A month of both celebration and raising awareness of issues facing the LGBTQIA+ community, June’s calendar around the country is filled with festivals, parades, parties, culinary and art events and more. The following is just a sampling of what’s going on during Pride Month; and if your group happens to be there, they can join in the fun.
New York City
Heritage of Pride | NYC Pride, one of the world’s most renowned LGBTQIA+ Pride organizers, has a parade of events for the month of June and culminating in the much-anticipated 2024 Pride March on Sunday, June 30.
LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers, visitors from out of state and across the globe flock to New York City every year to participate in this month-long celebration that marks the Stonewall Uprising and the quest for human rights for all individuals. “At this crucial time, we should all rally together for LGBTQIA+ rights and for the freedom to love and live authentically. Join us, advocates and allies alike, in solidarity. Let’s support the Queer community, each other, and strive for equal rights and liberty across all identities. When we stand united, everyone benefits,” stated Co-Chair Kazz Alexander in a media announcement. Event roster: nycpride.org
Coming to Manhattan’s Upper West Side in 2026, the New-York Historical Society will incorporate a museum dedicated to LGBTQ+ history—the American LGBTQ+ Museum—the first in the nation showcasing global, national and local LGBTQ+ history and culture. americanlgbtqmuseum.org
Seattle
Seattle is one of the nation’s most LGBTQ-friendly places—just walk across any of the iconic rainbow crosswalks in Capitol Hill or see the multitude of businesses with safe space emblems in their windows.
During the month of June, rainbow flags are flown as the city comes out in full force to support its LGBTQ+ community. The festivities reach their peak at the end of the month over Pride Weekend with the two-day PrideFest, which includes the Seattle Pride Parade on Sunday morning. Summer also brings a collection of concerts, food trucks, a craft bazaar, and more at Pride in the Park. seattlepride.org
For cinematic celebration of queer film, the Three Dollar Bill Cinema showcases the latest and greatest in the genre; while hot spots like Changes, the Wildrose Bar and Queer/Bar celebrate with everything from karaoke to community discussions. visitseattle.org/things-to-do/lgbtq
Chicago
Chicago Pride Fest is a massive 2-day celebration that takes over Northalsted every June, when more than 100,000 revelers take part in the festivities, including three stages with live music, more than 100 arts and crafts vendors, food from local restaurants, drag shows, dance performances, a high-heel race, and more. Your group might also consider a guided tour through Northalsted, the the oldest officially recognized gay neighborhood in the U.S.
This year’s Pride Fest dates are June 22-23, with headlining artists including Natasha Bedingfield, JoJo Siwa, Sapphira Cristal, Bob the Drag Queen, Amber Riley, and many others across two stages.
On June 30, Chicago Pride Parade concludes the city’s month-long celebrations with a famous four-mile procession traversing through Northalsted, Uptown, Lakevie, and Lincoln Park. Since its beginnings more than 50 years ago, the annual event has grown into one of the largest Pride parades in the country.
This year, more than 100 groups will march in solidarity under the theme Pride is Power, highlighting the historic role of the parade as a tool for advocacy and visibility. More events: pridechicago.org
Providence
Providence, Rhode Island, known for its diverse and vibrant communities across art, food, education and culture is also widely known for the LGBTQ+ community and a Pride celebration that thousands look forward to all year long, with this year’s RI Pride Fest planned for June 14-16.
Rhode Island’s Annual PrideFest Celebration & Illuminated Night Parade will take place Saturday, June 15, 2024, at District Park in Downtown Providence with this year’s theme being “THRIVE”. Rhode Island’s first Pride was held in 1976 with fewer than 100 participants, and this year’s PrideFest will attract more than 50,000 people during the day and 70,000 people for the Illuminated Night Parade.
The event is also New England’s largest LGBTQIA+ marketplace & business expo with over 200 vendors, exhibitors, and non-profit organizations represented. The vendor exhibition is a kaleidoscope of LGBTQ+ and ally-owned businesses, local artisans, and community organizations, offering a unique shopping experience that celebrates individuality and inclusivity. From colorful merchandise to one-of-a-kind crafts, the vendor exhibition is a lively marketplace supporting myriad talents. prideri.org
Los Angeles
Los Angeles has a long and rich history in the LGBTQ+ community, from one of the country’s earliest Pride demonstrations at the Black Cat bar in Silver Lake in 1967; to the world’s first permitted parade advocating for gay rights that was organized in 1970.
Global superstar and multiple-GRAMMY Award winner Ricky Martin headlines LA Pride in the Park, taking place at LA State Historic Park on Saturday, June 8. The lineup also includes MUNA, Tokscha, JoJo Siwa and more TBA.
The next day (June 9, 11am), 54th Annual LA Pride Parade welcomes its 2024 Grand Marshals: legendary actor and activist George Takei as the Icon Grand Marshal; professional wrestler Cassandro, El Exótico as the Legacy Grand Marshal; and Los Angeles Fire Department Chief, Kristin Crowley as the Community Grand Marshal, the first woman and first out person to ever hold the LAFD’s highest position.
The celebration keeps going on Sunday at the ultimate free Block Party adjacent to the Parade, open from mid-day and going into the evening, with a performance stage, large vendor village, food & bevs, pop-up bars, and tons more fun.
Other LA events include The Dodgers hosting the Kansas City Royals for the annual LGBTQ+ Pride Night at Dodger Stadium on Friday, June 14. The Pride Party in the Center Field Plaza starts at 5pm and will feature a DJ and drink specials; and Pride is Universal on June 15 at Universal Studios, with character meet and greets, photo ops, cash bars and Drag Shows. lapride.org
New Orleans
Pride celebrations in New Orleans date back to the early 1970s when the city’s LGBTQ+ community organized various events and activities to commemorate the strides of the movement and advocate for LGBTQ+ equality.
Celebrations in the city grew each year, and eventually a festival became a staple of Pride, typically held on the Saturday before Father’s Day. Held at various locations including Armstrong Park in Treme and Washington Square in the Marigny, the community now comes to the corner of Rampart Street and Elysian Fields Avenue each June for New Orleans Pridefest, the evolution of the massively successful Pride Block Parties outside the Phoenix Bar that began in 2015.
The festival—held this year on June 8th—is the largest Pride celebration in Louisiana and draws thousands of attendees from the New Orleans metro area, the Gulf South, and from across the United States. Last year’s festival was their largest ever, with 10 entertainment acts on the main stage, five different DJs throughout the event, and more than 40 vendor booths. nolapridefest.com
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