How to Celebrate Pride Month in Pittsburgh
The Pride celebrations may happen early, but we celebrate Pride all month long in Pittsburgh! Here’s how to get the most out of Pittsburgh during the month of June and beyond.
Pride is Pittsburgh’s Kickoff to Summer
Pittsburgh loves a good party, and everyone is welcome here. Bring your friends and family for The Delta Foundation’s 2019 Pittsburgh Pride festival, a celebration of the GLBTQ+ community. The theme for this year’s festival is “We Are One.”
There are lots of fun things to do around Downtown during Pride Weekend. Get creative at the family-friendly crafts area. Take a pic next to the inflatable attractions. Get your groove on in the radio dance area. Explore cool stuff at vendor booths and food booths. Enjoy continuous entertainment on three stages including musical performances by artists Toni Braxton and Walk the Moon. Concert tickets are on sale at on the Pittsburgh Pride web site or at 888-45-tickets. Below are some suggestions to check out.
Pride Rocks PGH with Walk the Moon
Friday, June 7
7 p.m.
Pennsylvania Lottery Stage, 9th Street & Fort Duquesne Boulevard
Alt-rockers took over the pop world with their single “Shut Up and Dance,” which brought huge success.
PrideFest
Saturday, June 8
12 – 6 p.m.
Andy Warhol Bridge and Fort Duquesne Boulevard
Free event with continuous entertainment,175 vendor booths, food, a children’s activity area, pet area and the Mylan Wellness Village.
Pride Rocks PGH with Toni Braxton
Saturday, June 8
7 p.m.
Pennsylvania Lottery Stage, 9th Street & Fort Duquesne Boulevard
Toni Braxton has sold over 67 million records, including 41 million albums worldwide, won seven Grammy Awards, nine Billboard Music Awards, and seven American Music Awards, among numerous other accolades.
Equality March
Sunday, June 9
12:30 p.m.
Boulevard of the Allies to Liberty Avenue
Pride Dance Party with DJ Tony Moran
7-10 p.m.
7th Street & Fort Duquesne Boulevard
A new free event featuring top-ranked DJ and Grammy-nominated record producer and remixer Tony Moran.
People’s Pride
Hosted by SisTersPGH is People's Pride 2k19: Pride of the Ages! This pride event celebrates intersectionality within the LGBTQ+ Community. SisTersPGH is a shelter that provides a safe space for the transgender and non-binary communities of Western PA.
Check out People’s Pride June 8-9 at Freedom Corner in Downtown Pittsburgh, featuring performances by Big Freedia, Dinosol, The Benders, Windafire, and Brittney Chantele.
Beyond Downtown
There is plenty to do in Pittsburgh to celebrate your personal pride beyond Downtown! Check out this PRIDE Guide from QueerPGH for lots of other happenings throughout the city. Here are just a few good-to-knows for having a gay old time in Pittsburgh any time of year:
Where to Catch A Drag Show
Bars like Blue Moon in Lawrenceville and Element in Shadyside offer frequent drag nights from local queens.
Pro tip: Check out monthly ICON Nights at Element for a great line-up of Pittsburgh drag queens performing to your favorite icons.
Check out VAIN at Cavo Night Club in the Strip District where Lola LaCroix hosts local drag queens as well as special guests from Ru Paul’s Drag Race.
Follow Kierra Darshell’s Sunday Drag Brunch for updates on when and where Pittsbrugh drag queen Kierra Darshell is hosting next!
Pittsburgh Queer Art Experiences
Explore Pittsburgh's queer history through the work of the Pittsburgh Queer History Project. The online archive is available now!
Check out the work that Dreams of Hope is doing with the queer youth community through arts programming like TheatriQ and sQool.
The Ace Hotel in East Liberty frequently hosts queer programming. Be sure to scope out their event calendar before your next trip.
MESH is a monthly queer inclusive dance party that you definitely won't want to miss if you like to dance the night away!
About The Author
Suzie M.
Blog Author
Suzie McGrane is an avid Pirates fan, has a sweet tooth, is a world traveler and has a big disco ball in her cellar. She’s been known to dance around her office on Friday afternoons.