Photos by Sandy Morris and Juan Davila
Grammy Award-winning R&B artist Thelma Houston (“Don’t Leave Me This Way” and more) headlined the main stage at the first Rainbow Fair Oakland held at Splash Pad Park at Grand & Lake Park Avenues on Sunday, June 9, 2024.
Throughout the day, attendees enjoyed strolling along the fair’s lanes lined with exhibit and information booths, food and beverage vendors, and entertainment stage areas. The free celebration featured drag performances, dancing, a kids play area, elders area, and DJs spinning tunes from the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s, and beyond.
The San Francisco Bay Times, a media sponsor for the event, had a booth staffed by Bay Times volunteer coordinator Juan Davila and his team. In trademark Pride wings, Davila was invited on one of the stages and became part of the entertainment, coordinating his moves to the music of a few of the DJs. The beautiful, not-too-hot quintessential sunny East Bay day had many others, young and old, stopping to spontaneously dance with newly made friends.
Organized by the Oakland Community Center in conjunction with the Lakeshore LGBTQ Cultural District, Oakland Pride, and the Stop the Hate campaign, the event was featured broadly by local media outlets whose reporters, photographers, and videographers made their way around the grounds.
To inquire about future related events, contact Joe Hawkins: joe.haskins@oakalndlgbqcenter.org
Published on June 13, 2024
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