Your guide to Philly Pride 2024

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This weekend kicks off Pride Month in Philadelphia. It’s full of queer events, from Pride story time at the library to a protest in the streets — and of course, the biggest one: the Philadelphia Pride March and Festival.

Here are all the details.

When and where

• The march starts at Sixth and Walnut streets at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, June 2, and ends in the Gayborhood.
• The festival runs from 12–7 p.m. Sunday, June 2, in a roughly six-block area of the Gayborhood from Walnut to Pine streets and Quince to Juniper streets.

This year’s theme: ‘Be you’

This year’s Pride March and Festival will be hosted by Galaei, a social justice organization serving queer and trans BIPOC communities.

Sunday morning’s Pride march is meant as a callback to gay rights demonstrations in the 1960s at Independence Hall and the city’s first gay pride march in 1972. It’ll feature music, speeches from community leaders and a Lenape land acknowledgment.

The afternoon’s festival is a space for happiness to celebrate “how far we’ve come, claiming and reclaiming community spaces,” organizers say.

The festival will feature a number of different spaces, including Bailar Con Amor, an area celebrating Latinx and Afro-Latinx art and expression; Kiki Alley, which will highlight the culture and history of Philly’s ballroom community; a sober space with a dry bar and DJs; a youth and family zone with kid-focused programming; a wellness zone with on-site testing and housing resources; and an accessible, low-sensory “decompression zone” co-hosted with Disability Pride PA that will feature quiet music, seating, a wheelchair charging area and a cooling station.

The festival will also include local artists and vendors, food trucks and multiple outdoor stages with live performances.

A ‘record-breaking’ Pride flag

Organizers hope to break Pennsylvania’s record for largest Pride flag with a 400-foot-long Pride flag — double the length of last year’s flag. Organizers say it’ll take dozens of community members and volunteers to hold it up.

Is it free?

Yes, the parade and festival are both free and do not require registration ahead of time.

The events are open to all members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies. Groups and organizations aligned with Galaei’s mission are welcome.

What else to expect

No floats or vehicles are allowed in the march.

Roads will be closed around the festival footprint Sunday afternoon.

Private security, which event organizers say have participated in de-escalation and racial sensitivity training, will be present.

Organizers recommend designating a “Pride buddy” and keeping electronics charged. They request that attendees alert organizers if they witness any harassment or threats. You can find more tips for having a safe and fun Pride on the Philly Pride 365 website.

Don’t forget to hydrate and wear sunscreen!

Can’t make it to the parade?

Queer events are happening in Philadelphia all month long. Here are a few free events coming up this weekend:

• The Philly Dyke March, which organizers describe as a protest rather than a parade, returns as its own event this year.
  • June 1, Kahn Park (11th and Pine). Gather at 11 a.m., march leaves at noon.
• Hear a story and make a craft at PRIDE Month Storytime at Lovett Memorial Library.
  • June 1, Lovett Memorial Library (6945 Germantown Ave.), 10:30 a.m.
• See the Pride flag fly above City Hall at a flag-raising event co-hosted by the city’s Office of LGBT Affairs, Office of Immigrant Affairs and William Way LGBT Community Center.
  • City Hall, Northeast Apron, May 31, noon