NBC 7’s traffic reporter Ashley Matthews shares tips on how to get to San Diego Pride Weekend events in Hillcrest, including the Pride Parade and Pride Festival.
San Diego Pride weekend is upon us, which means the colorful Pride Parade will soon take over the streets of Hillcrest.
The annual parade goes down on Saturday, July 13, at 10 a.m., starting at the Hillcrest Pride Flag at 1600 University Avenue and Normal Street. The 1.1-mile route proceeds west on University Avenue, turns south on 6th Avenue, turns left on Balboa Drive and ends at Laurel Street.
Approximately 250,000 spectators are expected to turn out for the free parade, which includes lively floats, music and dancing all in support of the LGBTQ community.
Spectators line the route year after year, waving at those aboard the floats and dancing in the spirit of unity, inclusion, and diversity. NBC 7 and Telemundo 20 will partake in this year’s Pride parade with a float, so be sure to wave “hello” if you see us.
This year, the theme of San Diego Pride is “Stonewall 50: A Legacy of Liberation,” marking the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots – a turning point in the LGBT community’s fight for equality.
On Thursday, local leaders including Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Councilmember Chris Cate and San Diego Pride executive director Fernando Lopez gathered to reflect on the importance of Pride, and this year's "Stonewall 50" theme.
"This year, we’re really taking intentional time to reflect on the Stonewall generation – their hard work and sacrifice – that gave us everything that we have today and the work that we still have yet to do so that the next generation of our LGTBQ youth are safe and protected," Lopez said.
In addition to the big parade, Pride weekend in San Diego features many other events including highlights like the Spirit of Stonewall Rally (Friday at 6 p.m. at the Hillcrest Pride Flag) and the San Diego Pride Festival (Saturday and Sunday at Marston Point in Balboa Park).
NBC 7 and Telemundo 20 will have a booth at the San Diego Pride Festival from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, so drop by to say hello to us there, too.
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San Diego Pride attracts big crowds, and parking will be at a premium in and around the parade and festival areas. Pride organizers suggest attendees park in the Old Naval Hospital parking lots at Park Boulevard and President’s Way near Balboa Park, and then take a free shuttle into the parade and festival areas.
Those shuttles will run continuously to the Pride Parade from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, dropping passengers off at Essex and Richmond Street, about a block south of University Avenue. The shuttles will also take attendees to the Pride Festival area, dropping off at Sixth Avenue and Juniper Street. The free shuttle returns Sunday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. to take attendees to the festival zone. Get more information about parking here.
In addition to the rally, parade and festival, the San Diego Pride celebration features several other events. For additional details on those, visit Pride’s website here.
