Silicon Valley PRIDE will host its 50th anniversary pride parade and festival this weekend in San Jose, celebrating and advocating for LGBTQ+ communities.
The event, titled “Unstoppable: 50 Years of Love, Legacy & Liberation,” will take place Saturday and Sunday at Plaza de Cesar Chávez in San Jose. The Saturday festival will begin at 6 p.m. and features headliner Snow Tha Product, a San Jose native and Latin Grammy Award-nominated rapper.
On Sunday, the festivities will begin with a pride parade at 10:30 a.m. starting at Julian and Market streets followed by a festival featuring community advocacy resources, entertainment, and LGBTQ-owned businesses.
The pride parade will also feature a 40-foot pride bus provided by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and wrapped in graphic pop art honoring eight LGBTQ+ advocates. The bus can currently be ridden on regular VTA bus routes in Santa Clara County, according to the VTA.
Silicon Valley PRIDE is the largest and longest running pride organization in the South Bay. The nonprofit provides year-round advocacy and community programing to empower the LGBTQ+ community. The pride parade and festival attracts more than 15,000 visitors each year.
“What started in 1975 as a humble gay rights rally has blossomed into a beacon of hope and solidarity,” Silicon Valley PRIDE CEO Nicole Altamirano wrote in a statement. “Whether you’ve been with us for decades or you’re new to Pride, we invite everyone to feel the magic and the momentum that has carried us through five remarkable decades.”