The annual Long Beach LGBTQ+ Pride parade is returning to its normal May date in 2024, and, in a shift from prior years, the city will likely be footing a bill of more than $100,000 to help produce the event.
Councilmember Cindy Allen, who represents the area that includes the parade route along Ocean Boulevard, asked for the city to find funds to help support the parade this week.
Allen said Long Beach Pride, the nonprofit that has produced the parade for decades, is restructuring. In addition, moving the parade to May, instead of the August date that was used in 2023, added further strain.
“It did place a heavy burden on the organization because there’s a lot to do in a shorter timeframe to put this all together,” Allen said Tuesday.
Allen said she intends to contribute $50,000 of her discretionary district funds to help support the event but that won’t be enough to cover the total cost.
City Manager Tom Modica said Wednesday that he expects the parade will cost the city around $130,000, including the contribution from Allen’s office. Modica expects to come back to the council soon with a proposal outlining where the rest of the funding would come from.