Downtown San Mateo will come alive with the LGBTQIA+ community and supporters when San Mateo County’s 10th Annual Pride Celebration rolls into Central Park at 5th Avenue and El Camino Real from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat., June 11.
Featuring the theme “Still Here, Still Proud,” the free, family friendly, “dry” event will include all the fixings for a fun time: live entertainment, a DJ, food trucks, resource/vendor booths, a youth area and more, per organizers from the San Mateo Pride Initiative and its partners.
This year’s in-person celebration will be scaled down in size vs. previous years and it will also be more spread out and completely outdoors.
Pride Initiative Co-Chair and County LGBTQ Commissioner Dana Johnson noted that the San Mateo County Pride Initiative marched in the San Francisco Pride Parade 11 years ago, which “provided the inspiration to create the local commemoration.”
Scott Gruendl, Pride Initiative co-chair and assistant director of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, said that following two years of virtual events amid the pandemic, “we are excited to be able to celebrate in-person, which is critical for the emotional support of the community and to remind them that we are all still here, together.”
The San Mateo Pride Initiative—which is a project of San Mateo County Health’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Services division—has multiple partners in creating an inclusive environment for the LGBTQ+ community in San Mateo County, per organizers. These partners include: the San Mateo County Pride Center, San Mateo County LGBTQ Commission and other integral collaborators.
To stay updated on celebration info, become a sponsor, or apply for an event booth, click here.
