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April showers may bring May flowers, but the most vivid rainbows don’t arrive until June, when the Bay Area — and the nation — gears up to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Communities and venues on the Peninsula are marking the month in a variety of ways, with everything from drag queen performances and storytimes, to parades, parties and talks. Here’s a sampling of how the Peninsula is celebrating Pride:
Filoli
The Woodside estate, which served as a setting for the trailblazing 1980s soap “Dynasty,” kicks off a weekend of festivities on May 31 with Dragtopia, with drag queens and kings performing, a DJ, art show and a “Dynasty” look-a-like competition. Guests are invited to dress up if they wish; they may also upgrade their tickets for an after-party. Other festivities throughout the weekend include performances by LGBTQ+ organizations such as Queer Taiko and Folclórico Colibrà Mexican folkloric dance troupe, drag queen storytime, sound baths and a craft making flower crowns.
Dragtopia takes place May 31, 5:30-8 p.m. (after party 8-10 p.m.); Pride weekend events June 1, 10:15 a.m.- 3 p.m., and June 2, 10:15 a.m.- 4 p.m., at Filoli, 86 Cañada Road, Woodside. Dragtopia tickets are $75; Dragtopia plus after party tickets are $125. Pride weekend tickets are $28-$38; flower crown craft tickets are $20, filoli.org/
Pacifica Pride
The city of Pacifica’s third annual celebration kicks off with a car parade, followed by a festival with performances, food trucks, a youth music area, family zone and booths from area artists and community groups. Local bars and restaurants host a variety of after-parties.
June 1, 11 a.m. car parade; 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. festival at Ingrid B. Lacy school 1427 Palmetto Ave., Pacifica, instagram.com/thecityofpacifica.
Palo Alto Libraries
The city of Palo Alto’s libraries host a variety of events for Pride, including family storytimes (Mitchell Park Library, June 1; Downtown Library, June 14; and a STEAM and Pride-themed storytime June 27 at the Children’s Library); “Queer is Natural,” an online talk by Megan Nguyen of Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) and Dr. Christine Wilkinson who delve into the complexities of queerness in nature (June 5); a screening of the documentary “Every Body,” which follows the stories of three intersex individuals and examines how intersex people have been treated and are still being regarded in today’s society (Mitchell Park Library, June 5); a STEAM lab for kids making spectroscopes and exploring rainbows (Children’s Library, June 15); and Karaoke with Pride for teens and young adults (Mitchell Park Library, June 22).
Throughout June at various Palo Alto branch libraries, paloalto.bibliocommons.com.
San Mateo County Libraries
The San Mateo County Library hosts events at various branches, including “Pride and Self-Expression Through Adornment” jewelry-making workshops (Foster City, June 1; Pacifica Sharp Park, June 2; Belmont, June 24); a pronoun and Pride pin crafting workshop for tweens (San Carlos, June 4); LGBTQ+ Book Club (in person at San Mateo County Pride Center and online June 5); authors Carolyn Eidson and Kristine Poggioli discuss their book, “Walking San Francisco’s 49 Mile Scenic Drive” (San Mateo County Pride Center, June 8); LGBTQ+ Identities: Awareness and Inclusion Training to learn and explore how to be an ally and advocate (Pacifica Sharp Park, June 17; Half Moon Bay, June 27); an art and protest workshop exploring the history of the Stonewall Inn riots (North Fair Oaks, June 23; San Carlos, June 24); and “Dear Queer Community,” a workshop in which participants make greeting cards with messages of support for the LGBTQ+ community to take home or to mail to the organization Point of Pride (Millbrae, June 26).
Through June at various county library locations and San Mateo County Pride Center, smcl.bibliocommons.com.
South San Francisco Pride
The city of South San Francisco hosts its first citywide Pride celebration, featuring the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, a roller-skating rink, drag performances, local high schools’ dance teams and jazz bands, plus food, craft and nonprofit vendors.
June 1, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m., on Grand Avenue (between Maple and Spruce avenues), South San Francisco. instagram.com/cityofsouthsanfrancisco.
Redwood City Pride
Redwood City celebrates Pride Month with a special progress pride flag raising and proclamation ceremony. The event features guest speakers, including special guest Nicole Adler, and city officials. Also visitors can view a pride display on Courthouse Square, June 1-4.
June 4, 5:30-6 p.m., at Courthouse Square, 2200 Broadway, Redwood City, redwoodcity.org.
CuriOdyssey First Friday
Pride is the theme for the June edition of First Fridays at the children’s science museum. Families can enjoy live music, a food truck, science activities and animal presentations. Members of San Mateo County Pride Center will also be on hand.
June 7, 5-8 p.m., at CuriOdyssey, 1651 Coyote Point Drive, San Mateo, $21.95-$25.95, curiodyssey.org.
Pride Lightning Talk
Hacker Dojo hosts a lightning talk focusing on LGBTQ+ individuals in the tech industry and their innovative ideas and projects. Lightning talks are timed presentations of five minutes or less in which participants might discuss ideas or tech projects, share a coding skill and more.
June 7, 7-9 p.m., at Hacker Dojo, 855 Maude Ave., Mountain View, free, meetup.com.
San Mateo County History Museum
Librarian Michael Flanagan discusses LGBTQ+ history on the Peninsula from the early 20th century to the present. The program is part of the museum’s First Free Friday program.
June 7, 1 p.m., at San Mateo County History Museum, 2200 Broadway, Redwood City, free admission, historysmc.org.
San Mateo Pride Celebration and Parade
The 12th annual event kicks off with a parade, followed by a celebration at Central Park with entertainment, DJ music, resource and vendor booths, food trucks and family-friendly activities.
June 8, parade begins 10 a.m. at 2nd and B streets; celebration takes place 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at San Mateo Central Park, 50 E. 5th Ave., San Mateo, free, smcpridecelebration.com.
Bay Area Pride
With Prince tribute band Red Corvette, plus other music and entertainment. The event raises funds for three charities.
June 9, noon-6 p.m., at Great America’s Redwood Amphitheatre, 4701 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara, $69.99-$99.99, eventeny.com.
LGBTQ+ San Mateo County: History’s Mysteries
Michael Flanagan, a Menlo Park Library reference librarian and history columnist for the Bay Area Reporter, discusses LGBTQ+ history in San Mateo County.
June 18, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Menlo Park Library, 800 Alma St., Menlo Park, free, menlopark.gov.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Bawdy Caste, made up of longtime Bay Area players, presents a Pride Month edition performance alongside a screening of the cult-classic horror movie musical spoof “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
June 21, 7 and 10 p.m., at The Guild Theatre, 949 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, $19.50, guildtheatre.com.
Redwood City Public Library Book Club
This month, the club reads Benjamin Alire Saenz’s “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” in celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride Month. The Book Club takes place on the last Tuesday of each month and is intended for adults.
June 25, noon-1 p.m., at Redwood City Main Library, 1044 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, redwoodcity.org.
