If you want to bring water to the San Diego Pride Festival, make sure it is in a sealed bottle. Opened bottles of water or any beverage will not be allowed inside and you will be told to finish it or pour it out.
This is a San Diego LGBT Pride policy to deter the smuggling of vodka or any clear alcohol product into the festival grounds, said Fernando Lopez, the public affairs director for San Diego LGBT Pride.
The volunteers at the entrance are well trained and will politely ask people to pour out any open beverages before you go into the festival grounds. They will search any bags or backpacks with rulers.
Additionally, anyone entering a beer garden within the festival must pour out all beverages or water they have. Lopez said this was a City requirement that only beer is sold within the beer gardens.
An Elite Security staff member told San Diego LGBT Weekly another purpose was simply to sell beer. The City pays Elite Security guards as part of a contract with Qualcomm Stadium and other events.
This is not unique to the festival, as fairgoers at the San Diego County Fair are also told to pour out any water or beverage upon entrance. It is common at other events.
The Leather Realm operates in partnership with the festival and people wanting to go inside must also abandon any beverages or water before admittance. Last year there were no booths selling water or sodas inside the Leather Realm.
Lori Wolinsky, who has helped organize and operate the Leather Realm for the past 10 years, said volunteers at booths “will get all the water they can drink.” She said many cases of water will be available.
“We take care of our volunteers and we take care of our visitors,” said Wolinsky.
Wolinsky said water bottles have been given out to visitors who were dehydrated or suffering from the heat. She said it was done informally, based on the visitor’s condition. She added that she did not want to give the impression that water bottles would be handed out to everyone.
San Diego Police officers are present at the festival and sometimes they make low-key arrests of intoxicated people if they present a hazard to themselves or others.
