The health and safety of our community is of great importance. As we move forward into 2024, we will follow public health guidelines, but you do assume the risk of being exposed by attending these events. 

Here’s what you need to know:

• If you’d prefer to wear a mask, you may do so. We recommend masking for folks who have experienced illness in the two weeks prior to the event. 
• We will not be checking vaccination status at the gate, however we strongly recommend you receive your vaccination or boosters to ensure your safety and the safety of others. 
• To find a vaccination site near you, please visit  https://myturn.ca.gov/ or call the Sacramento LGBT Community Center at (916) 442-0185, your local county department of public health, or your health provider.

In 2020, the Center announced its next steps to support racial justice including the Board of Directors’ approval of an internal policy to no longer allow armed, uniformed law enforcement officers at Center facilities or events (including Sacramento Pride), unless as a last resort or in a true emergency, and as otherwise required by law or permitting regulation.

In effect, this means that the Sacramento Police Department will not have a uniformed and armed contingent in the Pride March or at the Pride Festival as exhibitors. Non-uniformed LGBTQ+ and allied officers may participate in the events along with their friends, family, and community members. A limited amount of uniformed and armed officers will be present at the events as required by City of Sacramento regulation for the purpose of street closure events and security in the event of an emergency.

During Sacramento Pride 2019, a public debate regarding the Sacramento Police Department’s relationship with the LGBTQ+ community prompted a set of commitments to action. Since then, the Center has worked to build trust, advocate for our community, and following through with our promise to hold the Sacramento Police Department accountable to their commitments. Our advocacy efforts have resulted in action on the following five commitments.

1. An LGBTQ Community Advisory Committee was created.
2. LGBTQ-focused community engagement training for all new officers that elevates the voices of marginalized LGBTQ community members and discusses the role of implicit bias.
3. The Center hosted a series of Healing Circles and the Sacramento Police Department hosted two LGBTQ+ community forums.
4. Sac PD’s LGBTQ+ liaison position was enhanced with additional information available on their website
5. The Center launched a new Hate and Bias Incident Reporting Form on its website in 2021. This form is intended to provide a community friendly mechanism for people to report incidents of hate, bias, discrimination, or complaints of police violence. 

The Pride March is free and open to all community members starting at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 9, 2024. 

The Pride Festival’s progressive ticket pricing structure is as follows:

Children under 12 are free.

Kids 13-17 are $10 any time.

GA Single Day – $20 

Weekend Pass – $35

VIP – $100 per day or $175 for the weekend

VIP Perks include: Includes express gate entry, Faces VIP Lounge access, 4 beverages per day, lunch, private restrooms, & more! VIP tickets cannot be purchased at the gate. 

Tickets and Prices can be found at: https://wl.seetickets.us/event/SacPride-Festival-2023/521241?afflky=TheSacramentoLGBTCenter

If the cost of admission is a barrier for you, tickets are available through many of our nonprofit partners. See our Equitable Ticket Distribution Policy for instructions on how to get a ticket.

The Sacramento LGBT Community Center that produces Sacramento Pride is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that depends on community contributions including revenue from Pride to provide year-round services. Due to the tremendous upfront costs associated with producing the event, no refunds will be issued for any reason.

The Sacramento LGBT Community Center is committed to producing a Pride Festival accessible to everyone in our community, where no one is turned away due to economic circumstances. To support that goal, we distribute thousands of free tickets to partner organizations, LGBTQ+ youth, people experiencing homelessness, those living with HIV, and other low-income individuals and families. To request a complimentary ticket for yourself or become a low-income community ticket distribution partner, contact tickets@saccenter.org

Through 2019, Sacramento Pride’s $10 admission price for an individual ticket hadn’t increased in more than 30 years. Meanwhile the cost of producing the event increased more than tenfold. Between 2019 and 2022 alone, rates for staging and A/V, fencing, toilets, equipment rentals, security staffing, and other non-discretionary expenses have increased by 25-50% due to the pandemic, inflation, and other factors. Additionally, the Center’s goal is to produce COVID-safe events, create a diverse and equitable event program, offer compensation to performers, and provide free tickets to low-income individuals and families, all of which come at significant cost.

The Sacramento Pride Festival is working toward becoming a cashless event! 

To improve the guest experience, Sacramento Pride Festival has implemented a limited cash payment initiative for our 2024 festival. We aim to reduce wait times at entry gates and beverage stations by eliminating the need to process credit cards and exchange cash for tickets manually, additionally limiting the spread of germs that comes with cash handling.  

Guests will be able to purchase event tickets in advance through our website at sacramentopride.org to reduce congestion and speed up lines. We will no longer require guests to exchange cash for tickets to purchase beverages. Beverage stations will primarily offer credit/debit tap-to-pay options, powered by Square, with limited cash payment options.  

 A limited number of premium-priced tickets will be available for cash purchase at an on-site box office near the festival entrance. A limited number of cash-purchase beverage stations will be available at the Pride Festival. 

To ensure the safety of all guests and the festival’s security, all attendees are subject to security screening upon entry to the festival grounds, including a bag check. Security personnel will not touch, handle or hold any belongings or persons entering the festival. Guests are encouraged not to bring bags and valuables into the festival to speed up security lines.  

Please have tickets, and ID ready before joining the security screen queue.  

Prohibited Items: 

• Firearms, ammunition, knives, and weapons of any kind. 
• Self-defense or restraining devices (e.g., pepper spray, mace. 
• Marijuana (including marijuana-enriched products) or any illegal substance. Please note that it is illegal to use marijuana in public places. 
• Objects or toys that appear to be firearms or weapons. 
• Fireworks or other similarly explosive and flammable objects, smoke machines, or fog machines. 
• Outside alcoholic beverages of any kind. 
• Glass containers (excluding small containers such as baby food jars). 
• Horns, whistles, giant megaphones, or artificial noisemakers.  
• Recreational devices such as drones, remote-control toys, skateboards, and scooters. Bike parking is available during festival hours. 
• Suitcases, bags, or backpacks, with or without wheels, larger than 24” long x 15” wide x 18” high.  
• Coolers and outside food, and loose or dry ice. Exception for unopened disposable water bottles. All reusable water bottles, canteens, and hydration packs must be empty. Guests will not be allowed to carry alcoholic beverages through the exit gates. 
• Flyers, Samples, Giveaways, or Promotional Items that have not been preapproved for distribution at a paid exhibitor booth 
• Pets or Other Animals – Except Service Animals. Pets should be left at home for their comfort and safety; the pavement is scalding and will burn their little feet. 
• Other items as determined by facility management 

For the comfort and protection of our guests, Sac Pride’s hired private unarmed security guards participated in LGBTQ+ Cultural Humility Trainings before the event dates. 

Alcoholic Beverage Policy as determined by Sacramento Police Department and the California Department of Alcoholic Beverages. All guests who wish to enjoy alcoholic beverages must be 21 years of age or older and visibly wearing an official Sacramento Pride 21+ wristband. Wristbands must be worn at all times to purchase and consume an alcoholic beverage. Guests will NOT be served or allowed to consume alcohol unless their 21+ wristband is easily visible. Guests that do not comply with these rules will be ejected from the event with no-refund or re-entry. Very simply: No valid ID = No wristband; No wristband = No alcoholic beverages. No outside alcoholic beverages are allowed. No 21+ individual may be served more than 2 alcoholic beverages at a time. 

21+ Wristbands can be obtained at the main gate on 7th street, or from a security guard at a beverage station. Please note that anyone with a wristband is subject to an ID check during any time of the festival. Guests attending the Festival both days of the festival will be required to get a new wristband on their second day of attendance. 

All guests must show bona fide (legally acceptable) I.D. to obtain a 21+ wristband. An I.D. is legally acceptable if it:

• Is issued by a governmental agency (such as a federal state, country, or city)
• Contains the name of the person
• Contains the date of birth of the person
• Is currently valid (in other words, not expired)
• Contains a photograph of the person
• Contains a description of the person

Examples of legally acceptable I.D.’s are:

• Driver’s license
• State-issued I.D. card
• Valid passport issue by the United States or a foreign government
• Military I.D.

Examples of NOT acceptable I.D.’s are:

• Temporary driver’s licenses
• Matricula Consular Cards
• Employment Authorization Cards
• Birth Certificates
• Non-photo driver’s licenses
• School or Work ID cards

This year we are expanding the accessibility plan to help make the Sacramento Pride Festival even more accommodating. 

• Reserved seating* at all stages as well as near grand stands along the March route. (Seating is on a first, first serve basis. The area is reserved for the following: Senior Citizens, Guests with disabilities and their companions, Guests who need sign language interpreters, Sign language interpreters).
• There will be free rides from the handicap parking lot to the festival 
• There will be ADA equipment available for use at the festival 
• Ramps will be located in multiple areas of the festival
• All entrance gates will have ADA accessible lines to avoid waiting. Please make your way to the front gate and let our team know that you wish to purchase a ticket or Pre-purchase your ticket online.

If you have accessibility needs, please contact accessibility@saccenter.org   

Air – SacPride Festival is less than 15 minutes away from the Sacramento International Airport, with quick and easy flights arriving daily from across the country. 

Train – Sacramento’s downtown Amtrak station is only blocks away from the SacPride Festival, so why not climb aboard? 

Sacramento Regional Transit –SacRT has convenient stops near all of the marquee event locations, making it an ideal option to get to and from the Festival. The Capitol light rail stop is just across the street from the main Festival gate. SacRT is also offering free rides the weekend of June 8 & 9 if you show the SacPride flyer on their website. https://www.sacrt.com/sacrt-free-ride-flyers/ 

Parking – If you are driving in, be sure to plan ahead. You can use the City of Sacramento’s SacPark system to pre-reserve your parking space in city garages near the events.

Ride Share Services – We encourage setting ride share drop-off and pick-up locations to L and N streets near 7th street. 

The safety of all attendees at Sacramento Pride is our top priority. This year the festival will be secured by professional security, and there are protocols in place in the event of an emergency. Organizing an event of our magnitude would be unattainable without extensive communication and collaboration with law enforcement agencies at the local, regional, and federal levels.

For questions about security and safety please email info@saccenter.org.