Traditionally, Pride celebrations are held on the last weekend in June. But North Texas has enough celebrations to fill the entire month.
Pride events mark the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, where police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in Greenwich Village. The first Pride celebration was the first anniversary of the riots that followed as LGBTQ patrons fought back.
Three years after the uprising, Dallas would have its first Pride parade. Somewhere between 250 and 300 people marched through downtown before the crowd grew to about 3,000. The parade wouldn’t happen again until 1980, when it was spearheaded by a group of Oak Lawn merchants and community leaders. By 1983, the parade was moved to the third Sunday in September to commemorate the overturning of Texas’ sodomy law. (Judge Jerry Buchmeyer’s ruling was later overturned by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals).
The events remained in Oak Lawn until 2019, when the parade and festival moved to Fair Park following construction on Cedar Springs that disrupted plans. (Another pride celebration will happen in Oak Lawn in September, sponsored by Pride in Dallas.)
Want to celebrate? Here’s a list of this month’s Pride events:
All Month Long
You have through June 18 to take in the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum’s special exhibition, Rise Up: Stonewall and the LGBTQ Rights Movement. Created to mark the 50th anniversary of the raid on the Stonewall Inn, the exhibit tracks how the modern movement evolved through today. It also describes key moments in LGBTQ history, including the 1978 assassination of Harvey Milk in San Francisco, the AIDS crisis, Congressman Barney Frank’s coming out in 1987, and the fight for marriage equality. More details here. 300 N. Houston St.
Every purchase of the boba shop Gong Cha’s Lemon Ai Love Yu drink will go toward the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA). The drink is made with lemon tea, white pearls, and edible glitter. Multiple locations.
All month long, Lucky’s Café will sell a commemorative shirt and a Pride cocktail for customers stopping by the Oak Lawn diner. The cocktail is a Pride ‘Rita, made with El Jimador Blanco tequila, Chambord liqueur, fresh lime juice, and agave nectar. It’s $12.75. The shirt is $20 and features a painted rainbow on the front. 3531 Oak Lawn Ave.
All Yardbird locations will donate 50 percent of its proceeds to the Human Rights Campaign for all specialty pride menu items throughout the entire month. The items include the Berry Prideful, a drink made with tequila, Cointreau, strawberry, lime, and agave ($22), and the Pride Key Lime Pie, made with toasted meringue, raspberry sauce, and seasonal fruit ($18). 2121 N. Pearl St., Ste. 170.
Every Sunday in June, Deep Ellum bar-game house-restaurant Electric Shuffle will host a drag brunch where 10 percent of the sales will go to DIFFA Dallas, which raises money for service providers for North Texans with HIV and AIDS. Guests can expect special appearances from RuPaul’s Drag Race participants, shuffleboard, an entire bottle of bubbly per person, and more. If you buy an Aperol Spritz or the Prickly Pear Margarita, $1 of each will also go to DIFFA Dallas. 2615 Elm St.
PRIDENTON has a month of events planned, starting with a pride path chalking at the downtown Denton square Saturday. It wraps up with the Big Pride in Lil’ D: Dance Party on June 24. Details here.
The Rooftop Cinema Club atop the Worthington Renaissance Hotel in downtown Fort Worth will offer a slate of movies throughout Pride month that include Mean Girls, Mamma Mia!, Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Birdcage, Moulin Rouge!, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Dressing to each movie’s theme is encouraged. An “elevated concession-style menu” from Toro Toro by Richard Sandoval will include soft salted pretzels, hot dogs, pulled pork tacos, and Nacho Libre, as well as signature drinks. Details and tickets here
McKinney Avenue’s CB2 is offering an array of prints featuring the art of LGBTQ artists through the month of June. The prints, which cost $25 each, will help raise money for the Born This Way Foundation. Details here.
June 1
Head to Legacy Hall’s Lexus Box Garden in Plano tonight for a Pride Kick-Off Party featuring Sasha Colby, the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15. Colby will lead an all-star drag show that begins at 7 p.m. (America’s Got Talent contestant Kameron Ross will open at 6:30 p.m.) Get tickets here. 7800 Windrose Ave., Plano.
June 2
If you’re a fan of 80s pop, MetroBall 2023 is up your alley. This year’s headliner is Debbie Gibson, and she’ll be joined at Oak Lawn’s Station 4 by dance music artist Kristine W. and emcee Jada Pinkett Fox. The event, which benefits the Greg Dollgener Memorial AIDS Fund, starts at 7 p.m. and will also offer a silent auction, raffle, and a post-concert dance party. Get tickets here. 3911 Cedar Springs Rd.
The Double Wide will host a Pride Kickoff Party, with live music, a tattoo artist, DJs, food trucks, and other entertainment. Austin drag performer and Dolly Parton impersonator Brigitte Bandit will be on hand, along with other performances by Barbie Davenport, Kendrix Kyle, and more. The festivities start at 9 p.m., and the event is for ages 21 and older. Get tickets here. 3510 Commerce St.
June 3
The Horizon Unitarian Universalist Church in Carrollton and Carrollton Pride will host a city-wide Carrollton Pride Day Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The family-friendly event will have booths, food trucks, and music. Details here. 1641 W. Hebron Pkwy., Carrollton.
It’s Dallas Pride’s 40th year, and Fair Park will boast something for everyone this weekend. The event kicks off Saturday with the family-friendly Dallas Pride Music Festival, featuring headliner Allison Ponthier, Black Girl Magic, Averi Burk, Dezi 5, The Roommates, the cast of the Rose Room, and more. A Family Pride Zone will have bounce houses, face painting, entertainment for kids, and the Pride Train ride. It will also offer Teen Pride, a safe environment for LGBTQ+ youth ages 13 to 19 and their friends to enjoy age-appropriate live entertainment and activities. The event starts at 11 a.m. and lasts until 9 p.m. Get tickets here. Fair Park.
FC Dallas is hosting its “Y’all Means All” Night at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, where they will play Nashville SC. Fans will get LED necklaces when they enter the stadium, and following the game there will be a drone and light show. The game starts at 7:30 p.m., and a portion of the ticket sales that night will go to Pride Frisco. Get tickets here. 9200 World Cup Way, Frisco.
Sons of Hermann Hall will be the scene of the annual Bleach X Disco,TX Pride-a-palooza Saturday night, with two floors and three rooms offering everything from go-go dancers, a photo booth, tunes from DJs Apthout, Blake Ward, Charlie Phresh, Christy Ray, DJ Level, and P1nkstar, live performances by Cure for Paranoia and Barbie Bank Rose, and a drag show will include performers Bible Girl, Blackberry, Bleach, Kylee Ohara Fatale, and Shasta Montana. The event is for ages 21 and older. Get tickets here. 3414 Elm St.
Thunderbird Station’s Drag King Pit Stop is a free admission event hosted by local musician Dezi 5 will feature sets by DJs Gabe Mendoza and Frou Frou Fox, vibrator races (which is basically like a pinewood derby for, uh, intimate massagers), and more. Doors open at 8 p.m., and the shows begin at 10 p.m. 3400 Commerce St.
June 4
On Sunday, the Dallas Pride Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade will roll through Fair Park with plenty of floats, elaborate costumes, bands, and more. The mile-long march and the party that comes with it will last from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Grand Marshals are Liz Dyer, Ronnie Shue, Kylee O’Hara Fatale, and Ashton Hammer. The event is free. Get details here. Fair Park.
PROPA and Crystal Queer Riot will host a Pride rooftop day party, brunch, and drag show from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at CANVAS Hotel. Entertainment will include Lady Vanity Roux, Jenny Beank, SirQueen, Electra Onyx, Foxy Charm, and Megan Riot. Get tickets here. 1325 Botham Jean St.
June 6
Kids ages 12 to 17 can attend the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum’s Rise Up Youth event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The program is designed to be a learning opportunity for youth, and an accompanying parent, guardian, or safe adult, to gain a deeper understanding of LGBTQ Americans and their history. The event is free, but all youth attending must have a parent-signed waiver to attend. 300 N. Houston St.
June 7
The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum will host Voices of LGBTQ+ Dallas, a program that will feature a discussion with Naomi Green, Chris Luna, Candy Marcum, Leza Mesiah, and Lee Taft, moderated by Dr. Cordell Adams. The six will discuss how Dallas became one of the largest LGBTQ communities in the U.S., and how activists have worked to encourage visibility and political engagement. The event is in conjunction with the museum’s current special exhibition, Rise Up: Stonewall and the LGBTQ Rights Movement. It is free to the public, but registration is required. Details here. 300 N. Houston St.
June 8
The LGBTQ arts organization Arttitude is sponsoring OutLoud: A Night of Pride at the Latino Cultural Center from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Expect entertainment from Truly B. Vayne, C.R.U.S.H., Rachel Francis, Paloma Nance, and Brandon Jackson; tunes from DJ Unladylike; and a performance by Latin Grammy nominee Gina Chavez. Free, but you’ll need a ticket. 2600 Live Oak St.
June 9
The Dallas Wings will host Pride Night during their game against the Brittney Griner-led Phoenix Mercury. The game tips off at 7 p.m. at College Park Center in Arlington, and fans will get a special rally towel. Get tickets here. 600 S. Center St., Arlington.
Colorwaave #002 will celebrate queer creatives by showcasing their art, music, and fashion. Sponsored by Arttitude, attendees can enjoy music from Funkrula, NaturalHiigh, and Ev DeShaw; fashion by Ace Nation Apparel; and art from Alvaro Arróliga. The doors open at 8 p.m. Get tickets here. 919 Morrell Ave.
June 10
Dr. Glenn Mitchell Memorial Park will be full of McKinney Pride. The organization hasn’t provided much in the way of details, but the family-friendly event will start at 11 a.m. and last until 6 p.m. Details here. 300 W. Louisiana St., McKinney.
Arlington will celebrate Pride with the 2023 Frank Kent Cadillac Arlington Pride Celebration, starting at 6 p.m. at Levitt Pavilion. The event is presented by the HELP Center for LGBT Health & Wellness and will feature performances from RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants Angeria Paris VanMichaels, Symone, and Kennedy Davenport, along with DJ Al Farb. There will also be a street fair with plenty of vendors. The event is free, but you will need to reserve a spot here. 100 W. Abram St., Arlington.
June 10 and 11
The Dallas Arboretum will celebrate Pride with Pride in Bloom, an event offering a full weekend of LGBTQ+ artists, entertainers, chefs, and vendors. Attendees can shop, listen to music, and take part in the community picnic celebration among the ribbon chandelier-bedecked trees in the Pecan Grove. (Visitors are invited to pack a lunch, or purchase one at the event.) Muralist MOM will provide an interactive mural experience, and the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden will offer hands-on activities. Performers include the Turtle Creek Chorale, Nathan Ratliff, The Women’s Chorus of Dallas, Dezi 5, and Dalene Richelle. Tickets and parking can be purchased here. 8525 Garland Rd.
June 11
Mesquite Pride will host its Pride Brunch at the Mesquite Elks Lodge from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The 18-and-older event will provide food, drinks, and entertainment, and the proceeds will benefit Mesquite Pride’s community project for students and teachers of Mesquite ISD. Get tickets here. 4201 Gus Thomasson Rd.
June 16
The Dallas Arts District will host a Pride Block Party from 6 p.m. to midnight, encompassing the three museums in the district: Crow Museum of Asian Art, the Dallas Museum of Art, and the Nasher Sculpture Center. Expect artists, food, a community mural, family-friendly activities, and programming in each museum that includes art (of course), concerts, films, and guided tours. Get details here. Flora St.
June 16-18
Dallas Southern Pride returns with its Juneteeth Unity Weekend Celebration, which combines both Juneteenth and Pride in one event. The event promises a pool party and Unity Festival, a brunch named after the late DSP leader Kirk Myers-Hill, and a Climax Close-Out party. A portion of the proceeds from Juneteenth Unity Weekend Celebration will be used to support the free health and wellness programs of its partner agencies, which offsets the cost of essential services to Black and Brown communities, with an emphasis on LGBTQ+ communities and their families in North Texas. Details and ticket information can be found here. 1015 Elm St.
June 17
LGBTQ Saves is hosting a Youth Pride Picnic at Fort Worth’s Trinity Park, kicking off at 11 a.m. The picnic is focused on LGBTQ youth 24 years old and younger, offering a family-friendly event with a free lunch and activities provided. Reserve your spot here. 2401 S. University Dr., Fort Worth.
The Dallas Comedy Club will host Stand-Up for Hope starting at 5 p.m. The showcase will be hosted by Queer Factor’s Stefan Newman, and will feature a slate of LGBTQ performers including Kim Wadsworth, Kerry Day, Charlotte Parker, Lucia Hardaway, and Jamie Zeske. The show will benefit Dallas Hope Charities. Get tickets here. 3036 Elm St.
June 18
Marsha and Friends’ special Pride Drag Brunch at Hamburger Mary’s will benefit Prism Health North Texas. Shows start at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and will include performers Betty SiSonnet, Nippy Peakes, Ivanna SiSonnet, Stormy Weather, Aunt Marge, and Ginnie Beefeater. The ticket is for admission to the show only, and does not include food or drink. Get tickets here. 4123 Cedar Springs Rd., Ste. 101.
The Urban Cowboy Saloon in Fort Worth will host Patrick Mikyles’ Third Annual Pride Night Lights party, complete with plenty of electronic dance music. The event starts at 9 p.m. Details here. 2620 E. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth.
June 23
The AT&T Turn Up the Love Tour will hit the AT&T Discovery District at 6 p.m. for live performances by Wrabel, Years & Years, and Kelechi. The event will also offer interactive experiences, games, and more. It benefits the Trevor Project. Free, but you’ll need to RSVP here. 308 S. Akard St.
The Dallas Contemporary will host a panel discussion on The State of LGBTQIA+ Care from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The panel is moderated by the Human Rights Campaign’s Stephen Merritt, and includes LGBTQ Saves’ Bertie Gardner, Equality Texas’ Rachel Hill, Prism Health North Texas’ Marquesse Banks, and the Nuns of Texas’ Sister Delilah Doolittle. The event is free, but go here to reserve a spot. 161 Glass St.
June 24
The Resource Center will host a community block party to celebrate Pride at the Community Center on Cedar Springs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. There will be interactive exhibits for the whole family, as well as games, food trucks, and live performances. Details here. 5750 Cedar Springs Rd.
June 25
The Dallas Police Department will bring Ride For Pride, a four-mile bike ride down the Katy Trail and back, followed by a health and safety fair. The ride will start at Reverchon Recreation Center, and will head out at 9 a.m. Reserve a spot here. 3505 Maple Avenue.
Trek Bicycle Dallas Park Cities will host a Pride Bike Ride that organizers promise will be a family-friendly “casual cruise” that will include plenty of snacks, drinks, and free goodies. The ride starts at the shop’s Snider Plaza location at 9 a.m. and will last through 11 a.m. Helmets are required. Reserve a spot here. 6815 Snider Plaza.
June 29
The Dallas LGBT Bar Association will host Let’s Get Proud, its annual Pride party, at XOXO Dining Room Garden. Guests will enjoy live performances, drinks, and savory food stations, and proceeds support The Dallas LGBT Bar Scholarship Fund, benefitting LGBTQ+ law students. Get tickets here. 3121 Ross Ave.
Nataly Keomoungkhoun contributed to this report.
Author
