Five years ago, Pasadena City Hall had never hosted a Pride celebration. On Saturday, June 13, it will host its fifth.
The City of Pasadena’s Love, Loud & Proud! event returns to the Centennial Square courtyard at City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave., from 6 to 9 p.m. — free, open to all ages, and organized by the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, which launched the gathering in June 2022. That first edition ran two hours. The 2026 version runs three.
The expansion mirrors a broader shift. Pasadena raised the Progress Pride Flag at City Hall for the first time in 2021, according to city records. A year later, Jason Lyon won the District 7 council seat, becoming the city’s first openly LGBTQ+ elected official, according to the law firm Hahn & Hahn, where Lyon is a partner. That same month, Love, Loud & Proud! held its inaugural evening on the City Hall grounds.
In prior years, the celebration has featured drag performances, drag story hour, live music, arts and crafts, face painting, a vaccine clinic hosted by the Pasadena Public Health Department, food trucks, and booths staffed by local LGBTQIA+ organizations, according to city press releases. Specific programming for 2026 had not been announced as of early April; the city’s events page listed the date and venue, with vendor information forthcoming at bit.ly/LLPVendor.
“In Pasadena, we know that our diversity is our strength,” Lyon said at the June 2025 Pride Flag raising ceremony at City Hall, according to Pasadena Now. “When we bring together our unique ideas, our varied perspectives, our different lived experiences, we all benefit from the breadth of our viewpoints.”
Mayor Victor M. Gordo, who has regularly participated in the flag raising, said in a 2023 city press release that the programming reflects the city’s values. “Our city values and embraces diversity, and we hope these events create opportunities for people of all backgrounds to come together, learn and have fun,” Gordo said.
Past sponsors have included the Pasadena Management Association, Girl Squad Media, The Boulevard, Fat Boys, and All Saints Church-Pasadena, according to a 2024 city press release. The Boulevard, at 3199 E. Foothill Blvd., has operated as Pasadena’s only gay bar since 1979, according to Visit Pasadena.
Love, Loud & Proud! takes place Saturday, June 13, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave. Admission is free. Food is available for purchase. For information, call (626) 744-7500 or visit cityofpasadena.net.
“Throughout the year we celebrate the many cultures and affinities that make up our city,” Lyon said at the 2025 ceremony. “And in June, we honor the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community to Pasadena — whether in medicine, scientific research, the arts, government service, nonprofit institutions, or community engagement.”
PASADENA PRIDE Date & Time: Saturday, June 13, 2026, 6:00 – 9:00 PM | Venue: Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101 | Phone Number: (626) 744-6530 | Website: https://www.cityofpasadena.net/parks-and-rec/
