Where to celebrate Pride in the US in 2022

Rainbow paint and feather boas at the ready – it’s time for Pride season.

Pride celebrations in 2021, will not be at the scale of years prior to 2020, as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is still felt. However, many places around the US where the festivals are big and colorful affairs, are planning for alternative ways to celebrate.

From queer capital San Francisco to non-stop party town NOLA, there are lots of incredible events taking place. Here’s our guide to where and how you can celebrate Pride in 2021.

Portland has a thriving LGBTIQA+ scene year-round, but the highlight is the annual Pride parade and festival, started in 1977. The traditional parade which drew around 60,000 spectators in the past is replaced this year with a Virtual Parade on Sunday, June 20. It can be viewed on Pride North West YouTube channel. There is also Pride Pics; two full days of 12 new LGBTQ+ films screened outside in custom seated pods on The Lot at Zidell Yards, as well as parties to attend, including the Diva Drag Brunch featuring Amora Dior Black, Jayla Rose and Boujee Cherry. See Portland Pride for more.

DC’s Capital Pride is one of the nation’s oldest, with the first event organized in 1975 as a one-day block party and street festival. This year Washington DC is hosting a colorful Pridemobile Parade on June 12 – with a caravan of decorated Pride cars following a route that will take in Dupont and Logan Circles and pass landmarks including the Capitol Building. Watch out for veritable rainbows on every street corner, as local businesses and residents in DC are being encouraged to show their support for Pride by decorating their buildings balconies and yards in a ‘Paint the Town Colorful’ campaign.

Where to stay: The major locations are Dupont Circle and Pennsylvania Avenue, with both offering excellent accommodation options. Try the Kimpton Palomar in Dupont, and several Marriotts near Pennsylvania Ave. If you need peace and quiet, opt for Georgetown instead (try the quirky-yet-sophisticated Graham).

The first Pride event in US history was the Christopher Street Liberation Day March in 1970 – a protest march spurred by the 1969 Stonewall Riots that signaled the beginning of the gay rights movement. Over 50 years later, Pride in NYC has become a city-wide celebration that’s evolved way beyond its party-hard reputation of previous decades. ‘The Fight Continues’ is the theme of Pride 2021 in New York, a reflection of a number of campaigns still ongoing for members of the LGBTQIA community and New Yorkers.

The NYC Pride March takes place virtually on June 27 with grand marshals Wilson Cruz from Star Trek:Discovery and activist Ceyenne Doroshow leading the event that includes live performances and street side activities. The Rally on June 25 will host a number of speakers in an online forum. Other aspects of the festival this year include a human rights conference and a Black queer town hall. All details can be found here.

Where to stay: New York is pretty gay-friendly wherever you go, The Standard East Village is much in demand. For more Pride fun head to where it all began – the West Village – bar-hopping at stalwarts like Stonewall Inn, Julius Bar (one of the oldest gay bars in NYC), Cubbyhole and Henrietta Hudson.

Pride month is a major affair in Chicago, centering around vibrant Boystown, an enclave of welcoming clubs, restaurants, and shops that forms one of the country’s longest-established gayborhoods.

A two day music festival in Grant Park on June 26 and 27 is the main event this year, with legendary singer Chaka Khan performing live alongside dj Tiesto and others - tickets are on sale now. The parade on June 24 is always a riot of color, with a four mile procession through Lincoln Park, Uptown and Northalsted. There are plenty of other events taking place over the month of June, including Chicago Drag Fest, Proud to Run 5/10 km/ half marathon and Chicago Dyke March, an event to reclaim the word for the community.

Centerpiece of a month of events, the LA Pride Parade and Festival traditionally attracts crowds in the hundreds of thousands along Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. However this year there are no in-person gatherings, but there are lots of events taking place online, with the theme of ‘Thrive with Pride’. Among the events taking place are a concert via Zoom with Charli XCX on June 10, and a special Pride performance by the Gay Men’s Chorus of LA from the Getty Center.

Where to stay: In past years the party was non-stop at the Standard Hollywood, offering plenty of eye candy poolside and views across the LA basin. But if you’re looking for a quiet retreat, boho chic Petit Ermitage offers all-suite rooms and topless bathing.

Denver’s LGBTIQA+ scene is fit, fabulous and present – the Rocky Montain region’s largest festival is virtual for 2021. The community in previous years celebrates big during Denver PrideFest, a two-day event drawing over 350,000 people to Civic Center Park. For Pride 2021 Denver is hosting a virtual parade, a virtual 5K, a virtual dance party via Twich, and a Pride decorating party encouraging locals to decorate their houses, apartments and balconies.

Where to stay: Although there are no events being hosted for the public, a trip to Denver is always a treat. Stay downtown at swanky hotel The Art to be where it’s at. For something quieter but with urban flair, try the Queen Anne B&B in Five Points.

New Orleans has welcomed the LGBTIQ community for longer than many American cities have existed. The first recorded pride celebrations date to the 1970s, but there have been publicized gay Mardi Gras events since 1949. Pride in New Orleans largely takes place around the French Quarter and Faubourg Marigny neighborhoods. However in 2021 there are no main Pride events planned, however NOLA has a Pride Mardi Gras feeling all year round.

When it comes to celebrating Pride, there are few cities that rival the spectacle and community commitment of San Francisco. While Castro is the city’s oldest pro-gay neighborhood, Pride takes place all over San Francisco. This year the city is hosting limited, in-person events while strictly adhering to safety protocols. The theme in SF this year is ‘All in This Together’, and even though the annual Pride parade is not going ahead this year, a Pride movie night is one of the bigger events scheduled in Oracle Park on Friday and Saturday June 11 – 12.

Where to stay: Parker House is B&B chic; Inn on Castro makes you feel like you’ve stepped straight back into the 70s; and Beck’s Motor Lodge, which underwent a makeover in 2016, is not specifically LGBTIQ oriented but is in the heart of the Castro and perfect as a base for exploring SF. Book in advance.

This article was originally published in May 2018 and updated in May 2021.

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