June is LGBTQ Pride Month, which was originally created to commemorate the Stonewall Uprising in New York City in 1969, a major turning point in the gay liberation movement in the United States. Now, Pride Month has evolved into both a celebration of sexual and gender identities as well as a call-to-action for further visibility and political rights for the LGBTQIA+ communities.
There are Pride marches, parades, festivals and parties planned all across Pennsylvania, from small towns to big cities. It’s exciting to see Pride in PA grow and flourish year after year!
Here are 12 ways to celebrate Pride in PA this summer:
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Erie Pride Parade and Pride Fest 2023: Sponsored by NWPA Pride Alliance, this event will take place on June 24, 2023, with participants gathering at 11th and State Streets at 11 a.m. and beginning to march at noon. The march will end up at Perry Square, where info tables and vendors will be set up and local drag performers and other performers will grace the Erie Insurance Main Stage. The Adagio Health Health and Wellness Zone will feature HIV/STI and other health providers. Erie Pride Parade and Pride Fest is family friendly and free.
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Pittsburgh Pride Revolution: The theme of the 50th Annual Pittsburgh Pride Revolution is “No Fear,” which feels powerful in amid the unprecedented number of anti-trans and LGBTQIA+ bills being proposed in the US congress and various state governments. Between June 2 and 4, this three-day community event will take place across Pittsburgh Downtown, Northside and Bloomfield. There are so many events and amazing performances; the Pride march, which will be marshaled by PA State Rep. La’Tasha D. Mayes, is scheduled for Saturday, June 3, at noon. It will start at 11th Street and Liberty Avenue, wind its way through downtown and cross the Andy Warhol Bridge, continuing on Sandusky Street, and proceeding to Allegheny Commons Park West for the Pittsburgh Pride Festival.
Pride Festival of Central PA: This Pride Fest, which is celebrating its 31st year, doesn’t take place until a bit later in the summer: Saturday, July 29, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., in Soldier’s Grove in Harrisburg. The festival, which is a $10 suggested donation, will feature entertainment, music, food, as well as free confidential HIV testing sponsored by Take Control HIV.
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Gettysburg Pride: The 7th Annual Gettysburg Pride Fest runs from June 2 through 4, with a packed schedule of events, including dance parties, comedy nights and drag performances. One highlight includes the Pride march on Saturday, June 3, which happens on Lincoln Square and ends with a free popsicle party and Glitter Blessing at the Unitarian Universalist of Gettysburg on Stratton Street.
Delaware County Pridefest and Pride Parade: There are two ways to celebrate Pride in Delco! The first is the inaugural Pride Parade in downtown Media on Saturday, June 3, which begins at noon and goes until 1:30 p.m. The parade will run down State Street and include local organizations, marching bands and businesses. Following the parade, there will be a Pride on State celebration all afternoon, with local businesses providing space for LGBTQIA+ youth and adults to celebrate and socialize.
On Saturday, June 10, the 3rd Annual Delco Pridefest will go down at the Upper Darby Township Municipal Building between 1 and 6 p.m. There will be family-friendly activities, vendors, music, a DJ, dancing, face painting, nail painting and other fun activities! A $5 donation is suggested for tickets.
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PrideFest Chester County: The LGBT Equity Alliance of Chester County presents the 2nd Annual Chester County Pride Festival on Saturday, June 10, from noon to 5 p.m. on Bridge Street in Phoenixville. The event will feature food, music, vendors, family activities, giveaways and so much more!
Bucks-Mont PRIDE: The Welcome Project‘s Sexuality And Gender Acceptance program will host the 3rd annual Bucks-Mont PRIDE Festival at the Abington Art Center on Saturday, June 25, from noon to 5 p.m. There will be performances by the Positive Movement Entertainment Drumline, Tangled Movement Arts, Jakeya Limitless and many more, as well as food trucks, info from community resources and family-friendly activities. Bucks-Mont PRIDE is a free, indoor/outdoor event.
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Doylestown Pride: This Pride Festival returns for its 4th year of a week’s worth of inclusive celebrations, from June 17 through 25, 2023. Events include film screenings, drag brunch, open mics and other pop-up events, as well as a Pride Block party on Saturday, June 24 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on E. State St. between Pine and Main. Attendees can expect live music performances, dozens of local vendors, food and other activities.
Philly Pride 365: For the first time, BIPOC social justice organization Galaei is organizing Philly’s main pride event, Pride 365. The event is on Sunday, June 4, and kicks off with a Pride Walk starting at 10:30 a.m. at 6th and Walnut Streets. It will wind its way to the Gayborhood in Philly’s midtown, where a multi-block festival will take place between noon and 7 p.m., with dancing, kid-friendly activities, a sober zone, food trucks, live performance stages, community resource tents and much more.
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Pocono Pride Festival: On Sunday, June 4, at Courthouse Square in Stroudsburg, the Pocono Pride Festival will offer the community music, live entertainment from local drag queens and kings and DJs, crafts, children’s activities, a teen space, food trucks and more. Resource tables will be set up to provide tools and information. There are adjunct events throughout the area all weekend long, like a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and a Pride Mass at Christ Episcopal Church in Stroudsburg.
Berwick Pride Festival: We love a small-town Pride! This Pride Fest in Berwick (a borough in Columbia County) is the 2nd annual, hosted by Intoxicology Department, a bar on W. 2nd St. It’s taking place on Saturday, June 3, and will include vendors, bands, carnival games, karaoke, guest speakers and more.
NEPA Pridefest: The Rainbow Alliance presents the 2023 NEPA Pridefest, bearing the theme “Lead with Love”, on Sunday, June 25. The parade kicks off a noon, starting at the corner of South and South Main Streets in Wilkes-Barre, culminating with a PrideFest Celebration on Public Square with drag performers, community performances, vendors and more until 4 p.m.
