Padres no longer force fans to choose between Drag Race finale and Pride Night
The San Diego Padres kick off the MLB Pride Night season by finally allowing fans to attend and watch the RuPaul's Drag Race finale.
Mark
Over the past several years, the San Diego Padres have gotten the jump on the rest of the MLB Pride calendar, scheduling their annual Out at the Park more than a month before every other team in baseball.
With that came one caveat, though. For several years, the Friars held Out at the Park on the third Friday in April.
As hundreds of gays are well aware, that’s also the night of the RuPaul’s Drag Race Grand Finale.
That meant that while thousands of LGBTQ San Diegans were celebrating our community at one of baseball’s most breathtaking venues, they were simultaneously missing out on Nymphia Wind’s stunning upset or Onya Nurve’s crowning lip sync victory.
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Thankfully, for this season, someone in the Padres front office realized that a great way to celebrate Pride is to stop forcing baseball gays to decide between the two.
With that in mind, the Padres are hosting Out at the Park 2026 tonight at Petco Park before taking the field against the Chicago White Sox, kicking off the MLB Pride calendar in style. And now their fans don’t have to choose whether they prefer RuPaul’s or Don Orsillo’s laugh.
As in previous years, the Friars are giving away a Pride cap with the purchase of a special ticket package. This season’s version is a solid white cap with a block PADRES with each letter in a different color of the rainbow.
Additionally, before the game, the Padres are turning Gallagher Square in center field into their traditional Pride-themed Party in the Park with $5 drink specials and a soundtrack filled with the usual roster of gay icons from Miley to Charli.
Now if only they can convince Mason Miller to swap out his Korn entrance music for “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight),” the night will be complete.
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