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Hermosa Beach Pride

Hermosa Beach Pride
GenrePride parade and festival
Date(s)A weekend in June
Location(s)Hermosa Beach, California
Inaugurated2021
Organized byHermosa Beach Pride
Websitehbpride.org

Hermosa Beach Pride is an annual pride parade and festival in Hermosa Beach, California. The event began in 2021, partially inspired by the burning of a rainbow-painted pride lifeguard tower in Long Beach, California.

History

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In March 2021, a rainbow-painted pride lifeguard tower was burned down in Long Beach in a case of suspected arson.[1][2] This incident inspired local teen Izzy Bacallao and family to have a local lifeguard tower painted in solidarity; on June 14, 2021, the 13th Street lifeguard tower in Hermosa Beach was painted rainbow.[3]

The first Hermosa Beach Pride event was held on Saturday, June 26, 2021.[3] It featured a small parade of dozens of people who walked from Bottle Inn to the newly-painted rainbow pride lifeguard tower for a ribbon cutting ceremony.[3][4]

By 2022, a nonprofit was formed to handle organizing the parade and festival, with Randy Renner, Jessica Accamando, and Jose Bacallou (Izzy Bacallao's father) as directors.[5] When the event returned in June 2022, it was expanded to three days from June 24 to 26.[6]

In 2023, Hermosa Beach Pride was held June 16-17.[5] On June 17, a man threw a lit firework into the crowd in a suspected hate crime; multiple people suffered minor injuries.[7] The suspect was identified as a juvenile, and the police determined that it was not a hate crime.[8][9]

In 2024, Hermosa Beach Pride took place from Friday, June 14 to Sunday, June 16.[10][11]

In 2025, Hermosa Beach Pride took place from Friday, June 13 to Sunday, June 15.[12]

References

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  1. ^ Trent, Rachel (2021-03-26), "LGBTQ Pride lifeguard tower burns down in fire that officials believe was an act of hate", CNN, archived from the original on 2021-04-04, retrieved 2025-06-17
  2. ^ Chun, Myung; Miller, Leila (2021-06-11), "Pride lifeguard tower replaces one burned in Long Beach", Los Angeles Times, archived from the original on 2024-12-11, retrieved 2025-06-17
  3. ^ a b c Hixon, Michael; Jacobs, Lisa (2021-06-26), "Hermosa Beach shows off its colorful Pride in all-day celebration of inclusion", Daily Breeze, archived from the original on 2021-06-26, retrieved 2025-06-17
  4. ^ "Hermosa Beach hosts its first Pride celebration – Segura Shots", segurashots.com, 2021-06-26, retrieved 2025-06-17
  5. ^ a b Hixon, Michael (2023-06-13), "Hermosa Beach Pride celebrates love, LGBTQ community this weekend", Daily Breeze, archived from the original on 2023-06-14, retrieved 2025-06-17
  6. ^ Hixon, Michael (2022-06-26), "Hermosa Beach Pride celebrated for second year", Daily Breeze, archived from the original on 2022-06-26, retrieved 2025-06-17
  7. ^ Haskell, Josh (2023-06-28), "Man throws lit firework into crowd at Hermosa Beach event for Pride Month", ABC7 Los Angeles, retrieved 2025-06-17
  8. ^ "Police: Hermosa Beach firework toss not a hate crime", CBS Los Angeles, 2025-06-17, retrieved 2025-06-17
  9. ^ Kiszla, Cameron (2023-07-07), "Firework thrown into silent disco crowd in Hermosa Beach was done by minor, is not a hate crime, police say", KTLA, retrieved 2025-06-17
  10. ^ "City News & Press Releases | City of Hermosa Beach", www.hermosabeach.gov, retrieved 2025-06-17
  11. ^ Hixon, Michael (2024-06-15), "Hermosa Beach Pride celebrates 4th year with parade, parties", Daily Breeze, archived from the original on 2024-06-18, retrieved 2025-06-17
  12. ^ Luckette, Challynne (2025-06-12), "5th Annual Hermosa Beach Pride celebration set to shine this weekend", ABC7 Los Angeles, archived from the original on 2025-06-14, retrieved 2025-06-17