles County is now in the &#8220;yellow tier,&#8221; which is the least restrictive in the state&#8217;s &#8220;blueprint&#8221; for COVID-19 metrics, and for gay bars without outdoor patios, parklets, or a full kitchen, this was really good news\u2014just in time for Pride.<\/p>\n<p>Now they&#8217;re allowed to serve patrons indoors, without food service, at 25% capacity\u2014or 100 people\u2014whichever is fewer.<\/p>\n<p>Still many owners are choosing to remain cautious. As Michael Romero, owner of The Crest in North Long Beach said in a\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/lbbusinessjournal.com\/as-restrictions-thaw-long-beachs-gay-bars-are-coming-back-after-a-dark-year\">recent Long Beach Business Journal story<\/a>, the lively nature of Pride isn&#8217;t conducive to county health precautions, &#8220;everybody wants to go from table to table and socialize and meet people,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>So for those choosing to visit the gay bars this year, businesses will require patrons to adhere to health precautions and capacity limits. Some, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hamburgermarys.com\/longbeach\/\">Hamburger Mary&#8217;s<\/a>, who put on drag shows and other entertainment, will require reservations in advance.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/visitgaylongbeach.com\/gay-bars\/\">Click here<\/a> for a complete list of all the gay bars in the city\u2014business hours will vary.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s Pride weekend in Long Beach. Here&#8217;s a few local events for celebrating, safely.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":262,"featured_media":71570,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_":"","_author_alias":"","cap-aim":"","cap-description":"","cap-display_name":"","cap-first_name":"","cap-jabber":"","cap-last_name":"","cap-linked_account":"","cap-newspack_employer":"","cap-newspack_job_title":"","cap-newspack_phone_number":"","cap-newspack_role":"","cap-user_email":"","cap-user_login":"","cap-website":"","cap-yahooim":"","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_email_html":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_show_share_buttons":"","newspack_sponsor_byline_prefix":"","newspack_sponsor_disclaimer_override":"","newspack_sponsor_flag_override":"","newspack_sponsor_only_direct":"","newspack_sponsor_url":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[466,31862],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[8767],"class_list":["post-24527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hi-lo","tag-long-beach-pride","tag-pride","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/262"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24527"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24527\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71570"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24527"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=24527"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=24527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}