Pride Month in the Northeast

June 2, 2025

Pride Month 2025 kicked off this weekend with nationwide celebrations including parades, exhibits and parties galore.

Inspired by protests arising from a police raid of the popular Greenwich Village gay bar Stonewall on June 28, 1969, protests became parades that grew in number and spread across the country, becoming Pride Month, now celebrated around the globe.

In the Northeast—where the first parade filled the streets of New York City in 1970—Pride celebrations are taking place all month. Here are a few examples of the revelry to come:

Boston, MA

Boston is the birthplace of the GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (not to be confused with GLAAD) as well as Wicked Queer, which is among the longest-running LGBTQ film festivals in North America. This year’s Pride celebration will take place on June 8 with a parade and festival, complete with live entertainment, vendors and food.

There are plenty of activities going on in Boston throughout the month, including the Boston Dyke March on June 7 and Fenway Park’s Pride Night on June 11, when the Boston Red Sox take on the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Boston Black Pride Weekend begins on June 29 with its Black Pride Health Summit, and festivities will continue on July 2 with the Youth Pride & Resource Fair.

More information: Meet Boston and Boston Pride for the People.

Provincetown, MA

Set on the tip of Cape Cod and considered the “gayest town in America,” Provincetown’s 8th Annual Pride Celebration returns June 6-8 with a host of activities including a “Sashay to Tea” parade down Commercial Street, the Queer Comedy Showcase, dance parties and the annual Feet Over Front Street Pride 5K.

Provincetown Pride launches in fierce fashion with the official kickoff party: Lady Gaga vs. Beyonce on June 6th, while other events include Pride Bingo hosted by Paige Turner, the Official Pride Crossing on Bay State Cruise Co. and the Pride Market at Town Hall.

Providence, RI

A city with a small-town vibe and a vibrant arts community, Providence’s first Pride event was held in 1976 with about 75 participants. Today that number has grown to 125,000-plus attending the city’s annual PrideFest.

The 48th annual Rhode Island PrideFest & Illuminated Night Parade is slated for June 15 and is New England’s only nighttime LGBTQ parade. Paradegoers can expect to see buildings and floats light up as participants make their way through downtown Providence after dusk. During the day, attendees will enjoy more than 250 nonprofit vendors with live entertainment and plenty of food. For more details, visit Rhode Island Pride’s website.

New York City

Every year New York City throws one of the biggest Pride celebrations in the world, with this year’s NYC Pride paying tribute to the 40th anniversary of Heritage of Pride—the nonprofit responsible for putting together NYC Pride events—as well as the 55th anniversary of Stonewall.

Events are set to kick off on June 22 with “TEAZE: A Queer Party Experience Like No Other,” a 21-and-older dance party.

The celebration takes over the streets of Manhattan at the city’s signature Pride March on June 29 with the theme Rise Up: Pride in Protest honoring the legacy of the very first Pride March in 1970, which commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

Pride events and experiences throughout the weekend include Bliss Days, a celebration of LGBTQ women with live music and dancing; the annual PrideFest street fair; Youth Pride at the South Street Seaport Museum; and dancing the afternoon away at NYC Pride’s StageFest, the main performance stage.