Throughout June, Pride celebrations and observances take place across the City, as LGBTQ+ residents, visitors and allies look to reflect on progress and push for more change. What began more than 50 years ago as a commemoration of the Stonewall Uprising in Greenwich Village has expanded to parades, concerts, dance parties, marches and art installations in all five boroughs. Consider warming up with a tour of
notable LGBTQ+ historic sites, and then choose some of these popular Pride festivities to add to your calendar.
Staten Island Pride Fest. Photo: Julienne Schaer
The fun kicks off with an all-ages Stonewall Museum Tour that heads from the borough to Manhattan on the ferry (May 3). Local events follow, including Pride Fest Bowling, a Staten Island FerryHawks baseball game and Youth Prom—all leading up to the big Pride Festival at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden on May 31. The revelry continues through much of June with additional programming.
Courtesy, Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Iconic Pride
Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Ave. at 112th St., Morningside Heights, Manhattan
May 31–end June
The Cathedral Church at St. John the Divine celebrates Pride all of June, kicking off May 31 with Pride Eve. The evening features a cocktail hour, crafting time, an exploration of the cathedral, a raffle and a performance from Greedy Peasant. Events throughout the month include a family picnic with a performance by the Queer Big Apple Corps, evensong service and other happenings still to be announced—all beneath the location’s interior Pride Lights display.
Get your history lesson to-go with this
walking tour that dives into the backstories of LGBTQ+ rights. You’ll learn about over 200 years of activism as an expert guide takes you past significant locations—like the Stonewall Inn and Gay Street—that are connected to the accounts.
Courtesy, Queens Pride
Queens Pride
37th Avenue, from 75th to 89th Streets, Jackson Heights, Queens
June 1
Now in its 33rd year, NYC’s second-biggest Pride celebration stretches along 15 blocks and includes a popular parade, multicultural festival, exhibitors and live entertainment. Visit the website for details about this year’s performers. Note too that borough baseball team the Mets host a
Pride night later in the month (June 13).
Pride at the Whitney
The Whitney Museum of American Art, 99 Gansevoort St., Meatpacking District, ManhattanThroughout June
The venerable arts institution features plenty of LGBTQ+ programming in honor of Pride. Offerings include an opportunity to contribute to the museum’s Community Pride Mural (June 8); a Queer Teen Night (June 13), with music, dance and art; the Radical Joy Ball, celebrating all members of the community, including those with disabilities (June 18); and walking tours of the Meatpacking District that shed light on the neighborhood's queer history (select weekends).
Participating cyclists can choose between three routes along the west side, ranging from 30 to 65 miles, each of which offers a custom GPS map or downloadable cue sheet. Coffee and breakfast will be served pre-ride, and there’s an array of food available at the finish line. Wearing Pride swag—or a prepurchased branded jersey—is encouraged.
Queerly Festival
Under St. Marks Theater, 94 St. Marks Pl., East Village, Manhattan
June 13–July 3
The 11th anniversary of Frigid New York’s queer artist ensemble features a lineup of theater, dance, music and film offerings. Past performances have included a drag show, darkly humorous tales from a Moth storytelling champion and a Juneteenth burlesque night. Visit their
Instagram page for schedule updates.
Brooklyn Pride. Photo: Brittany Petronella
The borough’s Pride events include a Brooklyn Cyclones Pride night (June 13) and a Youth Pride celebration (June 21), but the main day is June 14. Happenings then include a 5K run-walk, a festival in Prospect Park, performers at JJ Byrne Playground in Park Slope and a twilight parade along Park Slope's Fifth Avenue.
Broadway Bares
Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan Center, 311 W. 34th St., Midtown, Manhattan
June 22
This striptease variety show includes 150 of the City’s premier dancers participating in dazzling burlesque numbers that pay homage to the energy and electricity of Las Vegas. VIP guests will rub elbows with the show’s Tony-winning creator, Jerry Mitchell, at a private cocktail party.
Youth Pride. Courtesy, NYC Pride
Youth Pride
South Street Seaport Museum, Pier 16 and Pier 17, The Seaport, Manhattan
June 28
Over 5,000 young participants join each year for this event, which features carnival attractions, a nonalcoholic beverage bar and free food, DJ and musical performances, special guest appearances and more.
Harlem Pride. Photo: Michelle Rick
Harlem Pride
Twelfth Avenue at 133rd Street, Harlem, Manhattan
June 28
Now in its 16th year, Harlem Pride expects to attract more than 20,000 participants for a day of community and special events, with food and merchandise vendors as well. Several gatherings lead up to the main celebration; past years included a youth game and karaoke night and a health and wellness chat and chew.
NYC Dyke March. Photo: Jeanette Spicer
This volunteer-run visibility and protest march has drawn self-styled “dykes” to NYC’s streets for more than three decades, proudly running without permits or sponsors. Anyone who identifies as a dyke can join, and participants often show up with homemade signs underscoring an array of social and political messages. For more, see
our article on the march’s history.
This 4-mile course weaves through Central Park and follows in the footsteps of the City’s first Pride Run in 1982. The event has become so popular that it broke a Guinness World Record (largest Pride charity run) in 2019; this year’s race benefits Lambda Legal, which is an organization committed to achieving full recognition of civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community.
NYC Pride March. Photo: Raisa Ruben
NYC Pride March
Start: 25th Street and Fifth Avenue, Flatiron District, Manhattan; Finish: 16th Street and Seventh Avenue, Chelsea, Manhattan
June 29
The City’s biggest annual civil rights demonstration wends down through Greenwich Village and back up, transforming downtown Manhattan with a full day of inclusive celebration. There are awe-inspiring floats, incredible performances, dizzying costumes and streets packed with revelers. This year’s grand marshals include former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre; Marti Gould Cummings, the first openly nonbinary candidate to run for office in NYC; and queer nightlife star and trans rights activist Lina Bradford (aka DJ Lina).
PrideFest Street Fair. Photo: Charles Roussel
The sidewalks of the Village will be full of exhibitors, food and merchandise vendors, special entertainment and various activities. This combination of traditional street fair and performing arts spotlight (StageFest) attracts families, local leaders and business owners and international talent.
This massive neon-lit dance party in the middle of the park attracts thousands of celebrants and proportionately epic performers—this year, that includes EDM artists Gorgon City, Hayla and DJ Anne Louise.
Courtesy, Gay and Sober
Gay and Sober Pride Celebration
Parade: 25th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue, Flatiron District, Manhattan Dance: Circle Line Cruises, Pier 83, West 42nd Street and Hudson River Park, Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan
June 29
This observance for those in recovery pairs two events: a daytime parade followed by a double-decker bus, and an evening cruise on the Hudson River that hosts a floating dance party spun by a special guest DJ and includes a fireworks display.
Queer Liberation March. Photo: Jeanette Spicer
Queer Liberation March
NYC AIDS Memorial Park at St. Vincent’s Triangle, Seventh Avenue and West 12th Street, Greenwich Village, Manhattan
June 29
This community gathering, organized by grassroots collective Reclaim Pride Coalition, was developed to center the perspectives of marginalized communities without corporate interference and works to supports all LGBTQ+ individuals.
Click here for photos of the march from a few years ago.
Bronx Pride. Photo: Brittany Petronella
Stretching the Pride celebration into July, the Bronx’s annual gathering draws big crowds; visit the website for more details on this year’s event, including who will be hosting.
Check out more LGBTQ+ stories here.
Header Image: NYC Pride March. Photo: Molly Flores
