When is Cincinnati Pride? Everything to know about Pride Month in the Queen City
Pride Month is almost here.
Parades, educational events and parties will take place across Greater Cincinnati throughout the month of June, all celebrating the LGBTQ+ community and its ongoing fight for equal rights
Here’s everything you need to know about Pride Month, including when it is, its history and the annual Cincinnati Pride Parade.
When is Pride Month?
Pride Month occurs annually during the month of June. This year, it is Saturday, June 1, through Sunday, June 30.
When is Pride in Cincinnati?
Cincinnati's Pride festival and parade take place June 22 in Downtown. However, there are events all throughout the month. Take a look below.
Cincinnati Pride Month events
June 1: Hamilton Pride Rally & March
11 a.m. Rotary Park, 208 High St., Hamilton. March starts at Rotary Park and ends at Marcum Park. Free.
June 1: Hamilton Pride Festival
Noon-7 p.m. Marcum Park, 116 Dayton St., Hamilton. Family-friendly activities, vendors and more. Performances by Mid Life Reverie, Third Times a Charm, Your Ol' Pal Don Pruett, Plan B, David J. Lawrence, and drag shows on main and side stages hosted by Mirelle Jane Divine, P.H. Dee, Molly Mormen, Brock Leah Spears and Lady Phaedra. Free. facebook.com/hamiltonohiopride
June 2: Northern Kentucky Pride Parade & Festival
Noon. MainStrasse Village, 601 Main St., Covington. Festival from noon-5 p.m. in Goebel Park, parade at 1 p.m. stepping off from Madison Avenue. Afterparty 5-9 p.m. at Hotel Covington (638 Madison Ave.) includes drag show. nkypridecenter.org.
June 6: Pride Brady Block Party
6 p.m. Icon Festival Stage at Smale Park, 25 Race St., Downtown. Bring blankets and enjoy an outdoor concert by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, art activations by Robert O’Neal Multicultural Arts Center, games and activities, performances by Cincinnati Circus, food and drinks. The CSO will be joined by special guests the Cincinnati Men's Chorus and renowned drag queen and classically trained opera vocalist Monet X Change. No lawn chairs, coolers or large bags permitted. Cincinnatisymphony.org.
June 8: Pride Market
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. Explore diverse range of unique and handcrafted items from local businesses. Free admission. facebook.com.
June 9: Wigs & Waffles at Rhinegeist Brewery
10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Rhinegeist Brewery, 1910 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. W&W takes over the brewery to present the region's largest drag brunch, benefitting Greater Cincinnati LGBTQ+ causes. Ticket includes brunch, open bar, drag show and more. $90. givebutter.com.
June 21: Pride Party 2024
5-8 p.m. Court Street Plaza, Court St., Downtown. Members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community converge at this celebratory cocktail party. Enjoy interactive games, DJ music and drag queen performances, swag bag and unlimited food and non-alcoholic beverages. Alcohol purchases are $8 each or 3 for $20. Admission: $20. Cincinnatimagazine.com.
June 22: Cincinnati Pride Parade
11 a.m.-2 p.m. Downtown. Parade sashays from Seventh Street at Plum, turns south on Vine Street and ends at Sawyer Point Park and Yeatman's Cove.
June 22: Cincinnati Pride Festival
Noon-9 p.m. 705 E. Pete Rose Way, Sawyer Point Park & Yeatman's Cove, Downtown. Enjoy food, drinks, vendors and lively entertainment on three stages. Headliners are The Aces, Priyanka. Cincinnatipride.com.
June 22: Official Pride Crawl
4 p.m.-midnight. Mecca OTR, 1429 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine. Venues include Mecca OTR, Bloom OTR, Liberty’s Bar & Bottle Shop, MOTR, Pins Mechanical Co., Queen City Exchange, The Flock. Afterparty at Bloom OTR. Tickets include 2-3 drinks or shots, party cup, keychain lanyard, exclusive drink specials, food specials and more. crawlwith.us.
When was Cincinnati's first Pride celebration?
During the spring of 1973, 40 members of Cincinnati's LGBTQ+ community gathered at Fountain Square in what would later be recognized as Cincinnati's first Pride celebration. The event was covered only by the Independent Eye, an underground city newspaper, which reported on 75 people walking from Washington Park to Fountain Square for the parade.
“Seventy-five people marched without incident beneath banners proclaiming themselves to be members of the Cincinnati Gay Community, Saturday, April 7," the newspaper reported. "They marched from Washington Park to Fountain Square, escorted by a full complement of Cincinnati police. At the Square speeches and skits were presented to a crowd of about 400.”
Cincinnati Pride grew steadily after first 1973 celebration
The Queen City's Pride movement grew steadily into the late 80s, garnering a presence across the region. From that first march and celebration, Cincinnati Pride has grown into the all-volunteer organization it is today, hosting LGBTQ+ friendly events year-round.
After the pandemic, Cincinnati Pride came back with a bang in 2022, reportedly attracting roughly 250,000 people between the parade and the festival. Last year, Cincinnati Pride celebrated its 50th anniversary with its beloved Pride parade and a festival featuring 225 vendors and three entertainment stages Downtown.
How did Pride Month begin?
According to USA TODAY, the month of June, designated as Pride Month, has its origins in one of the most well-known LGBTQ+ activist events: the Stonewall Riots.
On June 28, 1969, police raided The Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village, New York City, attempting to arrest those inside. Frequent raids of gay bars across the city had escalated frustration toward police and led patrons, including transgender activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, to fight back.
The raid was followed by days of riots and protests involving hundreds of people clashing with police.
The first Pride parades in the U.S. occurred in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles on June 28, 1970, the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.
The historic location of the Stonewall Inn can be visited today and was designated as a National Monument in 2016.
Luann Gibbs contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: When is Pride in Cincinnati? Events, local history and more