Local & Community
Cathedral City Council Considers Renaming LGBT+ Days to Cathedral City Pride
Cathedral City’s annual LGBT+ Days celebration could soon have a new name and a slightly different date.
During Wednesday night’s Cathedral City City Council meeting, Montage Events representative Michael Westman asked council members to consider changing the name of the longtime event to Cathedral City Pride.
Westman said the goal is to give the event a more recognizable name, attract additional visitors and increase visibility for Cathedral City.
“We’re asking the council to elevate the event and basically change the name to Cathedral City Pride,” Westman said.
Organizers are also asking the city to move the 2027 event back one week because of other events scheduled at Agua Caliente during the previous weekend.
The proposed 2027 dates are March 12 through March 14.
The 2026 LGBT+ Days celebration marked the event’s 10th anniversary. Westman said the event attracted more than 12,000 visitors from 28 states. KESQ previously reported that organizers were seeking both the name change and the one-week date shift for 2027.
Agua Caliente Casinos served as the presenting sponsor for the 2026 celebration, which was held March 6 through March 8.
Westman said organizers are focused on continuing to bring the community together.
“We’re really focused on the community,” he said. “We’re focused on positivity. We’re focused on happiness and bringing everybody together.”
The council meeting also included discussion of Cathedral City’s automated license plate reader, or ALPR, program.
Police Chief Rick Sanchez presented information about the technology, including how the system is used and the department’s accountability measures. A representative from Flock Safety also addressed issues including data retention and what happens to information collected by the cameras.
According to a city staff report, Cathedral City has used license plate reader technology since at least 2013 and began installing Flock Safety fixed cameras in 2021. The department now has 34 cameras throughout the city, with annual licensing costs of about $80,000.
The city’s September 16 meeting included a special study session beginning at 3 p.m., followed by the regular City Council meeting.
The proposed Cathedral City Pride name change and 2027 date adjustment are part of the city’s ongoing discussion about the future of the annual celebration.
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