Colorful revelers filled downtown Solvang on Saturday for the fourth annual Santa Ynez Valley Pride Parade & Festival — held under the theme “Lead With Love”— just as “No Kings” protests unfolded blocks away along Mission Drive.
The community-driven event, produced entirely by volunteer-led nonprofit Santa Ynez Valley Pride, featured a vibrant procession of dancers, decked-out vehicles and floats, and marching families and playful pets.
Attendees enjoyed free family-friendly activities — bounce houses, face painting, vendor booths, live music including DJ Darla Bea and the Molly Ringwald Project, and a beer and wine garden — all underscored by SYV Pride’s mission “to create a safe, supportive, and empowering home for the LGBTQIA+ community.”…