Pride season arrives!
LGBTQ community events planned across region
By MICHAEL KEY Pride season has already begun. Last month’s Roanoke JUNE Pride filled the Virginia city’s Elmwood Park with rainbow Baltimore Trans Pride (baltimoresafehaven.org/ flags. Pride events begin in D.C. this month and continue transpride) kicks off the month at 2117 North Charles through June. Regionally, some cities have opted to hold Street in Baltimore on Saturday, June 3, according to Baltheir Pride events as late as the fall. timore Safe Haven’s Facebook event page.
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Organizers of Trans Pride D.C. (transpridewashingtondc.org) plan a full day of workshops and events on Saturday, May 20 at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library (901 G Street, N.W.). These events are currently listed on Facebook and Eventbrite as running from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
The Baltimore Trans Pride 2023 Grand March is to be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday along North Charles Street between 22nd and 23rd. The Block Party continues at 3 p.m. with performances beginning at 4 p.m. Afterparties are scheduled at The Crown (1901 North Charles Street) and Ottobar (2549 North Howard Street). Baltimore Safe Haven also hosts a kickoff ball on Friday, June 2 at 2640 Saint Paul Street at 6 p.m.
The HIV/PrEP Programs at the Charles County Department of Health are hosting PrEP for Pride 2023 at 4545 Crain Highway in White Plains, Md. on Saturday May 20 from 12-7 p.m. The festival is free, though those who RSVP will be entered into a door prize drawing. PrEP for Pride’s Eventbrite page advertises a pride walk, a PrEP Mini Ball, music, art, health & wellness information, food options and other vendors. Equality Prince William Pride (equalitypincewilliam. org) will be held on Sunday, May 21 at the Harris Pavillion (9201 Center Street, Manassas, Va.) from 12-4 p.m., according to its Facebook events page. The event is billed as a family-friendly event with music, vendors and kids activities. Performers include musician John Levengood, BRUU Band & Choir and the drag artists Coco Bottoms, Muffy Blake Stephyns and Ophelia Bottoms. D.C. Black Pride (dcblackpride.org) events are held throughout the city May 26-29 primarily at the Renaissance Washington, D.C. Downtown Hotel (999 9th Street, N.W.). Official events include a Unity Ball, a vendor expo, a talent showcase, forums, parties and the annual Pride Festival in the Park at Fort Dupont Park on May 29 from 12-7 p.m.
The Baltimore Trans Pride March was held on June 5, 2022. (Washington Blade photo by Linus Berggren)
Annapolis Pride (annapolispride.org) holds its annual parade and festival on Saturday, June 3 from 12-5 p.m. on Inner West Street in Annapolis, Md. according to the Facebook event page.
Hundreds lined the streets of downtown Annapolis for the Annapolis Pride Parade on June 4, 2022. (Photo by Jaime Thompson courtesy Fleur de Lis Photography)
Reston Pride (restonpiride.org) holds its annual festival at Lake Anne Plaza (1609 Washington Place) in Reston, Va. on Saturday, June 3 from 12-6 p.m., according to the Facebook event page. A scene from the Us Helping Us Black Pride Festival at Fort Dupont Park on May 30, 2022. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
The third Caroline County Pride Festival (carolinepride.com) “A Carnival Adventure” will be held in downtown Denton, Md. (301 Market Street) on Saturday, May 27 from 3-8 p.m. according to the group’s Facebook event page. 2 2 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • MAY 12, 2023
Ellicott City, Md. holds OEC Pride (visitoldellicottcity. com/events/oec-pride) on June 3-4 in Old Ellicott City. Events include a mascara run up and down Main Street and a movie presentation of “Pricilla, Queen of the Desert.” Suffolk, Va. holds its third annual Suffolk Pride Festival (facebook.com/SuffolkPrideVA) on Saturday, June 3 from
Roanoke Pride 2023 was held at Elmwood Park in Roanoke, Va. on Sunday, April 30. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
5-8 p.m. at Bennetts Creek Park (3000 Bennetts Creek Park Road, Suffolk, Va.), according to the Facebook event page. Portsmouth Pride Fest ‘23 (portsmouthprideva.com) is the second annual LGBTQ community celebration in Portsmouth, Va. The festival is to be held on Saturday, June 3 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at the Portsmouth Festival Field next to Atlantic Union Pavilion, according to the Facebook event page. The Alexandria LGBTQ Task Force presents the sixth annual Alexandria Pride (alexandriava.gov/LGBTQ) at Alexandria City Hall in Market Square of Old Town Alexandria, Va. (301 King Street) on Saturday, June 3 from 1-5 p.m. Newport News, Va. has its first I Am What I Am (IAWIA) Pride Festival on Sunday, June 4 from 12-7 p.m. at Tradition Brewing Company (700 Thimble Shoals Boulevard, Newport News, Va.), according to the Facebook event page. The 2023 Cumberland Pride Festival (cumberlandpride.org) will be held at Canal Place (13 Canal Street, Cumberland, Md.) Sunday, June 4 from 12-4 p.m., according to the Facebook event page.
The Cumberland Pride Festival was held at Canal Place in Cumberland, Md. on June 5, 2022. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Culpepper County in rural Virginia will be getting its very first Pride celebration with Culpepper Pride Festival (culpeperpride.com) on Sunday, June 4 from 12-5 p.m. at Mountain Run (10753 Mountain Run Lake Road, Culpepper, Va.). An after-hours 21+ drag show will be held. Equality Loudoun’s “Across the Decades” 2023 Loudoun Pride Festival (eqloco.com) will be held on Sunday, June 4 from 1-7 p.m. at Claude Moore Park (21668 Heritage Farm Lane, Sterling, Va.). This is a ticketed event with a $5 general admission. CONTINUES ON PAGE 24