On June 28, Toluca Lake made history with its first-ever LGBTQ+ Pride Festival, bringing more than 2,500 neighbors together for a rainbow-filled block party at Gelson’s celebrating inclusivity, visibility, wellness and community connection.
The festival was the brainchild of NoHo Gym owners John Paul Batista and Leonardo Foti, who conceived the idea after attending the Dodgers’ Pride Night on June 5 with friends. “We were like, ‘Why is there not a Toluca Lake Pride Fest? This is where our gym is, this is where our community is,’” Batista told ABC7 News. “We just went to work.”
The pair had less than a month to transform the idea into reality, reaching out to local businesses, individuals and organizations to mobilize support, including EZ Productions, Cathryn Farnsworth Photography, Craig Strong Group, Handel’s Ice Cream, Gelson’s, Prosecco, Red Maple, Roast Per Minute Coffee, SRM Real Estate Group, Sheri Disney, Studio Connelly, The Payer Team and Toluca Lake Homeowners Association, along with countless other vendors and raffle prize donors. “[They] embraced the vision immediately,” Foti shares. “Their generosity allowed us to move at lightning speed and create something truly special.”
The result of that collaboration was a family-friendly festival on Riverside Drive and Mariota Avenue featuring live music and lip sync performances, drag bingo, kids’ art activities by Valley Art Camp, face painting by Ederbean Face Art, a vendor marketplace, food trucks, a petting zoo by the Reptacular Ranch Foundation and more — all in celebration of love and equality.
Proceeds from the event’s games, auction bids and donations netted more than $6,000 for the festival’s official nonprofit partner, Brave Trails, a national organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQ+ youth through leadership development summer camps, backpacking trips and other programs.
Throughout the day, sponsors, including Red Maple’s Brian Veskosky, took the main stage to express their gratitude for the overwhelming turnout and shared their hopes that the inaugural festival would become a lasting Toluca Lake tradition.
Assemblymember Nick Schultz and L.A. City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian presented proclamations recognizing Batista and Foti for bringing the event to life while emphasizing the importance of diversity and inclusion in the community. Captain Warner Castillo of the LAPD’s North Hollywood Division also addressed attendees, reaffirming the department’s support for the LGBTQ+ community and its commitment to keeping all residents safe.
For the event’s creators, the day was about more than recognizing Pride. It reflected what Toluca Lake is all about: a community that shows up for its neighbors, embraces people for their authentic selves and advocates for equality for all.
“Pride began as a necessary act of protest, and that history should always be honored. Today, it is also an opportunity to build community, foster acceptance and remind people that everyone deserves to feel seen, respected and included,” Batista says. “We are proud that Toluca Lake Pride Fest contributes to that message while honoring the many different ways Pride is celebrated.”