SANTA CRUZ >> The recipe for a rainbow typically requires rain and some sunlight. But not in Santa Cruz, at least for the next several weeks.

All that was needed Tuesday were some LED lights, the concrete and brick canvases of a few local buildings and government centers, along with a splash of darkness provided by the setting sun.

The Santa Cruz County Government Center, Santa Cruz City Hall and Town Clock will be illuminated in rainbow colors every evening for the next month in celebration of Pride month and the local LGBTQ+ community.

As part of the opening act for the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Santa Cruz Pride Parade on June 1, hundreds of people assembled at the county offices off of Ocean Street around dusk to watch local officials flip the switch and shine some light in the darkness.

“Our queer community deserves the right to live in joy, to celebrate, to dance, to be free, to be authentic, to be ourselves, to wear what we want, to have fun,” said Supervisor Monica Martinez in a speech from the steps of the county building. Martinez became the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to the Board of Supervisors when she won her race by 13 percentage points last year. “I invite us all to think of this not just as a celebration, but as a call to action. Let’s not just light up the night; let’s light the way forward.”

The mood on the ground was jovial as community members poured in with rainbow-themed outfits, often complemented with colorful hair and makeup. Some arrived carrying signs that read “protect LGBTQ+ youth” or “diversity is beautiful.” As the crowd assembled at the foot of the county building, SambaDá, an Afro-Brazilian band based in Santa Cruz, played a spirited tune on the drums that had some dancing in the street while others nodded along.

Cabrillo College Trustee Adam Spickler, the first openly transgender man elected to public office in California, acted as the event’s emcee. Spickler struck a tone that both celebrated the occasion to gather while recognizing the fear and sadness many in the LGBTQ+ community feel in response to rhetoric and actions taken by the Donald Trump administration.

“Every queer single one of us deserves to live a life of joy and happiness and it includes access to our basic needs,” said Spickler. “We will survive what we’re facing so that we can get back to doing things like celebrating Pride every year and dancing in the streets. Because we deserve that joy. Not only do we deserve that joy; that joy is in and of itself an act of resistance.”

To commemorate 50 years of Pride in Santa Cruz, event organizers unveiled the Pride50 legacy torch and presented it to Spickler, who handed it off to other local leaders to carry throughout the evening’s festivities.The event included remarks from local advocates and queer youth leaders such as Izabella Leon, 18, who pledged to carry the torch — literally and symbolically — for years to come.

“As we are in the midst of (LGBTQ+) people, programs and resources being attacked and demonized by the federal government, it is important that we have events like this to remind us of our humanity; to remind us that our identities aren’t a political hot topic, but (are) a part of who we are,” said Leon. “Being a young person and experiencing the established Pride traditions is something I don’t take for granted. Your courage and leadership is the reason why I and other young leaders continue to fight for what you started.”

Among the attendees at Tuesday’s event were some of the organizers that put together the original Santa Cruz County Pride march in 1975, along with an array of local leaders including Santa Cruz Councilmembers Sonja Brunner and Gabriela Trigueiro as well as county Supervisors Felipe Hernandez, Kim De Serpa and Justin Cummings. The supervisors voted unanimously earlier this year to reaffirm the board’s commitment to protect, serve and support LGBTQ+ individuals and women in their pursuit of health, happiness and the private exercise of bodily autonomy.

When the speeches had wrapped and the lights at the county center were lit, SambaDá helped lead a procession across the Water Street bridge above the San Lorenzo River and up to the Town Clock, which was also eventually set aglow with rainbow colors. Santa Cruz City Hall, the Civic Auditorium and the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse at Lighthouse Point on West Cliff Drive will also feature rainbow colors throughout June.

Among the group of about 300 people that marched Tuesday was 11-year-old Zara, who said it was nice to see so many adults in the crowd.

“I like to know there are a lot of adults that support,” said Zara. “It just feels nice to be around a lot of people I know I’m safe with.”

Jesika Silva, a child psychotherapist with the county who also joined in on the quick trip around the block, said she was there to be loud about her allyship and acceptance — something she views as a vitally important practice for parents and families of LGBTQ+ youth.

“Helping parents and families understand their child’s process of finding their identity is really, really important for suicide prevention,” said Silva. “A parent doesn’t fully have to understand what their child is going through in order to show support.”

The mini march from the county building to the Town Clock was meant as a visual demonstration of that support, but it was also a necessary ingredient for fully realizing the impetus for the gathering. After a countdown from 10, the lights at the county building were illumined but it was still too bright out for the colors to be seen. Spickler pivoted and sent the crowd on its way to the downtown area while recommending that everyone circle back once the last ray of sunshine had disappeared.

“We just need the sun to go down,” said Spickler. “It’s going to be really beautiful when you come by later.”

Santa Cruz Pride has organized a series of events in the run-up to the Pride parade and festival happening from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 1 in downtown Santa Cruz.