SAN NARCISO, Calif. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- Dozens of lesbian motorcyclists roared down Ocean Avenue in Long Beach on Sunday morning, heralding the start of Southern California's second largest gay pride parade. Before an estimated crowd of 35,000 stunned onlookers, flamboyant costumes and elaborate ornamentation took over the city in a message of unity. For many, the parade became a holiday of sorts. But in nearby San Narciso County, which also commemorated the day, Mayor Manny DiPresso called his town's observance "a true holy-day." All shops and businesses remained closed Sunday, with citizens urged to shelter themselves in the area's churches, which ran marathon 24-hour services. For the single Catholic church in the city, that equated to three consecutive masses. DiPresso also ordered police to barricade the county borders in case the event's organizers tried to "infect our community with the sin they seem so proud about."