Pride in the Park Returns to Chochenyo Park on October 5

The third annual Alameda Pride, celebrating Alameda’s LGBTQIA+ community and supporters, will take place on Saturday, October 5. This year’s chosen theme is “Be Seen, Be Heard.” The day’s programming kicks off with a 5K fun run/walk, followed by Pride in the Park, and finishes the day with a block party. Volunteers are still needed for the day’s events, so please sign up if you’re available to help out.

The Pride Fun Run/Walk will meet at the Elks Lodge, 2255 Santa Clara Avenue, starting with registration at 8 a.m. The fun starts at 9 and runs until 11:30 a.m. All participants will receive a T-shirt and goodie bag, plus water and snacks from Starbucks. Colorful, whimsical, and fun outfits are encouraged for participants. The deadline to sign up to participate is September 30, and the fee is $50.

Saturday’s main event is Pride in the Park, a family- and dog-friendly party at Chochenyo Park from noon until 5 p.m. Featured performers on the main stage include the San Francisco Pride marching band, Dance 10 Performing Arts Center, two drag shows by Vicky Sparkle-Titz and friends, the Oakland Gay Men’s Chorus, and Flock of Seagirls Band, plus various speakers in between acts. The park will be filled with local businesses and vendors, food trucks, beer, wine, and beverage vendors, the Kidz Zone, and other games and entertainment. There will be lots of fun for everyone at this free event.

Then, to wrap up the day’s festivities, dance all your cares away while DJ Dave Stebbins plays at the Pride Block Party on Alameda Avenue between Park and Oak streets from 6 until 9 p.m. There may even be some surprise performances! This event is free and open to all ages.

Corica Park golf course is getting in on the celebrations, with events throughout the week culminating in a Pride Picnic and fundraiser for Ruby’s Place on Sunday, October 6, from 2 to 7 p.m. Suggested donation is $10 for adults, $5 for kids. The course is located at 1 Clubhouse Memorial Road on Bay Farm Island.

Major sponsors for this year’s Pride event include the City of Alameda , Alameda Recreation and Parks Department ( ARPD ), Downtown Alameda , Elks Lodge #1015, Starbucks, Kelly Lux Insurance, Alameda Post , Providence Veterinary Hospital & Clinic, Sally R. Han realty, and Digifli.

Jeramie Andehueson started Alameda Pride after moving to the city from the Midwest.

“It was surprising to me that Alameda did not have its own Pride celebration,” Andeheuson recalled. “I thought to myself, ‘I am so proud of Alameda, and I am so proud to be a gay man, so why not celebrate this?’ I created Alameda Pride for this reason.” He and his husband, Andrew, collaborated with Downtown Alameda and ARPD starting in 2021, and the first Pride celebration was held in October, 2022. The 2023 celebration was even bigger, with more events and a larger Pride in the Park event, and now they are back for an even better third year in a row.

Andehueson subsequently created a nonprofit foundation to support not only these October Pride activities, but also to fund and manage other projects, such as annual entries in the Fourth of July parade, fundraising galas and other programming, and the upcoming LGBTQ+ teen center that launches on National Coming Out Day, October 11. (Full disclosure—I am currently a board member of the Alameda Pride Foundation.)

This year is a little bittersweet, however, as it marks the final year of Andehueson’s leadership.

“After three incredible years as the producer of this event, I’ve come to the difficult decision to step down from that role,” he stated. “Alameda Pride in the Park has grown beyond what one person, or even a few people, can manage. To ensure its continued success and impact, it’s time for a new person or group to take the reins, form a committee, and guide this event to even greater heights.”

The organization is looking to find someone who enjoys the challenges and rewards of planning and executing major events to step into that role. Andehueson will continue to serve as the acting president of the Foundation and to support the new leader of the Pride in the Park events but will shift his focus to the soon-to-launch teen center after this year’s festivities. Anyone who is interested in being considered for the role should email jeramie@alamedapride.com .

Adam Gillitt is the Publisher of the Alameda Post . Reach him at publisher@alamedapost.com . His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Adam-Gillitt .

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