San Jose Pride Festival and Celebration 2016

Description

The San Jose Pride Festival is the biggest event celebrating the gay, bisexual, lesbian, transgender and queer community in the South Bay. There will lots of live entertainment, food vendors, non-profit booths and more.

The history of San Jose Pride via SanJosePride.com:

40 years ago, in 1971, a few dozen people organized and congregated for the first Gay Rights rally in San Jose. The following year, the first gay newspaper, Lambda News, began to promote the event. In 1976, hundreds would gather for the first official Gay Pride Festival, held at St. James Park in downtown San Jose, featuring political speakers, community booths, and local entertainment. In 1977, the first Gay Pride Parade kicked off what had become the yearly San Jose Gay Pride Festival.

The 80's gay movement named Stockton Street home of San Jose Gay Pride. In the years following, many gay-owned businesses began to spring up in this quiet west-downtown neighborhood, creating one of the first gay communities in Santa Clara County. This "Rose Garden" neighborhood offered a familiar and safe place to gather, socialize, and live. Prior to its current location on The Alameda, Stockton Street was also home to the first Billy DeFrank Center.

As the city continued to grow in the 90's, gay culture started to show itself in the mainstream, and attendance began to increase. Soon the yearly celebration outgrew the Stockton Street area. In 1995, after receiving an offer from the City of San Jose to return to Downtown, the Pride Parade and Festival was relocated to its current home in Discovery Meadow Park on San Carlos Street. With year-round support from hundreds of community volunteers and sponsors, thousands from near and far continue to gather annually to celebrate San Jose Pride, our diversity, and our community.

More Info

Link

http://www.svpride.com/

Call

408.505.1725