What would a pride festival be without entertainment galore? Just like our diverse community, this year’s Pride lineup has a little bit of something for everyone. From comedians and hula dancers to openly gay Latino recording artists and a funky ’80s girl band, San Diego Pride is covering all the bases.

Headlining this year’s pride festival, following in the footsteps of former headliners Cyndi Lauper and Berlin, is ’80s girl group Klymaxx, best known for their songs “Meeting in the Ladies Room,” “The Men All Pause” and “I Miss You,” which was a number three song on the Billboard Charts in 1986. Cheryl Cooley, the group’s leader and original guitar player, has put together a great new lineup of talented musicians and singers to bring Klymaxx alive for a new generation of listeners.

In recent years music has seen a rebirth of “girl power” with groups such as the Spice Girls, Destiny’s Child, En Vogue and others. However, in the ’80s it was the self-contained female funk band Klymaxx who defined “girl power” in R&B music. The new lineup consists of drummer Trish Lash, keyboardist Alicia Morgan, lead vocalist Sheree Dunn and bass keyboardist Carla Star, along with Cheryl Cooley on guitar. This lineup made its debut with a performance at the Pacifica in Los Angeles, which has been captured on the very first ever concert CD from Klymaxx — Live at Pacifica L.A., newly released this year. Klymaxx is scheduled to take the main stage at 7:00 p.m. on July 27.

The man Out magazine calls “the first gay Latin star” will be on stage in San Diego with a bilingual blend of pop and salsa to entertain the masses. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Jade Esteban Estrada has performed in seven languages and in 33 countries to date. His hypnotic music can be heard on the Golden Globe and Emmy award-winning police drama, “The Shield” on FX.

The multi-talented Estrada studied dance alongside Jennifer Lopez with Slam, the lead dancer from Madonna’s Blonde Ambition Tour, and in 1994 he took home the prize for the Funniest Amateur Comic in New York at Stand-Up New York.

Estrada is sure to keep the audience on their toes as he sings songs from his recently released CD, Angel, when he takes the stage Saturday night at 8:00 p.m.

Skott Freedman’s musical career began when he was just six years old, playing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” on his family’s electric organ in the basement. Eighteen years later, Skott Freedman is one of the most exciting singer-songwriters to emerge on the independent music scene, who also happens to be a bisexual activist. His work has caught the eye of critics at The New York Times and Billboard Magazine, and devoted fans are becoming increasingly aware of this 24-year-old rising star each year. Freedman has toured all over the United States and was a special guest performer at the Gay Games in Sydney, Australia, this past fall.

Freedman’s performance will include songs from his newest CD Some Company, released this past February, when he performs at 3:15 p.m. on Sunday.

Four-time recording artist Mark Weigle leads off the performances on Saturday at 2:15 p.m. with songs from his Different and the Same CD, which includes popular songs with lyrics altered to make them more gay-friendly. Among the songs he is expected to perform are queer-friendly versions of “What I Like About You,” “867-5309/Jimmy,” and “Frank Was Not My Daddy’s Name.”

Local favorite Candye Kane is back again this year. With a career that has spanned 15 years, Kane has carved her niche as a singer and songwriter, and, like the revered blues women of old, she keeps on going and going, belting out her songs in the face of adversity. 2001-02 were monumental years for Kane, who won the Best Blues Band award from the San Diego Music Awards, while the Chicago Tribune named her CD The Toughest Girl Alive, one of the Top Ten Best CDs of the Year. As a vocal advocate for the oppressed masses, this bisexual, plus-sized beauty queen has long been a favorite of San Diego’s GLBT community, not to mention the darling of Europe’s jazz and blues scene. Recently returning from a few European dates, Kane will be appearing on the main stage on Sunday at 5:00 p.m., where she will perform selections from her brand new CD, Whole Lotta Love.

Formerly a longtime member of Candye Kane’s band, San Diego boogie woogie pianist extraordinaire Sue Palmer struck out on her own in 1999 with her CD Boogie Woogie & Motel Swing, which received rave reviews. Since then she has released two more CDs, Soundtrack to a B Movie and Live at Dizzy’s. Palmer frequently performs with her Motel Swing Orchestra, her style ranging from 12-bar blues to boogie woogie, swing, jazz and country. Boogie Woogie & Motel Swing was nominated for both Best Blues Album and Best Jazz Album in San Diego, while Soundtrack to a B Movie was nominated for Best Blues Album. Palmer will be appearing on the main state on Saturday at 6:15 p.m.

Get a preview of the upcoming Cygnet Theater production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch when actors from the production take to the stage to perform numbers from the show. Hedwig started as a groundbreaking off-Broadway smash, later became an acclaimed film and now Pride goers can see performances from the local production live on the main stage on Saturday at 3:45 p.m.