On Sunday, June 26th, we participated in Pride along with the Los Angeles LGBT Center at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. The event itself was a giant picnic with bars, food trucks, face painting, and the idobi Radio photo experience. The entertainment was DJ Nico blasting the best, high-energy, party music and a drag show with Queens Amber Crane and Lauren Banall.
There was something for everyone here, just as Pride should be. When you walked into the event, you were met with a burst of positive energy and people letting loose and having a great time. Alongside idobi, Tito’s Vodka sponsored the event and the drinks were top-notch. The bartenders were having just as much fun as the partygoers and kicked off the night with the perfect tone. If you weren’t into drinking, for one reason or another, the picnic was sponsored by Perrier too and there was plenty of sparkling water to go around.
Now, what’s a party without great food? The food trucks had vegan options, something for the healthy eater, and food for the person ready to try something new and fun (quesadilla burger, anyone?). Guests were able to hang out, eat, and drink on the lawn of the cemetery. Everyone was encouraged to bring chairs and blankets. Some had fully decorated pop-up tents and hammocks. People were clearly embracing the vibe in the best way possible.
If you wanted to get up and explore, you would find the face painting booth with talented artists making you dive deeper into the light-hearted feeling the entire event gave. Right next to the face painting, you were able to take advantage of the idobi photo booth, a fantasy stage where you were encouraged to activate your inner rockstar.
At the center of the lawn, there was an arch with streamer decorations and a banner that read “Cheers Queers,” perfect for pictures. Everything was colorful and vibrant. You were surrounded by palm trees and blue skies and, off in the distance, you could see the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory.
At the front of it all was DJ Nico who absolutely crushed it. Every song made you want to get up and dance. In fact, everyone did. In between idobi’s own Sasha and T.S. MCing the event, people were up in front of the DJ booth straight up partying. There wasn’t a care in the world. The only time people weren’t moving was when the Drag Queens, Amber, and Lauren, took the floor and they deserved to have the world stop and watch. They moved through the crowd with fierce confidence and brought so much joy to every person watching.
However, the most important part of the night was what everyone there was supporting. All proceeds from the picnic went to support the Los Angeles LGBT Center. The Center has been around since 1969 and provides life-saving work for the LGBTQIA+ community. Their services include health and social services, education, and housing. They have nine locations around Los Angeles and are truly making a difference in the lives around them.
The night itself was pure magic. The amount of life that was in the air was incredible and embodied exactly what Pride should be—a celebration and stance on being exactly who you are. To support the LA LGBT Center or educate yourself further, please check out their website here and follow their Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channel here.
Check out more images from the event below, including our idobi Photo Booth. The experience was created by Corrie In Color from an idea by Alex Bear and conceptualized by Sherin Nicole and Corrie Sullivan. The images from the booth were done by Photobooth X.
