RIDING THE WAVE OF PROGRESS

NO GOING BACK

50 Years of Santa Cruz Pride

EST. 1975

Upcoming Events

Featured
MAH Pride Thursday: Bead Exchange
Apr 24
Pride Thursdays
MAH Pride Thursday: Bead Exchange
Pride Thursdays

We will celebrate 50 years of Pride by making beaded disco balls during the Santa Cruz Pride celebration. 

Pride Thursdays
SC Pride Queer Skate Prom Night @The Palladium
Apr 24
Pride Thursdays
SC Pride Queer Skate Prom Night @The Palladium
Pride Thursdays

Santa Cruz Pride Queer Skate Night

Cost:  $15 via Eventbrite or cash at the door.  Ages 13+ 
Food, music, photo booth and friendly faces!

Purchase Tickets Here

Pride Thursdays
Art Utility Box Unveiling
Apr 28
Art Utility Box Unveiling
Pride Thursday at Bookshop Santa Cruz: Queer Reads with Bookshop Staff
May 1
Pride Thursdays
Pride Thursday at Bookshop Santa Cruz: Queer Reads with Bookshop Staff
Pride Thursdays

Celebrate queer voices with Bookshop Santa Cruz!

Pride Thursdays
Retro Rainbow: A Dance Party for LGBTQ+ and Allied Older Adults
May 3
Retro Rainbow: A Dance Party for LGBTQ+ and Allied Older Adults

London Nelson Community Center.
RSVP here: tinyurl.com/RetroRainbowProm

MK Gallery Art Exhibition Opening: Here to Eternity-A Toast to Love and Diversity | Cocktail Reception
May 8
Pride Thursdays
MK Gallery Art Exhibition Opening: Here to Eternity-A Toast to Love and Diversity | Cocktail Reception
Pride Thursdays

We will host the work of 12-15 extraordinary artists from the local and regional LGBTQ+ community. 

Pride Thursdays
We Will Not Be Erased March for the Rights of LGBTQIA+ People
May 13
We Will Not Be Erased March for the Rights of LGBTQIA+ People
Queer Film Screening Part 1 at Live Oak Library Annex
May 15
Pride Thursdays
Queer Film Screening Part 1 at Live Oak Library Annex
Pride Thursdays

Celebrate 50 years of Santa Cruz Pride with a semi-weekly screening of “PRIDE”, a six-part documentary series

Pride Thursdays
Queer Trivia Night
May 15
Pride Thursdays
Queer Trivia Night
Pride Thursdays

Our Library sponsored bi-monthly trivia program gets queer for Pride Thursdays! Come test your trivia knowledge.

Pride Thursdays
SC Pride Picnic- Celebrating 50 years of Pride
May 17
Pride Thursdays
SC Pride Picnic- Celebrating 50 years of Pride
Pride Thursdays

Join the City of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Department on the lawn next to the Lighthouse for a Pride Picnic.

Pride Thursdays
New Music Works "50 Years of Pride in Music"
May 18
New Music Works "50 Years of Pride in Music"

World premieres include a special composition with instruments and voice commissioned for the 50th Anniversary of Santa Cruz Pride.

Purchase Tickets Here

Drag Story Time!
May 22
Pride Thursdays
Drag Story Time!
Pride Thursdays

Drag Story Time! At Childish Downtown.

Pride Thursdays

Out Now! 50th Anniversary Merchandise & Apparel

Follow Our Journey

Throwing it back to the moment the Diversity Center became a reality! After years of Pride events from 1975 to the mid-1980s and the growth of the Santa Cruz AIDS Project, conversations began about the need for a dedicated LGBTQ+ center in Santa Cr
Santa Cruz Pride recently launched its utility art box initiative to commemorate our upcoming 50th Anniversary, showcasing the incredible talent of local artists through vibrant murals. On April 12, 2025, we discovered that one of these beautiful bo
Exciting news! The Pride Utility Art Project has officially kicked off! 🎉 @thelettermermaid and other talented artists have begun transforming utility boxes around Santa Cruz into fabulous works of art as we celebrate our upcoming 50th Anniversary o

 Press Releases & News

Featured
Law Enforcement Welcome in the 2025 Parade and Festival
Law Enforcement Welcome in the 2025 Parade and Festival
Read More →
SC Pride Law Enforcement Working Group Update
SC Pride Law Enforcement Working Group Update
Read More →
Updated Logo and Slogan
Updated Logo and Slogan

Updated Santa Cruz Pride logo and slogan: No Going Back

Read More →
Comment on Proposed Passport Rule Change That Discriminates Against Transgender, Nonbinary and Intersex People
Comment on Proposed Passport Rule Change That Discriminates Against Transgender, Nonbinary and Intersex People

Submit comments by March 13

Read More →

Our Mission.

To provide a platform for visibility and celebration of the LGBTQ+ community.

NO GOING BACK

About Us

Santa Cruz Pride is the largest LGBTQ+ event in the Central Coast and the third oldest Pride Parade and Festival in California, attracting over 7,000 participants annually since 1975. Our 50th Anniversary is in 2025. We will be celebrating with our parade and festival on June 1, 2025 in downtown Santa Cruz.

Ride the Wave With Us!