WeHo Pride underway, street closures in effect
With a full weekend of WeHo Pride events ahead, street closures continue Saturday in the West Hollywood area to make room for the festivities.
West Hollywood Park has been closed since Monday to accommodate preparations for the weekend-long Pride event, where over 100,000 people are expected to attend. The city spent $2 million to beef up security for the event. The park is not expected to reopen until 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Parking facilities in the area — the five-story parking structure, the Library Garage, Aquatic and Recreation Center Garage and the Plummer Park South and Robertson lots — are closed until Monday.
Streets that will be closed for the event are:
- Beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday, San Vicente Boulevard will be closed from Melrose Avenue to Santa Monica Boulevard, with the closure remaining in place through 10 a.m. Monday;
- Eastbound Santa Monica Boulevard will close from North La Cienega Boulevard to North Doheny Drive from noon Friday through 7 a.m. Monday;
- Robertson Boulevard will close from Santa Monica Boulevard to Melrose Avenue from 3 p.m. Friday through 7 a.m. Monday;
- Westbound Santa Monica Boulevard will be closed from North La Cienega Boulevard to North Doheny Drive from 6 a.m. Saturday through 7 a.m. Monday;
- San Vicente Boulevard will be closed from Santa Monica Boulevard to Cynthia Street from 6 a.m. Saturday through 10 a.m. Monday; and
- Santa Monica Boulevard will be closed from Fairfax Avenue to Doheny Drive — including side streets one block north and one block south of Santa Monica Boulevard — from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday to accommodate the WeHo Pride Parade.
WeHo Pride events will begin Friday with the "Friday Night @OUTLOUD" concert at West Hollywood Park. The concert features Idina Menzel, Jessie Ware, Shangela and Tinashe.
OUTLOUD concerts will continue over the weekend, with Grace Jones headlining on Saturday and Carly Rae Jepsen headlining Sunday.
The WeHo Pride Street Fair will run from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Santa Monica and San Vicente boulevards, featuring an array of LGBTQ+ community groups and allied organizations.
Saturday's event will also include the Women's Freedom Festival, including performances from "emerging LGBTQ and BIPOC women and non-binary musicians, comedians, poets and activists." The festival will be followed at 6 p.m. by the annual Dyke March.
Sunday's event will be highlighted by the WeHo Pride Parade at noon. Honorees during the parade will be model/activist Laith Ashley, who will receive the Breakthrough Icon Award; actress Niecy Nash-Betts and wife Jessica Betts, who will receive the Trailblazer Icon honor; and actress Melissa McCarthy, who was named WeHo Pride's 2023 Ally Icon. "RuPaul's Drag Race" will celebrated as this year's Drag Icon, with show host/judge Michelle Visage expected to accept the honor on behalf of the program.
The parade along Santa Monica Boulevard will begin at Crescent Heights Boulevard and move west to Robertson Boulevard.
The city will provide free shuttle service during the weekend to transport people to WeHo Pride events. Information is available online.
