NYC & Company Previews LGBTQ Events for the Summer

By Newsdesk May 14, 2018 3:05pm

NYC & Company, New York City’s official destination marketing organization, is highlighting annual LGBTQ Pride events taking place throughout the city during the summer travel, from the Heritage of Pride events in Manhattan—which attract more than 2 million attendees—to the many events and celebrations happening throughout the city's five boroughs.

The Pride activities taking place in the five boroughs and Harlem:

Manhattan

Heritage of Pride, which organizes the city’s LGBTQ events and commemorates the 1969 Stonewall riots that sparked the modern gay-rights movement, features the theme “Defiantly Different” for its lineup of Pride events this year.

NYC Pride announced its four grand marshals slated to lead the 49th NYC Pride March on Sunday, June 24, 2018: Billie Jean King, Lambda Legal, Tyler Ford and Kenita Placide. This year’s NYC Pride March also undergoes a change to its route along Fifth Avenue. The new route refocuses the birthplace of the LGBTQ movement to a place of prominence at the beginning of the march.

The 49th NYC Pride March will commence at noon on June 24, at 16th Street and Seventh Avenue in Manhattan. The route proceeds through the West Village down to Christopher Street, passing by the Stonewall Inn, then along 8th Street to Fifth Avenue where it turns uptown, ending on 29th Street. The new route is in anticipation of the record number of attendees for Stonewall 50 / WorldPride 2019. This route also aims to reduce the overall time of the procession and reduce wait times for the more than 350 marching groups prepared to step off.

Additionally, NYC Pride’s Pride Island is back this year with performances by Kylie Minogue, Tove Lo, Lizzo and Big Freedia Saturday, June 23, and Sunday, June 24, 2018, at a new location: Pier 97.

The live broadcast of the 2018 NYC Pride March will be on ABC7 from noon to 3 p.m. on June 24.

For more information, visit NYCpride.org.

Harlem Pride

Harlem’s 9th Annual Pride Celebration Day, Saturday, June 23, noon – 6 p.m., Twelfth Avenue between West 125th and West 133rd Streets, is the highlight of year-round programming. Since 2010, Harlem Pride hosts some 10,000 attendees each June and has expanded to include community forums, workshops, networking events and other community outreach activities. This year, throughout the month of June, Harlem Pride 2018 will have many community events.

For more information, visit HarlemPride.org

Bronx

1 Bronx Pride Festival, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. on June 17 at 149th Street and Third Avenue in the Bronx, promotes inclusion, community and dialogue and works toward a future without discrimination. The festival’s Pride events educate and celebrate the diverse Bronx community.

The 1 Bronx Pride Festival is produced by the Third Avenue Business Improvement District in collaboration with Out Bronx, the Office of the Bronx Borough President, the Bronx LGBTQ Caucus, Dancing in the Streets, Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, and Clearview Festivals.

Travelers can RSVP here for free tickets.

Brooklyn

The 22nd Annual Brooklyn Pride Week will be held on June 4–9. Events during the week include the Borough President Honors, Ice Cream Social, Interfaith Service, Comedy Night, Family Outdoor Movie Night and Pre-Pride Day Party. All the events are free and open to the public.

Saturday, June 9, showcases an entire day of Pride events, beginning with the annual 5K Run through Prospect Park. Runners must sign up at NYCRuns.com. The run is limited to 500 participants and sells out quickly. Runners can check in at 8:30 a.m.; the race starts at 10 a.m.

Following the run, visitors and locals are invited to attend the expanded Brooklyn Pride Festival, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Fifth Avenue, between First and Ninth Streets. This year’s festival will feature two stages for local performers.

At 7:30 p.m., the Brooklyn Pride Parade steps off at Fifth Avenue at Lincoln Place, proceeding “Gayly Forward” along Fifth Avenue, ending at Ninth Street.

For more information, visit Brooklyn Pride.

Queens

On Sunday, June 3, Queens Pride, which promotes education and awareness of LGBT issues in the borough, hosts its Parade and Multicultural Festival, noon – 6 p.m., in Jackson Heights. The parade starts at 89th Street and 37th Avenue at noon, and will follow 37th Avenue through 75th Street. Also from noon – 6 p.m., the festival will take place on 37th Road between 74th and 77th Streets.

Parade participants will have the opportunity to win “Queenie Awards,” ranging from the best use of color to the best drag performance. This year’s grand marshals are Melinda Katz, Queens Borough President; Hetrick-Martin Institute; and Elijah Betts, nonbinary member of Generation Q; with festival headliner Ultra Nate and guest DJ Missy B.

For more information, visit QueensPride.org.

Staten Island

The 14th year of Staten Island PrideFest, with 10 events over 9 days, is the kickoff of the NYC Pride season. The Staten Island PrideFest Festival will be held on the grounds of Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, located at 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, on Saturday, May 19, from noon to 5 p.m. Staten Island PrideFest announced that this year’s festival stage will be hosted by Carmen Carrera, mother, actor, advocate and one of the world’s highest-profile transgender women.

Staten Island PrideFest is a production of the Pride Center of Staten Island.

For more information, visit pridecentersi.org/pridefest-events.