From Drag Brunches to Punk Proms, Orange County's 'Pride is for Everyone'
- Alex Chan
- May 30, 2025
- 6 min read
Pride in Orange County means community, celebration and showing up – whether you’re marching in a parade, cheering at a ballgame, or dancing under the stars.
In June, Pride Month takes place to recognize the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) community. In Orange County, there will be plenty of ways to support the LGBTQ+ community, with activities ranging from brunches to sports games.
Some events are returning for another annual celebration for Pride Month, while others are part of yearlong programming that promotes messages of equity and acceptance beyond the month of June.
Local organizations will band together again this year to organize a Pride Month that will celebrate diversity, inclusion and visibility in Orange County.
“Pride is for everyone – queer folks, allies, families and first timers – and we want to show that in Orange County we are a community and we support each other,” said OC Pride co-president Manny Muro. “(OC Pride) attends other org's events and we've built partnerships, like Pride nights with the Anaheim Ducks and the Angels. Sometimes, Pride is not just a celebration, it is a statement, and it's about aligning all different communities together.”
SUMMER OF PRIDE CELEBRATION
Laguna Beach Pride 365, which organizes yearlong programs to promote LGBTQ+ visibility, will hold a drag bingo brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 1 at Mozambique in Laguna Beach to kick off Pride Month. The event will include brunch offerings, artisan drinks and bingo hosted by Laguna Beach drag queen Endora. Reservations are required.
A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to Laguna Beach-based nonprofit Friendship Shelter, which provides housing and support services to individuals experiencing homelessness.
When: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, June 1
Where: Mozambique, 1740 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach
Cost: Bingo cards – two for $5 or five for $10
More Info: lagunabeachpride.org
Also hosted this year by Laguna Beach Pride 365 is Karaoke Tuesdays with Peggie Perkins! at 237 Ocean Avenue.
OC PRIDE - HOSTING EVENTS ALL MONTH LONG
Each year, OC Pride collaborates with many local organizations to support Pride events, including Angels Pride Night and a Frida Cinema film screening with the LGBTQ Center OC.
This year, the organization has a lineup of activities, including the return of the Strut Beach Club event where guests can enjoy beach volleyball and music at Sahara Sandbar in Huntington Beach from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 7 and a Father’s Day Brunch where guests can enjoy brunch and a special drag story time from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 15 at Fairview Community Church in Costa Mesa.
For tickets and to stay updated on all events happening during Pride Month, OC Pride recommends following its website and Instagram page for more information and event postings throughout June.
OC Pride is a nonprofit that funds community projects and plans events beyond June, including Orange County’s official LGBTQIA+ Pride festival and parade, which will take place from noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27 at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa. This year’s event, with the theme “Revolutionary Louder Than Ever,” will give attendees the chance to march in the free pride parade, enjoy dances on the pride stage, view drag performances and listen to live music. Guests can also explore other areas of the festival, such as the Pride Marketplace with over 150 LGBTQIA+ and ally-owned vendors and Pride Speaks, the event’s TED Talk-style series with speakers from the LGBTQIA+ community.
“In a time where simply existing authentically can still receive push back, we want the theme “Revolutionary Louder Than Ever” to show that our visibility is our power and our community is vibrant and unshakable,” Muro said. “We're not whispering, we're turning up the volume.”
For more information on Pride Month events or the festival and parade, visit prideoc.com.
PRIDE FEST FULLERTON: STRONGER TOGETHER
The Fullerton Museum Center will present the 4th Annual Pride Fest Fullerton: Stronger Together, featuring a bike parade, live music, free photo booth, vendors and food trucks. Guests of all ages and identities are encouraged to attend and wear their most colorful attire to show their support and pride.
When: 2-7 p.m. on Saturday, June 7
Where: Fullerton Downtown Plaza, 125 E. Wilshire Ave., Fullerton
Cost: Free
ANGELS PRIDE NIGHT
Pride Night at Angel Stadium in Anaheim will welcome guests for pre-game festivities in the Gate 5 Courtyard on Tuesday, June 10. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:38 p.m. and MenAlive, the OC Gay Men’s Chorus, will sing the national anthem at the game.
Every Pride Night ticket purchased through the official Pride link will include a limited-edition Angels Pride Cap for the ticket holder and a portion of ticket sales made through the Pride link will directly benefit OC Pride.
When: Game starts at 6:38 p.m. Tuesday, June 10
Where: Gate 5 Courtyard of Angel Stadium, 2000 E. Gene Autry Way, Anaheim
Cost: $37-$87
More Info: mlb.com/angels/tickets/specials/pride
SAPPHIC SUMMER SOCIAL
The Sapphic Summer Social will host a social hour for guests to meet new people and explore vendors, a burlesque show, and an after-show portion where guests can take pictures with the performers and enjoy dance music.
When: 7-11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 11
Where: The Copper Door, 225 N. Broadway, Santa Ana
Cost: $12.51
LAVENDER CEREMONY
The LGBTQ Center OC’s ninth annual Lavender Ceremony will honor LGBTQIA+ students and allies who are graduating high school and college. The graduation ceremony will welcome youth, students, parents, families, teachers and community members.
The LGBTQ Center OC provides life-affirming programs and resources to Orange County’s LGBTQ population and encourages members and allies of the LGBTQ community to join together in a network of support. More than 20,000 individuals have been served with the center’s year-round programming, which includes the Study With Pride tutoring group for LGBTQIA+ youth, and hiking groups led by one of the center’s mental health counselors.
When: Noon to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 14
Where: LGBT Center on Fourth at 305 E. Fourth St., Santa Ana
Cost: Free
More Info: bit.ly/LavGrad-25
PRIDE BRUSH-UP: FAMILY EDITION
This free painting event invites children and adults to follow along with local instructors as they create Pride-themed artwork. During the event, Affirming OC’s Glam Closet will offer free gender-affirming clothing to those in need.
When: 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 14
Where: Sports Basement at 10800 Kalama River Avenue, Fountain Valley
Cost: Free
‘BUT I’M A CHEERLEADER’ SCREENING AT THE FRIDA CINEMA
OC Pride will present a screening of satirical teen comedy “But I’m a Cheerleader” at 8 p.m. on Friday, June 20 at the Frida Cinema in Santa Ana. A portion of ticket sales will go towards funding the Teen Pride Zone, a space in this year’s OC Pride festival that will be led by the LGBTQ Center OC’s youth group.
When: 8 p.m. on Friday, June 20
Where: The Frida Cinema on 305 E. Fourth St., Santa Ana
Cost: $18.50
More Info: thefridacinema.org
MISSION VIEJO PRIDE
The Mission Viejo Diversity + Inclusion Task Force and Saddleback College’s Rainbow Collective are again hosting the free Mission Viejo Pride event in partnership with the Wellness and Prevention Center, a nonprofit that provides mental health services in schools and educates the community on issues related to mental health and addiction.
The family-friendly event will include live entertainment, family games and activities, over 100 booths, giveaways, community resources, a sensory room, food trucks and much more.
When: Noon - 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 21
Where: Saddleback College, 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo
Cost: Free
POP PUNK PROM
Plaza Prom’s pop-punk edition will give guests the chance to enjoy drag lip-syncs channeling the most iconic punk rock princesses in music. A DJ will play the best of bands like Paramore, Panic! at the Disco, and My Chemical Romance.
When: 7 p.m. on Friday, June 27
Where: Segerstrom Center for the Arts, George Argyros Plaza, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
Cost: Tickets starting at $15
More Info: scfta.org
SANTA ANA PRIDE 2025
Live music, dance performances, open mic sessions, and art activities will take place for Santa Ana Pride outside the blackbox theater of The Wayward Artist, a Santa Ana-based theater company. Inside the theater, there will be yoga, sound baths, improv games, dance showcases, burlesque and drag performances.
When: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 28
Where: 125 N. Broadway, Santa Ana
Cost: Free
More Info: travelsantaana.org
