Merced Pride moves to downtown, marking a significant moment in the city’s history

For the first time, Merced Pride will be held over three days in the city’s downtown, according to organizers.

Past celebrations were held in Applegate Park or at Merced College, but moving the celebration to the city’s center represents a greater level of acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community, according to Adam Lincoln Lane, president of the Merced LGBTQ+ Alliance.

Events are planned July 5, 6 and 7.

“Pride being moved to the heart of downtown Merced is an integral part of our visibility and an attempt at helping to normalize healthy human behavior that still is stigmatized even in 2019,” Lane said.

Before moving to the city’s center, attendees would have to seek out the festival. Downtown is more likely to be filled with foot traffic, he noted.

Main Street and Bob Hart Square is routinely used for Art Hop, Christmas events and other celebrations, but has never before hosted Pride. The Alliance held its first Pride in 2016.

“We want for our Pride celebration to create a genuine pride for Merced itself, our hometown,” Lane said. “People have remarks they say about Merced, and we want to change that reputation in our own unique way. There’s a lot of very open-minded, very intelligent, very accepting (and) compassionate people here.”

Mayor Mike Murphy, who was elected in 2016, was the first city leader to officially mark Pride Month in Merced and has read a proclamation annually.

“We’re happy they’re moving their event downtown. It’s more of a public event that way,” Murphy said on Thursday. “The LGBT community is an important part of Merced. We want everybody who calls Merced home to feel comfortable in Merced.”

Friday, July 5

The Merced Multicultural Arts Center, 645 W. Main St., will be the center of the opening night of events from 7 to 11 p.m. A 21 and older dance party is $10 on the main floor.

The second and third floors offer painting with artist Eli Sachse and a double feature of “Clueless” and “Mean Girls,” respectively. Those offerings are free. Sachse’s exhibit made up of work from primarily transgender and non-binary artists is up at the center now.

Saturday, July 6

The main stage near Bob Hart Square will feature a DJ, live music from Candice and the Passengers, an hour-long drag show and a performance from Bellydance Magique.

Main Street and Bob Hart Square will be blocked off for a street fair from K to M streets during the events from 5 to 9 p.m.

Sunday, July 7

Merced Theatre will show “Love, Simon” at 3 p.m. The teenage romantic comedy about a young man who hasn’t yet come out to his parents is $5 per person at the 301 W. Main St. theater.

This story was originally published June 27, 2019 at 4:40 PM.