San Diego Pride is upon us! It promises to be an awesome weekend. If you're going to be in town, here's some helpful information.

There are THREE main events you should know about:

• Parade. Happens only on Saturday at 11am. Free. Many people walk the parade route and then proceed to the Festival. Meeting place, RSVP and details:
  http://SluggosList.socializr.com/event/Jul18Parade
• BearNight. Dance party at Bacchus House. Happens on Saturday night. $5 cover charge. RSVP and details:
  http://SluggosList.socializr.com/event/Jul18BearNight
• Festival. Happens BOTH Saturday and Sunday. You must purchase a ticket to get in. Some people go in on Saturday after the parade. On Sunday we'll be meeting-up for an awesome afternoon in the park. Details are here:
  http://SluggosList.socializr.com/event/Jul19Festival

Once inside the Festival, there are TWO entertainment stages you should know about:

• Pride Green Stage (aka the main stage.) Located near the main festival entrance.
• Over 21 Music Stage (aka the "21+ Stage" or the "Pride Rock Stage.")

In addition, there are TWO dance venues you should know about:

• Pride Dance Floor.
• HiNRG Dance Tent.

Here's the agenda for Sunday afternoon at the Festival:

• 12:30 - Meet for drinks (Pride Dance Floor)
• 1:00 - DJ FunkyBear Martin (Pride Dance Floor)
• 5:00 - The Bird and The Bee (Pride Green Stage)
• 6:00 - The Bobbleheads (Over 21 Music Stage)
• 6:30 - Shiny Toy Guns (Pride Green Stage)

You may also be interested in these acts, though we don't have official gatherings for them:

• Fans of Jimmy Century - electro group (like "Goldfrapp meets Dee-Lite!")
• Spekrfreks - cool electro (and it's a pair of handsome Latino bears!)
• Rio - Duran Duran cover band
• Future Villain Band - offers a mix of rock, rock and rock with influences of rock (features a hot bear named Glen!)
• Jordan Reimer - Acoustic and indie-pop with amazing vocals
• Berlin - Playing hits like "Take My Breath Away" and more
• Midnight Radio - live rock tribute to Hedwig and the Angry Inch
• Radio Star - offers a modern hard rock spin on 80's new wave

General tips for the weekend:

• Be ready for lots of walking... stay hydrated.
• The forecast is looking quite warm and sunny. Wear sunblock!
• Bring cash for tickets, food, drinks, souvenirs, etc.
• Parking can be a real bitch! So be ready.
• Once you're inside the Festival, there is no additional charge for entertainers and dances.
• Don't forget that a good chunk of University Ave and 6th Ave are closed to car traffic during the parade.
• You might save yourself some time by buying your Festival ticket online (requires a credit card), or along the parade route (which may only take cash.)
• The Festival doesn't sell-out, so there's no definite requirement to get advance tickets.
• The lines for beer gardens can sometimes be LONG. (If they're still doing the wristband system, get a wristband EARLY, even if you don't plan to drink early.)
• There's no smoking allowed anywhere in Balboa Park (by city ordinance).
• Be prepared for a long return trip back from the Festival... it can be very hard after a long day outside. Believe it or not, the best option may be to use the public bus. It's easier than you might think, and Route 11 may take you exactly where you need to go! Here are some other options to avoid a long walk: 1) Get a cab. 2) Hire one of those bike-rickshaws. (BE CAREFUL, they can be pricey; they often charge per person; and a gratuity is usually expected. So be sure to agree on a price up-front. 3) Park somewhere between the parade and the park. 4) Use the free shuttle; check the website for more info. (You might have to transfer to another shuttle to get "all" the way back to the parade starting point, but hey... it's free!)
• In general, please be careful. Don't venture around unaccompanied, especially at night. (As you may know, there have been some incidents on Pride weekend in the past.)
• If you plan on catching The Bird and The Bee, or Shiny Toy Guns, I recommend bringing a blanket to claim your spot.
• The Festival has restrooms, food and drink available.
• There's a free, guarded bike lock area near the entrance of the Festival.

As you may have heard, Festival tickets will be $20 per day this year. There will not be 2-day discount tickets will be available at the gate. Some thoughts:

• If you want to try and get free admission into the Festival, there may be a few last-minute volunteer positions available. E-mail me ASAP for details.
• Active duty military with ID get into the Festival free.
• Students 16-24 with ID can get tickets for $10 at the gate.
• If you can't afford to pay $40 for Festival admission, consider going for just one day, instead of two. (I would suggest attending the Festival on Sunday instead of Saturday, due to the exceptional entertainment lineup on Sunday.)
• If you think you can spring for a 2-day ticket, just know that you'll be supporting the community in a big way. As an added bonus, the weekend will be chock-full of bear entertainers: SpekrFreks, The Bobbleheads, and Future Villain Band; plus we'll get to groove to the musical stylings of DJ FunkyBear Martin and DJ Bulldog Mike Castellanos.
• Tickets are considered charitable donations, and are tax deductible.

ADDENDUM: Added July 16, 2009

• Festival Tickets are considered charitable donations, so they are tax deductible.
• There are some last-minute volunteer positions available. Volunteers are admitted into the Festival free-of-charge. For information, e-mail volunteer@sdpride.org
• If you're planning to go to Bear Night on Saturday night, I suggest arriving early to avoid a line.
• I heard some people are going to Top of the Park on Friday night. If you decide to go, I'd (again) suggest arriving early to avoid a line.
• Active duty military with ID get into the Festival free. Children 15 years and under are admitted free when accompanied by a parent or guardian. For seniors (60+) and students (16-24 with current student id), the cost is $10 at the gate. Student tickets are only available at the San Diego Pride Office and the Festival Ticket Gate. Senior tickets are available at the ElderHelp and the Pride office.
• I mentioned Bus 11 is a good way to get home after the Pride Festival. Note that due to road construction, it is traveling along 4th and 5th Avenues instead of 1st Avenue. (That's actually closer to the Festival, yay!) For more information, check-out:
  http://www.sdmts.com/Bus/detours/SDPrideMTSBusDetours.asp
  http://www.sdmts.com/RouteFiles/images/maps/view/11.gif
• There was a miscommunication, DJ Bulldog Mike is not spinning at the Festival this year; instead he'll be playing his tunes at The Hole. If you plan on going to The Hole, arrive early to avoid a line. (See a pattern yet!?)

Feel free to forward this to your friends!