LONG BEACH PRIDE CELEBRATES – THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF FIESTA CALIENTE LATIN STAGE
MARCH, 31st 2017 – Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride, Inc. will be hosting its 34th Annual Long Beach Pride™ Festival & Parade on May 20th and May 21st. This year marks the 20th year Anniversary of the Latin stage, Fiesta Caliente.
The Latin stage was first presented to the Pride festival guests in 1997 and featured El Show De Lips and Angela Shelby, as well as, the titillating emcee Lola. From its inception the stage was embraced by the community and soon became one of the most popular stages. “As a diverse and accepting community, we do our best to represent our Latin brothers and sisters in their journey to becoming who they are meant to be”, said Denise Newman, President of Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride. “Each year the expectation for the Latin stage for talent grew and each year those expectations were met so we are very proud to reach this milestone with the support of our community”, continued Newman.
The Latin stage was first conceived by one of the founders of Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride, Mr. Bob Crow. Bob recognized a need for the stage and felt it would be another way to foster inclusiveness of the Latin community. He proposed his idea to the Board of Directors who were resistant at first but anyone who knows Bob knows he fights hard and will not give up on what he believes is right for the LGBTQ+Q community of Long Beach which he loves. Over time, the Board of Directors agreed to give the Latin stage a try and it has been an enormous success every since.
Bob is quick to tell you the success of the Latin stage did not rest with him. He says he was simply the portal used to bring the stage to the festival grounds. “A huge part of the success was when I met Jamie Awad, owner of Club Papi”, said Bob Crow. “During those early years of the Pride celebrations, Jamie donated his time and oftentimes his money, to assist with booking talent, as well as, giveaways at the stage” continued Crow.
This year in celebration of the 20th year anniversary, Long Beach Pride™ is planning an inferno that celebrates the cultural diversity and acceptance of every member of our community. The stage will be featuring headliners on Saturday and Sunday, as well as, the hottest deejays, dancers and community talent.
Bookmark our new website www.longbeachpride.com for the upcoming announcement of this year’s entertainment line-up.