The Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium glows with pride Tuesday night.

The city of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation office presents a colorful facade on Church Street in downtown Santa Cruz.

The Santa Cruz County Government Center glows with a prismatic rainbow Tuesday night as the local Pride Week kicked off with Pride IllumiNight. The event included a celebratory rally and march and the illumination of six iconic buildings in the city. June marks the 50th anniversary of Santa Cruz Pride, one of the oldest pride celebrations nationwide. The first local Pride event took place in 1975, and the first Santa Cruz Pride Parade traveled down Pacific Avenue in 1977. This year’s Pride Parade and festival celebrating the local LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, plus) community takes place on Sunday. Santa Cruz Pride, which attracts over 7,000 participants, is the largest LGBTQ+ event on the Central Coast and California’s third oldest annual pride parade and festival. The illuminated buildings include the Santa Cruz Town Clock and City Hall, the Civic Auditorium, the city’s Parks and Recreation office and the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse.

Tuesday’s vibrant sunset combines with Pride illumination of the Santa Cruz Town Clock to provide a message of power and unity.

The lantern room of the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse is encircled with the colors of Pride as dusk descends on Lighthouse Point in Santa Cruz on Tuesday.