As San Diegans pull out their rainbow flags and get ready to march in the pride parade in Hillcrest, here's a guide on what the weekend will bring.
San Diego Pride weekend, which runs Friday through Sunday, will include a rally, block party, pride parade, music festival, and workshops.
Friday, July 14: Spirit of Stonewall Rally
Come kick off San Diego Pride Weekend with the Spirit of Stonewall Rally Friday at 5 p.m. It will be held at the Hillcrest Pride Flag, located at the intersection of University Avenue and Normal Street.
San Diego Pride’s Spirit of Stonewall Rally is a time to recognize and honor leaders who are working hard to preserve achievements and address challenges still facing the LGBT community.
If you plan to use public transportation to get to this event, visit the Trip Planner page for MTS.
Free parking is available at the San Diego Unified School Central Office parking lot at the 4100 block of Normal St. Public parking is available in any spot on the Normal St. side, in the front loop and on the Campus street size.
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Friday, July 14: Pride Block Party
Rock out with live music, dancing, food, a full-service bar, and much more at the Pride Block Party.
Hillcrest will be hosting its Pride of Hillcrest Block Party on Friday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the intersection of University Avenue and Normal Street.
This year the block party will feature local DJ’s K-Swift and DJ Dirty Kurty, along with headliner DJ Nina Sky. Special guest performer, of "American Idol" fame, David Hernandez, will be performing his new hit single "Beautiful."
Pre-sale general admission tickets are $20, and VIP tickets are $55. Tickets can be purchased here.
Saturday, July 15: Pride Parade
The annual San Diego Pride Parade is among the largest in the United States, attracting over 100,000 cheering spectators. The theme this year is "Allied in Action: United for Justice."
The parade will start at 11 a.m. at the Hillcrest Pride Flag, located at the intersection of Normal Street and University Avenue. Head west on University until Sixth Avenue. Then the parade turns south and travels along Sixth Avenue, ending at Laurel Street.
From there, you can enter another part of the festivities, too, the music festival at the Main Gate, located on Balboa Drive south of Laurel Street or the Juniper Gate, east of Sixth Avenue.
Free parking lots are available courtesy of San Diego Pride both Saturday and Sunday at the Old Naval Hospital, located at Park Boulevard and President’s Way. For information on accessibility to the parade, click here.
Saturday, July 15 and Sunday, July 16: Music Festival
The annual San Diego Pride Music Festival in Balboa Park includes multiple stages of entertainment, more than 200 musicians, bands, comedians, and dancers; marvelous shopping at dozens of vendor booths, an art exhibit, cultural presentations and plenty of delicious bites.
Some of the artists at the music festival are En Vogue, Estelle, and Tinashe. For a list of artists and the full lineup, click here.
On Saturday, the music festival will be from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Festival-goers can enter at Balboa Drive and Laurel Street.
Weekend general admission tickets are $20, weekend VIP tickets (21+) are $120, and Estelle Meet & Greet plus VIP tickets are $300. To purchase tickets, click here. For more information on accessibility to the event, click here.
Parking and Transportation
Traffic and parking can be a challenge due to the large crowds at these events.
San Diego Pride organizers will do their best to assist with additional free shuttles and parking. They advise you to try to leave early, bike and walk when possible, use public transportation, or ride-share with Uber. All information on free shuttles and where to park can be found here.
Street Closures
Normal Street and Harvey Milk Street are closed starting at 6 a.m. Friday for the Pride of Hillcrest Block Party.
The following streets will be closed starting at 6 a.m. Friday and open by 4 p.m. on Saturday:
- Centre Street (from University Avenue to Park Boulevard)
- Lincoln Avenue (from Cleveland Avenue to Park Boulevard)
- Normal Street (from University Avenue to Washington Avenue)
- Harvey Milk Street (from Cleveland Avenue to Centre Street)
Additionally, the following streets will be closed starting at 9 a.m. Saturday and open by 4 p.m. that day:
- University Avenue (from Sixth Avenue to Park Boulevard)
- Evans Place (from Fifth Avenue to Sixth Avenue)
- Sixth Avenue (from Upas Street to University Avenue)
- Pennsylvania Avenue (from Fifth Avenue to Sixth Avenue)
- Balboa Drive in Balboa Park
- Brookes Avenue (from Fifth Avenue to Sixth Avenue)
- Robinson Avenue (from Fifth Avenue to Sixth Avenue)
- Ivy Lane (from Fifth Avenue to Sixth Avenue)
For more information about San Diego Pride and events, please visit the San Diego Pride page.
