INVC NEWS
Manhattan’s NYC Pride Week takes place every June. The marquee global gathering invites millions of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender people and their allies to one of the largest, most over-the-top demonstrations of human rights, queer history, social progress and love anywhere in the world. It’s an event everyone should experience once in their life (preferably many times!), but it’s not the City’s one and only Pride celebration. 
During the same month, the City’s other boroughs also come alive with dozens of other Pride parades and festivals.
Grassroots happenings in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island celebrate the many heritages, languages, cuisines and musical styles of NYC’s famously diverse population. Along with the variety of offerings in Manhattan, these events are worth seeking out for unique experiences and to meet the people and cultures that make up the vibrant social fabric of NYC.
Below, see our guide to this year’s wide range of events. Then make your travel plans: we’ll be happy to welcome you here.
5K Pride Run
Saturday, June 9
Sign up for a 5K run through scenic Prospect Park to celebrate Pride, diversity and inclusion. For the second year, this event has a transgender/gender nonconforming category for runners who do not fall into the male and female categories.
Brooklyn Twilight Parade
Saturday, June 9
The borough puts its own unique twist on its pride parade with a march starting at dusk through the streets of Park Slope.
Pride Luminaries Brunch
Saturday, June 17
The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce hosts the Pride Luminaries Brunch as part of the City’s Pride festivities in June. This annual event celebrates local business leaders and the impact they have made on their queer communities. Proceeds from the event will benefit NYC Pride and planning for the World Pride 2019 and Stonewall 50 celebrations.
OutCinema
Monday, June 18
One of the newer events in the Pride Week lineup, OutCinema showcases a new LGBTQ film in a special screening at Chelsea’s SVA Theatre /venues/sva-theatre, with stars and filmmakers in attendance. Organized with the help of the programmers at NewFest, NYC’s annual LGBTQ film festival, this screening will present a current movie that has made special impact on this community. The selection will be announced in Spring 2018, and advance tickets will be available online at NYC Pride’s website.
Family Movie Night
Tuesday, June 19
LGBTQ families are welcomed to the West Village’s Pier 45 for a free evening of outdoor, kid-friendly movie-watching. The pier will open to the public at 7:30pm for folks to grab a good spot for picnicking before the film starts at dusk. While the event is free, there will also be premium tickets for sale (for reserved seating and prepackaged meals) to support the Heritage of Pride foundation.
NYC Pride Rally
Friday, June 22
A month after the Stonewall Riots in June 1969, five hundred peaceful protesters gathered in Washington Square Park to express solidarity and gay pride. Decades later, the annual Pride Rally continues to serve as the official kickoff for Pride Week. This free event will feature dozens of well-known speakers and performers. The event kicks off at 6pm and ends around 8pm.
Fantasy
Friday, June 22
Join the Pride Week party for a night of dancing and special acts at this themed event at Slate in Chelsea. The party starts at 10pm and rages until 4am.
Youth Pride
Saturday, June 23
A wonderful event for LGBTQ teens and their allies, this afternoon street fair–style event on 14th Street is loaded with tons of games, interactive experiences and family fun. This event is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required.
The VIP Rooftop Party
Saturday, June 23
Be a part of one of the most popular boy’s parties of NYC Pride Week, and dance the afternoon away on the rooftop of Hudson Terrace in Hell’s Kitchen. A lineup of the best NYC DJs will keep the energy going throughout this eight-hour tea dance. Proceeds from the party, which sells out every year, benefit Pride Week events and community organizations.
Masterbeat: Masterbuilt
Saturday, June 23
The Hammerstein Ballroom hosts the official Saturday night Pride dance party, Masterbeat. This four-level space, built by Oscar Hammerstein more than a hundred years ago, will be packed with up to 3,000 revelers for a night of dancing. This year’s event features a construction theme, with a promise of hard-hat dancers and décor that will bring to mind an NYC construction site. The fun runs all night from 10pm until 9am Sunday morning.
The March
Sunday, June 24
Extravagant floats, outlandish outfits and spontaneous dance parties are mixed in with the political components of this civil rights march, which started in 1970 on the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. With the theme of “Defiantly Different,” the parade runs a different route this year; stepping off at noon in Chelsea (Seventh Avenue and 16th Street), heading downtown through the streets of the West Village, then up Fifth Avenue to 29th Street. Famed tennis player and LGBTQ activist Billie Jean King will be serving as one of the Grand Marshals. This event is free and open to the public, though to march individuals must be with a registered group; an official list will be posted on the Pride Week website in June.
PrideFest
Sunday, June 24
The streets of the West Village spill over with a vibrant mixture of food and craft vendors, musicians, entertainers, and local residents at the annual Pride Week street fair, now in its 25th year. It runs along Hudson Street from Abingdon Square to 14th Street, just a few blocks from the Hudson River. PrideFest takes place from 11am to 6pm.
Femme Fatale
Sunday, June 24
After the Pride March, more than a thousand woman gather on the rooftop of Hudson Terrace for one of NYC’s biggest girl parties. Eat, drink and mingle with queer women at Pride’s hottest rooftop party that kicks-off with an open bar from 4–5pm.
Pride Island: Sunday
Sunday, June 24
Pride Week culminates with this epic party, formerly known as Dance on the Pier. DJs Ralphi Rosario, Corey Craig and Grind will keep the beats flowing at this nine-hour long dance marathon as the sun sets on the Hudson and lavender fireworks light up the sky. The headliner for this final Pride Week event will be international gay icon and pop queen Kylie Minogue.
