June is Pride Month and if you’re looking for ways to show your support of the LGBTQ community in Los Angeles without necessarily taking the kids to the wild (but fun) booze-filled celebratory events of West Hollywood, we’ve got some ideas for you. They involve shoes, rainbows, sweet treats and cute outfits so that your family can enjoy a fun-filled outing in WeHo while reminding the world that LOVE is LOVE is LOVE is LOVE.
1. Take a Family Picture in front of the Paul Smith Rainbow Wall
The Pink Wall, known to be the most Instagrammable wall in Los Angeles has been converted into an incredibly bright and cheerful rainbow wall (available for photos until Jun. 15). Yes, there are thousands of visitors per day and no, you cannot take photos with a regular camera but as long as the kids can say “skittles” while you snap some quick iPhone shots, you’ll be glad you made the effort.
Paul Smith Wall | 8221 Melrose Ave. | Los Angeles, CA
2. Buy some “Rainbow Shoes” from the new Lori Zana shoe BOUTIQUE on Melrose Ave.
The brand new shoe boutique (grand opening was held last week) offers customers a really fun, glittery, iridescent pair of sneaker loafers appropriately labeled the “Rainbow Shoes”. The boutique owner, Sevket Aksoz, explains his rainbow shoes are 100% handmade and imported from Turkey. But the shop offers dozens of other equally eye-catching shoe styles and designs, including booties with hand-woven colorful flower patterns. Good luck deciding on a pair! Shoe prices start at $200.
Lori Zana | 8111 Melrose Ave. | Los Angeles, CA
3. Decorate your own Rainbow cake at Duff’s CakeMix
There’s plenty of colorful frosting options and loads of sprinkle varieties to decorate the perfect rainbow-themed cake at Duff’s CakeMix. Customers with a smaller sweet tooth can select a cupcake. A cupcake kit includes six pre-baked cupcakes, three buttercream colors, two fondant balls and 2 goodie bar scoops. Then you pay a small studio fee and get 1-hour of cake decorating fun with tools, aprons, gloves, cookie cutters, stencils, molds and plenty of space to make a fun mess! Plus, it’s located right across from the Paul Smith Wall mentioned above.
Duff’s Cake Mix | 8302 Melrose Ave. | Los Angeles, CA
4. Pose underneath London Kaye’s Crochet Rainbow
New York Crochet queen London Kaye handmade a larger-than-life rainbow that hangs on a side wall of the Paper Bag Princess Vintage Shop. It’s a work of art, worthy of some extra love and Instagram praise since haters have vandalized the delicately crocheted masterpiece. Fortunately, the shop owner will never allow the bad guys to have the last word, making sure the crochet rainbow is always clean and ready for pictures with all who visit.
The Paper Bag Princess | 8050 Melrose Ave. | Los Angeles, CA
5. purchase a rainbow pattern kids outfit from LA-Based Ultra violet Kids
What’s better than watching your cute kid walk along Melrose Ave? Watching your cute kid walk while rocking a super cool outfit! For that, we’ve found the perfect place to shop: Ultra Violet Kids whose owner and head designer Michelle Chaplin, aims to create clothing that “parents will love and their kids will love to wear.” Well, she delivered. We love the rainbow pieces available in different styles for boys and girls. All clothing is made in Los Angeles from sustainable fibers or deadstock fabric, which basically means Ultra Violet Kids is giving fabric dumped in a landfill, a second life.
Ultra Violet Kids Clothing is sold online & at different shops around Los Angeles.
If you want to support the city’s LGBTQ community without leaving the comfort of your home because having kids is not an easy task (and we get it), you can always make a donation to the Los Angeles LGBT Center, which has “cared for, championed, and celebrated LGBT individuals and families in Los Angeles and beyond” since 1969.
As a reminder, the LA Pride Festival will be held this weekend, June 10 -11, 2017 in West Hollywood.