The 3rd Annual Pink Party is set to kick off Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride weekend on Friday, May 14 at 7pm on Pine Avenue between Broadway and Third Street, where an expanded venue will accommodate enhanced entertainment and an anticipated record-breaking crowd.
Produced and sponsored by the Downtown Long Beach Associates (DLBA), the Pink Party will launch one of California’s largest Pride celebrations with a festive outdoor street party that will fill Pine Avenue in a sea of pink as guests are encouraged to dress the part.
Established three years ago as a private fundraising event with 250 guests, the Pink Party is expected to draw more than 3,000 attendees this year and has been adopted as an official pre-Pride event by Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride, Inc.
A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit the Center Long Beach’s Mentoring Youth Through Empowerment (MYTE) program.
Drag performer Jewels Long Beach will host the event with DJ Abel spinning on the mainstage. The Drag Diva 2010 contest will take the stage at 9:15pm with seven performers competing for more than $500 in cash and prizes. The five finalists in the America’s Gay Bachelor competition, which will host its finale event at the Hotel Maya on Saturday, May 15, will serve as special guest judges.
The bar, hosted by Hamburger Mary’s, will feature $5 drink specials and several Downtown restaurants will offer sample-sized servings of their signature dishes on-site.
Participating restaurants, identified by pink balloons displayed outside their entrances, will donate 10 percent of proceeds from Pink Party guests to the MYTE program. Many popular Downtown eateries will also offer food and drink specials throughout the night.
“It’s exciting to see this event grow so quickly in just three short years,” said DLBA Marketing Chairperson Richard Lewis. “We are thrilled to forge a partnership with the Long Beach Pride organization and to help make an already successful weekend even more impactful for the Downtown business community.”
Tickets will be sold at the gate for $10 per person or can be purchased online in advance.
More Information
downtownlongbeach.org
longbeachpride.com
