Kicking off Occidental Pride 2023 with an opening ceremony by Drs. Brenda FlysWithHawks and Erica Tom. Adrian Chang photo.

Photo caption: Attendees observe the opening ceremony of Occidental Pride by Drs. Brenda FlysWithHawks and Erica Tom in 2023.

Back in June, Occidental merchants mobilized to raise money for this month’s third annual Occidental Pride, and with the event quickly approaching, more local food and drink businesses countywide are getting involved to support the upcoming festivities. Occidental Pride is held annually on the last Saturday of September.

This year, the focus is on community joy, music and togetherness, and the following local food and drink businesses will be providing refreshments and nourishment as you dance the afternoon away.

Martin Ray Vineyard & Winery has been a supporter of Occidental Pride from the beginning. Tyler Osburg- Head from the Martin Ray team instantly reached out to Pride with support in an Occidental Pride Instagram post in 2023 and has been the main wine sponsor at Pride ever since.

Brothers and born-and-bred Occidental locals Adam and Ryan Johnston of Biotic Ferments are also bringing their locally made fizzy probiotic juices for their third year in a row, and Simple SF will be serving mocktails with their fruit-infused simple syrups and concoctions.

When it comes to food, family-owned and run Tacos Don Pepe will join the team this year with a colorful and contemporary menu of organic Mexican cuisine that is vegan-friendly and sourced from local farms. Catch them at the Occidental Farmers Market in the meantime; they are quickly becoming a local favorite.

Despite an earlier plan to hold the event at the local community center, this year Pride will instead go back to its roots in an outdoor party downtown hosted by Neon Raspberry Art House. Proprietor Mahea Cambell has been a longtime advocate and member of the local LGBTQIA+ community and hosted the event’s first locals-focused debut in 2023.

Reflecting on their second and larger Pride at the Occidental Center for the Arts last year, organizers Chris Lewis and Jolene Beilstein decided that while bigger may seem more successful, it isn’t necessarily better.

“This isn’t about drawing in huge crowds from out of town. With everything going on in the world, our immediate community needs to feel safe and held in togetherness,” Lewis said. “The safety of our trans family is in the line of fire, as is our right to marry who we love. While the world is on fire, we need to make space for our community to take a breath and be reminded of our love and support for one another, and from our allies.”

Occidental Pride takes place the afternoon of Saturday, Sept. 27, at 2nd and Main in Occidental. For updates on a schedule of events, visit www.occidentalpride.org.

Expect an Indigenous opening blessing with Drs. Brenda FlysWithHawks and Erica Tom, dancing with visionary DJ Dyops, creator of Lush at the Flamingo Hotel, a sidewalk parade down the streets of Occidental with a special equine guest, a live performance by local rappers and musicians Erica Ambrin and Kayatta, and a signature afterparty at Neon Raspberry with Occidental Pride resident DJ Jen DM.