La Mesa is set to host its first-ever Pride celebration in the city's Village district, with the La Mesa City Council voting unanimously to put $15,000 toward the event. The festival is targeting a date between June 20 and June 27, 2027, and organizers expect it to center on the parking lot near Allison Avenue and Palm Avenue in La Mesa Village.
The vote came after some confusion over who is actually organizing the celebration. City staff initially presented the event as being put on by Diversionary Theatre, but as Times of San Diego reports, co-organizers Rodney Elliott and his partner Troy Tinker have actually established a dedicated 501(c)(3) nonprofit to produce La Mesa Pride themselves. Diversionary Theatre, the University Heights institution, will receive proceeds from fundraising tied to the event but is not the entity running it.
Elliott brings real event-production chops to the project. According to the same report, he operates a production company that books talent for major La Mesa events including Oktoberfest and Holiday in the Village, and he also serves as entertainment director for Orange County Pride. Organizers are modeling La Mesa Pride as a music-heavy gathering that will include a march from Vons to the festival.
Where the Money Is Coming From
The $15,000 was allocated from the city's Downtown Parking Fund through the La Mesa Village Enhancement Fund Program, according to City of La Mesa documents. The city also approved $20,000 for a Wellness Fair. Half of parking meter proceeds, up to $50,000 annually, goes to village programming and parking.
That distinction matters given La Mesa's broader financial picture. The city has been navigating deficit spending, a citywide hiring freeze, and mandatory 10% department budget cuts throughout 2026, according to Hoodline. The grant came through the city's Village Enhancement Fund.
Business Owners See Opportunity
For merchants in La Mesa Village, the event's appeal is straightforward: foot traffic. Deanne Ross, who owns Act II in La Mesa Village, told 10News that the community has amazing restaurants and fantastic shops, and said she is fully supportive of Pride coming to La Mesa. Ross added that the celebration shows La Mesa is an open and welcoming community.
La Mesa resident Maxime Massey told the outlet the city's first Pride event is long overdue, and said it could provide visibility for LGBTQ+ residents while bringing families and businesses together. Massey said that visibility would matter especially for young families and children, and that local businesses stand to benefit as well. Supporters cited by the station say La Mesa has a significant LGBTQ+ community that has lacked a local event of its own.
Part of a Wider East County Shift
La Mesa's move follows a regional pattern. Per Times of San Diego, the city is joining East San Diego County communities such as Ramona, Santee, and Alpine in hosting local Pride events, a trend tied to LGBTQ+ residents moving to East County in search of affordable housing while still seeking community visibility closer to home. That's a notably different scale than the region's flagship celebration — the annual San Diego Pride Parade and Festival in Hillcrest draws hundreds of thousands of attendees each summer, while La Mesa's neighborhood-style gathering is set for the city's Village district.
The festival also arrives after years of incremental political shifts in La Mesa. The city has flown a Pride flag outside City Hall every June since around 2021, according to CBS 8.
Local Leadership Milestones
Councilmember Lauren Cazares thanked the organizers and called herself the first and only LGBTQ+ member of the council, according to Times of San Diego. She is a policy advisor at the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Diversionary Theatre, meanwhile, is based in San Diego's University Heights neighborhood and will receive proceeds from fundraising tied to the event.
As La Mesa continues drawing new residents and events, backers of the festival say it reflects the city's growth into an increasingly active East County destination. With the council's vote secured and a target date set for next June, organizers now face the work of turning the Allison Avenue parking lot into the site of the city's first Pride celebration.
