Pride Festival

Applications to be an Exhibitor in the 2025 Pride Festival are now open!

Are you a small independent local LGBTQIA+ owned business with a passion for connecting with the community? Join us as an exhibitor at this year’s Pride Festival! Showcase your work, connect with attendees, and be part of a vibrant marketplace that uplifts our very own LGBTQIA+ community! This marketplace will feature a prime area that is solely dedicated to our local LGBTQIA+ owned small businesses. We will welcome businesses that offer a variety of goods and services that our community can enjoy. We are excited to be bringing this new addition to our festival this year as we embrace our theme of Unbreakable Pride, Unshakeable Power!

Who Can Apply?

• LGBTQIA+ Centered/Owned: At least 51% of the business is owned or operated by LGBTQIA+ individuals.
• Inclusivity: Your mission, products or services reflect a commitment to uplifting and supporting the LGBTQIA+ community with an emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion.

• Community Impact: Preference is given to businesses that consistently support (and/or owned by) marginalized groups within the LGBTQIA+ community (Black, Indigenous, disabled, trans-led, etc).

1. Creative and Community Centric: We welcome exhibitors with handmade goods, art, wellness services, LGBTQIA+ literature, and other offerings that align with the values of Pride.
2. Sustainability: We value exhibitors who embrace and center environmentally friendly practices.

Eligibility 

1. Your business operations must take place in San Diego County.
2. Your business must be LGBTQIA+ Centered/Owned (see definition above).
3. You must meet the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Advocacy’s definition of a small business.
4. Your business must align with the values of San Diego Pride.

Exhibitor Fee

We are committed to making the event as accessible as possible to small local businesses. With that in mind, we are excited to offer any approved Queer Locals Marketplace exhibitor a reduced flat price of $250. This means that you may apply any time and there will be no late fees. Please keep in mind that space is limited and spots for the marketplace will continue to be evaluated and added until we have sold out. Once we sell out you will be added to a waitlist.

Application Process

1. Fill out either corresponding exhibitor registration form depending on whether or not you plan to sell food.
2. Provide a description of services or goods you plan to provide and how it uplifts and supports the LGBTQIA+ community.
3. Provide any relevant pictures, social media, and/or websites that showcase your business and its products and/or services.
4. Fill out the rest of the exhibitor form 
5. A San Diego Pride member will be in touch with you about your participation in the marketplace within a couple of weeks

Important Notice

Please note all exhibitors who register into our Queer Locals Marketplace are not guaranteed a spot. The goal of this marketplace is to uplift and make our festival accessible to our small local LGBTQIA+ owned businesses who help contribute to San Diego’s vibrant community. If you are a food exhibitor please note we are only accepting prepackaged food and non cooking vendors. If your business lies outside these categories, you are encouraged to apply to any of the other food vendor categories. Your application will not be approved if you do not meet any of the eligibility criteria above and you may be encouraged to apply to any of our other exhibitor categories. If you have any questions please contact our production team at [email protected] or Marvens Pierre, Director of Events & Programs at [email protected].

Please Note: Demand for this area is very high. As of March 17, 2025 space is VERY LIMITED. After this date you may be put on a waitlist and/or asked to sign up in our general exhibitor categories.