Melissa Hennings
Audio By Carbonatix
Pride in Dallas-Fort Worth might look a little different this year, but one thing is certain: it’s not any less loud and proud.
Much like the state itself, the North Texas LGBTQ community does everything — parades, drag shows, protests, and yes, even sporting events — bigger for Pride Month. So, whether you live in Denton, Fort Worth or right here in Dallas, there’s something to fill the calendar throughout the most colorful month of the year. They can take the rainbows from the crosswalks, but they can’t take the joy.
Below are some of the most exciting Pride celebrations happening this year. Happy Pride!
PRIDENTON
June 5 – 27
Multiple locations, Denton
You don’t even have to leave Lil’ D at all this month to celebrate, thanks to PRIDENTON’s month-long lineup. This year marks the organization’s tenth anniversary and they’re going all out with events for every occasion, including creative workshops, raucous dance parties and a rally at City Hall (because Pride has always been a protest). Suffice to say, Denton will be the colorful destination for both fun and community solidarity. More information can be found on PRIDENTON’s website.
Dallas Pride Parade & Festival
June 6
Downtown Dallas
For the first time, the largest Pride event in Texas will bring the party to the streets of Downtown Dallas and the surrounding parks during the first weekend of the month. This year’s theme is “Rainbows Don’t Wash Away,” a reminder of LGBTQ perseverance. The parade will run through Downtown Dallas and is free to attend, while the Festival of Rainbows will be held across Pacific Plaza, Main Street Garden Park, Harwood Plaza and Pegasus Plaza and will feature live music, vendors, teen and children’s programming, and food trucks. Adult general admission for the festival costs $15.
Pride in Bloom at the Dallas Arboretum
June 13
8525 Garland Road
If you want to step into and truly become one with the rainbow this Pride Month, the colorful flowers at the Arboretum are your best bet. This year, the Arboretum is promising two events in one. During “Daytime Pride,” attendees can browse the vendor market and enjoy the serene musical stylings of pianist Sydney Barber. “Twilight Pride” will feature a classic car display, live music and a dance party hosted by DJ Dezi. Tickets are available now.
Sue Ellen’s Big Wedding Day
June 13
3014 Throckmorton St.
To celebrate Pride Month, Dallas’ only lesbian bar (and one of the last in the nation!) is hosting free gay wedding ceremonies on Saturday, June 13. From 1:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., you can get hitched in the heart of the Gayborhood surrounded by drunk strangers. We prefer the term “legal witnesses,” though. The bar will even have a dessert table to celebrate. Cheers!
Live Out Loud
June 13
Tulips Fort Worth
Hold on to your wigs, this isn’t your average drag show. Of course, the kings and queens will be there to turn the party all the way out, but they’ll also be joined by the equally campy Bikini Whales, a B52’s tribute band. The night will begin with a panel discussion from local mental health organization Amplified Minds. Tickets start at $27.
Juneteenth Unity Weekend
June 18-21
Downtown Dallas
Juneteenth falls during Pride Month, and Dallas Southern Pride is celebrating the intersectionality with a packed, three-day lineup of events. From pool parties to mixers and discussion panels, the lineup aims to create spaces for Black members of the LGBTQ+ community to celebrate Dallas Black Pride. Full details are available on Dallas Southern Pride’s website.
Pride Block Party
June 19
Various locations, Arts District
This collaboration between the Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher Sculpture Center and the Crow Museum of Asian Art is a one-two punch celebration of both Pride and local artists. There will be a bevy of live performances (including recent NPR Tiny Desk winners, Cure for Paranoia), films, arts and crafts and drag shows, all for the very low admission price of free. More information can be found online.
The Celluloid Closet at Texas Theatre
June 21
231 W. Jefferson Blvd.
Dallas’ thriving community of Letterboxd gays won’t want to miss out on Texas Theatre’s special brand of Pride festivities. The historic Oak Cliff movie is hosting a screening of The Celluloid Closet, the seminal 1996 documentary on Hollywood’s surprisingly long and not-so-surprisingly complicated history of LGBTQ representation. Before the 1 p.m. screening, there will be a “mega queer bazaar” hosting local artists and nonprofits. Tickets start at $13.50.
Trinity Pride Fest
June 27
South Main Street, Fort Worth
This annual celebration of LGBTQ community, creativity and resilience is returning to Fort Worth this year. The event will kick off at 6 p.m. with 30 organizations marching down South Main Street before convening in South Main Village, where performers and vendors will be waiting to celebrate alongside LGBTQ folks and their allies. This event is free.
