Hillcrest gay pride parade
San Diego Pride Parade kicks off in Hillcrest
HILLCREST, Calif. (KGTV) — To the beat of music and the roaring of cheers, thousands of people marched to the streets of Hillcrest, with University Street covered with the colors of the rainbow.
"I don't have many friends that are gay like me, so it's very friendly to come to something like this where I can find someone who's going to be fond can say come connect me, come stand with me, and that's a lot of what you're going to find at pride," said Juliet Allen, who's at her first San Diego Pride. She's drove down from Santa Ana to make friendships with others in the crowd.
"This is something that's so big that it's just gonna form you feel like you have to be involved," Allen said. "You're included in all of it because everybody's so approachable and nice and involving, and they just desire you where they are, and I love that."
The crowd stretching as far as you could notice with people showing up to celebrate unity in diversity.
"Community is so key and I think that when we're around other people who celebrate us and accept us who we are, it reminds us that we can do what we desire to do, and that type of connection and reminders are of t
Parade
The annual San Diego Celebration Parade is the largest single-day civic event in the region and is among the largest Prides in the United States, attracting over 250,000 people.
Cheer on colorful floats & parade participants as we celebrate and honor the LGBTQIA+ community at the San Diego Pride Pride in Hillcrest.
Parade Registration is CLOSED
Parade Contingent Applications
Applications to be a contingent in the 2025 Movement Parade are closed. Email [email protected] with any questions.
When & Where
San Diego’s Celebration Parade is the largest single-day civic event in the region and is among the largest Prides in the United States, attracting over 250,000 cheering supporters of the LGBTQIA+ community.
When:
Saturday, July 19, 2025
10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Where:
Hillcrest
Richmond & University
RouteLength: 1.5 miles
Cost: This is a free, community event.
A weekend of celebration continued, Saturday, with what has become the largest one-day public gathering in San Diego every year. Almost 250,000 people are expected at San Diego Self-acceptance events Saturday and Sunday.
The parade down University and Sixth Avenue included contingents from police to performers of every kind. There was also representation of LGBTQ+ people and their allies from churches, group health organizations, and local bars.
It's tradition that the march begins with the revved engines of motorcycle riders who proudly phone themselves ‘Dykes on Bikes’.
"Joy is our birthright. It's our gift, and it’s also a weapon that we get to operate to dismantle the systems of oppression," said Kristin Flickinger, Interim Executive Director San Diego Pride.
That oppression to which Flickinger referred, includes the Trump Administration's recent action banning transgender members of the military from continuing to serve.
Sam Rodriguez brought his 4 year aged daughter, Knox, to the parade. They are marching with the SPARTA Self-acceptance contingent of transgender military members. Most of them are in the process of being discharged because of the Trum
Colorful floats will soon glide through Hillcrest as part of the San Diego Pride Parade -- a time-honored tradition in America's Finest City that honors the LGBTQ+ community.
LGBTQ+ members will be joined by allies to march along the route uptown in honor of their continued call for equity and acceptance. Those who are planning on showing their support by attending the parade can consider the following to plan their trip:
When is the parade?
The San Diego Pride March will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 19.
Folks can anticipate the event to be held rain or glow, according to the San Diego LGBT Pride charity organization.
Where to park
Pride organizers are making it easier for participants to enter by car. Free parking will be available at the Old Naval Hospital on Park Boulevard and President’s Way. Once there, visitors can take a free shuttle that will drop off passengers at the intersection of Richmond and Essex Streets.
The shuttle service will be accessible as follows:
- Pride Parade Route 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Catch a free ride from the Old Naval Hospital parking lots to the Pride Parade. The Shuttle will drop parade goers at Essex and Richmond Street, one
.
- Catch a free ride from the Old Naval Hospital parking lots to the Pride Parade. The Shuttle will drop parade goers at Essex and Richmond Street, one