West Street Beach Pride :: Laguna's Gay 'Beach Blanket Bingo'
Like the Frankie and Annette movies that defined 1950s teen cinema, the West Street Pride gathering began in 2013 with just one giant beach ball. But where those popular movies featured "gonzo" displays of hetero love, the beach party envisioned by another Frankie, was aimed specifically at a largely ignored faction of the same time period -- namely, the LGBT community.
"I wanted to bring gay culture back to Laguna Beach," recalls West Street Pride's social director and host, Frankie Ciccone. "A lot of people don't know that Laguna Beach was originally a popular gay destination, a gay paradise that dates back to the '50s. It's important for people to know that, because there's so much incredible history here."
A "superstar server" at Katsuya in Laguna Beach, Ciccone was asked to help put together a gay day called Sunday Funday, which didn't take off, but led to him putting together an unofficial gay gathering of his own. "I went down to the beach with the giant beach ball and started taking pictures of people playing with it. I posted them from my iPhone to a West Street Beach page I created," says Ciccone "and the next year, more people started just showing up."
Soon, what started with one beach ball and a handful of people grew into an event that was attended in 2015 by more than 600, with a DJ, a coconut oil wrestling competition and giant blow-up snakes to boot.
"The festival has really evolved and now the beach fills up quicker with each year we do this. By noon it's packed," Ciccone says, noting the addition of more outlandish costumes. "People dress up now. You can really tell they just couldn't wait to be seen in their new Speedos or their new outfits they made."
For this year's event, Ciccone says he has again secured a DJ and plans
to have even more giant beach balls for added fun and may even have a few other surprises up his sleeve. "We are still figuring out which games to play and what prizes people will win," he says, citing past rewards like passes to Barry's Boot Camp, dinner for two at local eateries and even a ukulele. "We are reaching out to people as we speak and hope to be able to continue to build upon the momentum we have going to make it more memorable than ever."
Ciccone offers that while he is aware his quaint little beach party may pale in comparison to some bigger fests held throughout larger cities in Southern California, he is happy to offer an event that is "A new experience for people to come out to a gorgeous beach, meet new people and play some fun games with them. This event is very different not just because it's on a beach, but because it celebrates this little town's history. If you come to West Street Pride, you will meet and see people in their 70s who come out to lay in the sun and watch us play games. It's great getting to know the locals and hearing about how much things have changed over the years."
Ciccone says that kinship with the people is one reason why he keeps growing the event. "I feel like I'm giving something back to my community by creating these outdoor events," he explains. "I get so many thank you's from people who really want the rainbow to come back to Laguna. The gay community has been through so much over the years and we have been pushed out of paradise, but now we are back and better than ever. It's a good time to be gay."
West Street Pride will be held on Sunday, August 14 starting at 2 p.m. at the West Street Beach, 1 Camel Point Drive in Laguna Beach. For more information, visit facebook.com/WestStreetBeach
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