All the Best NYC Pride Month Events You Can Hit This June

The countdown to the NYC Pride March on Sunday, June 30, has begun, with plenty of time to prepare for the main event. The combination of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the first-ever stateside WorldPride, and an entire month teeming with all manner of LGBTQIA+ events promises to make this June the greatest Pride month NYC has ever seen. New Yorkers and folks from all over the world are amped to commemorate the Stonewall Inn’s historic place in the modern Gay Rights Movement, celebrate WorldPride’s aim to bridge communities across cultures, and have an all-around excellent time.

WorldPride alone added dozens of new events to 2019’s already packed Pride month calendar, and those are just the tip of the iceberg. Theaters, gay bars, historical societies, libraries, and city parks all have additional educational, entertaining, and decadent plans of their own. So get out the glitter and gear up for the celebration of a lifetime: Here’s every NYC Pride month parade, party, screening, talk, performance, exhibit, ball, festival, and concert you can hit this June.

Queens Pride

Sunday, June 2
Jackson Heights
NYC’s biggest borough will host the season’s first Pride festival. The parade steps off on 37th Avenue at noon, followed by a block party at 75th Street and 37th Road till 6pm. Don your best ‘fit, get colorful, and make some noise for a shot at one of the coveted Queenie Awards.
Cost: Free to attend; bring cash for snacks and sips

NYC Pride Ride

Sunday, June 2
Concludes in Hamilton Heights
Cycle with pride on a 30-, 60-, 80-, or 100-mile ride through New Jersey and New York to benefit OutCycling’s youth program. Finish the journey with a BBQ festival on the Hudson Greenway.
Cost: $90

Transgender 201

Tuesday, June 4
Long Island City
Educate yourself on the most prominent issues facing the transgender community, and learn what you can do to create a more positive and supportive environment for transgender people today.
Cost: Free

Brooklyn Pride Day

Saturday, June 8
Park Slope/Prospect Park
Close out Brooklyn Pride Week with a festivity-packed day. It all starts at 10am with a 5K run around Prospect Park, and continues through the evening with stage entertainment, family activities, a concert in the park, and the Twilight Parade at 7:30pm.  
Cost: All events are free to attend; 5K participation costs $40

“Live Oak, With Moss”: Uncovering Walt Whitman’s Queer Private Life

Tuesday, June 11
Brooklyn Heights
Most people know Walt Whitman as the brain behind Leaves of Grass, but few have come across his unpublished poetry collection, Live Oak, with Moss, which fervently explores same-sex love. Learn about this little known work at the Brooklyn Historical Society’s moderated discussion.
Cost: $10 general admission; $5 for BHS members

Out to Climb

Wednesday, June 12
Long Island City
Brooklyn Boulders brings Pride to the rock wall with races, climbing instruction, and — check this out — a vertical drag show. It’s bringing in a DJ and providing drinks from Brooklyn Brewery to keep the one-of-a-kind Pride party going.
Cost: $15 event pass; $25 climbing + event pass; free for members

Criminal Queerness Festival

Thursday, June 13 – Saturday, July 6
West Village
The National Queer Theater is giving a censorship-free voice to four international playwrights whose stories of love, oppression, and injustice shed light on the paucity of civil rights progress made in other parts of the world. Each play runs five times at the IRT Theater.
Cost: $20 general admission; $17 youth tickets (ages 30 and below)

Discotechnique: Rainbow Disco

Friday, June 14
Bushwick
Express yourself in the most colorful way you know how at House of Yes’s disco-themed Pride party. Sparkle under rainbow lights and let your inner pride spill out onto the dancefloor.
Cost: $20-30

OutCinema

Monday, June 17 – Wednesday, June 19
Chelsea
WorldPride and LGBTQ film presenter NewFest will screen three queer films and one short over three days at SVA Theatre. Each full-length film centers on some facet of LGBTQ culture in NYC, and every screening is followed by a Q&A with key players who brought the stories to life.
Cost: $30 per screening; $100 for a three-day VIP pass; NewFest member discounts available

Family Movie Night: “Coco” (2017)

Friday, June 21
West Village
Bring the kids along for an age-appropriate film screening event on Pier 45, hosted by drag star Miss Richfield. This year’s flick is the Academy Award-winning Disney/Pixar hit Coco.
Cost: Free to attend; VIP seating available for a pretty penny

The Library After Hours: Pride

Friday, June 21
Midtown
Dive into LGBTQ history at the NYPL’s after-hours Pride celebration. The night centers on the Love & Resistance: Stonewall 50 exhibit, and features plenty more entertainment from drag queens and special guests.
Cost: $15 for early admission at 7pm; pay-what-you-wish after 8pm (suggested donation $15)

CosPlay & Pride

Saturday, June 22
West Village
Beloved NYC drag queen Petra Fried hosts this year’s CosPlay event at Pier 40, with Drag Race alum Aja headlining the boat cruise’s talent. You’ve got almost the whole month to perfect your costume — don’t waste it!
Cost: Tickets start at $45

1 Bronx World Pride Rally, March, and Festival

Sunday, June 23
The Bronx
The northern borough’s bash is expected to attract an estimated 20,000 revelers. The day begins with an 11am rally and march, followed by an afternoon festival with street vendors and performers.
Cost: Free to enter

Pride Luminaries Brunch

Sunday, June 23
Midtown
Enjoy an open bar and brunch buffet on Moxy Hotel’s rooftop in honor of businesspeople who have been instrumental in promoting workplace equality for LGBTQIA+ people this year. Presented in partnership with Thrillist, the Pride Luminaries Brunch will be a morning to remember.
Cost: Tickets start at $85

S & M Ball

Sunday, June 23
Bushwick
Enter the final week of Pride with a hard lean into whips and chains, leather and latex at this ball-style bash celebrating both BDSM and the queer and trans people of color who’ve brought ballroom culture to life in New York City. Newbies and allies are welcome to attend, but encouraged to show enthusiasm from the sidelines out of respect for the participants.
Cost: $10 in advance; $15 at the door

The Tea on Brooklyn’s Prismatic LGBTQ Nightlife

Monday, June 24
Brooklyn Heights
Learn about Brooklyn’s history of serving marginalized communities with clips from the documentary We Came to Sweat and a panel discussion from experts on the borough’s queer nightlife scene.
Cost: $10 general admission; $5 for BHS members

GameChangers

Tuesday, June 25
Chelsea
This panel discussion, Q&A, and networking opportunity focuses on LGBTQ+ movers and shakers in the entertainment industry. Star Trek legend George Takei and transgender actress Leyna Bloom lead the discussion at SVA Theatre.
Cost: $25+ general admission; $15 student admission

WorldPride Opening Ceremony

Wednesday, June 26
Prospect Heights
June may be nearing its end, but WorldPride is just ramping up. Pack into the Barclays Center for a benefit concert kickoff as Whoopi Goldberg, Cyndi Lauper, Ciara, Billy Porter, and Chaka Khan use their talents to raise money for three monumental LGBTQIA+ organizations.
Cost: Tickets start at $45

Getting the History of HIV/AIDS Right

Wednesday, June 26
Brooklyn Heights
Separate fact from fiction as two professors unpack the complexities of HIV/AIDS and explore how identity, history, science, and stigma factor into our understanding of the virus today.
Cost: $10 general admission; $5 for BHS members

Quiet No More: A Choral Celebration of Stonewall50

Thursday, June 27
Midtown
The New York City Gay Men’s Chorus and LGBTQ choruses from across the country will commemorate Stonewall’s 50th anniversary at Carnegie Hall. Their new choral piece celebrates the Stonewall Uprising’s ripple effect with over 500 participating voices.
Cost: Tickets start at $22.50

Dirty Thursday: Born This Way

Thursday, June 27
Bushwick
A gay dance party devoted to none other than queer icon Lady Gaga? House of Yes, please.  
Cost: Free

Savor Pride

Friday, June 28
SoHo
Thrillist partnered with NYC Pride and meal-delivery non-profit God’s Love We Deliver for the return of this popular culinary experience and fundraiser. Enjoy cooking demonstrations by accomplished chefs and taste their creations on the GLWD terrace, all for a good cause.
Cost: Tickets start at $70

Stonewall 50th Commemoration Rally

Friday, June 28
West Village
Remember the Stonewall Uprising at a rally reminiscent of 1969’s. LGBTQIA+ rights have come a long way in the last five decades, but there’s still a long way to go. This call for change should rank high on your Pride month must-dos.
Cost: Free

Front Runners NY LGBT Pride Run

Saturday, June 29
Central Park
Start Pride Weekend with your best foot forward by running in (or watching) a 5-mile race through the park. The 38th annual event aims to break the Guinness World Record for the largest Pride charity run.
Cost: $37 per runner; discounts available for members, seniors, students, and youth

Teaze

Saturday, June 29
Lower East Side
Five NYC party collectives will band together for an ultra-queer night of fun. When the party’s over, you’ll have five new LGBTQ+ nightlife options to add to your agenda.
Cost: General admission is $30

PrideFest

Sunday, June 30
East Village
Join NYC Pride for an afternoon of music, activities, and all sorts of treats to go along with the neighboring Pride March.
Cost: Free to attend

NYC Pride March

Sunday, June 30
Manhattan
This is the Pride Month event, a tradition that began the year after the Stonewall Riots and has since grown to include millions of LGBTQ+ people and allies. Nab a spot on Fifth or Seventh avenues, celebrate all the progress that’s been made, and call for continued action.
Cost: Free

WorldPride Closing Ceremony

Sunday, June 30
Times Square
Squeeze in one more celebration before Pride Month wraps at WorldPride’s last hoorah, where Melissa Etheridge, Jake Shears, and fast-rising pop star MNEK will take the stage alongside a Broadway act and other talent.
Cost: Admission is free with registration