Life
Pride Month is currently in full swing, with celebrations, remembrances, observances, and festivities happening all over the country — and, of course, what many consider to be the highlight of the month: Parades! Pride Parade routes for June 2018 are being announced virtually every day in cities ranging from the East Coast to the West Coast, as well as everywhere in between — so if you’re planning on marching, here’s what you need to know.
Each city in the United States tends to set its own schedule for Pride; some have their festivals and parades earlier in the month, while others wait until later. Still others wait until July, August, or even October to celebrate Pride — but each celebration is unique, bringing its own particular flavor to the proceedings. Whether you’re in New York, New Orleans, Chicago, or LA, you’re sure to experience something you won’t find anywhere else.
Here are the routes for Pride Parades happening in 17 cities throughout the month of June in 2018. And hey, if you don’t see your city here, just head to Google — all you have to do is search for your city’s name and something like “Pride Parade route 2018,” and you should be able to dig up whatever information you’d like to know.
Get your marching shoes on!
1
New York, NY
Head downtown if you’re in the Big Apple on June 24; the parade starts at the corner of 16th St. and 7th Ave., travels south on 7th past the AIDS Memorial at 12th St., hangs a left at Christopher St. to pass by the Stonewall Inn, takes another left onto 5th Ave., and then continues north to finish off at 29th St. You can see the full map here.
2
Boston, Mass.
On June 9, Pride steps off at Boylston and Clarendon in Copley Square. It wends its way through a good portion of the city, tracing Tremont, Berkeley, Charles, and Beacon and including a big section that passes through the Common; then, finally, it will land at City Hall Plaza. Check out the map here.
3
Chicago, Ill.
Chicago’s march will take place on June 24. Start at the corner of Montrose Ave. and Broadway in Uptown; you’ll then travel south on Broadway, making a slight turn onto Halstead, hanging a left on Belmont, a right back onto Broadway, and then a left onto Diversey to finish up at Sheridan Road in Lincoln Park. See the map here.
4
Houston, Tx.
On June 23, Houston’s parade will step off at the corner of Smith and Lamar, travel on Smith to Walker, turn right on Walker and continue until Milam, and finally end at Jefferson. For more information, head here.
5
Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
The Twin Cities Pride Parade takes place in Minneapolis on June 24. It begins at the corner of 3rd St. and Hennepin Ave., with the staging area stretching back from Hennepin to Portland Ave.; then the march will travel along Hennepin to Spruce. Check out the route in the Parade Participant Guide here.
6
New Orleans, La.
The Big Easy takes to the streets on June 9, with the starting point for the parade being the corner of Frenchmen and Royal Streets (at the corner of Washington Square and across the street from the Spotted Cat Music Club). It will then travel south to Decatur, continue along Decatur to the Audubon Butterfly Garden, hang a right on Canal, and then take another right on N. Rampart. The route will then zigzag north and east on Toulouse, Burgundy, St. Anne, and Chartres, finally finishing up at Chartres and Ursuline. Find out more here, and check out the map here.
7
Los Angeles, Calif.
LA Pride’s parade is set for June 10. It will start at Santa Monica Blvd. and Fairfax, traveling down Santa Monica and ending at Doheny, according to Thrillist.
8
Denver, Colo.
On June 17, head to Cheesman Park for the step-off; the starting point for Denver’s parade is in the corner of the park located at the intersection of Franklin St. and 13th Ave. Marchers will then make their way to Colfax Ave. via Franklin, where they’re continue on Colfax to Lincoln St. and disperse. The map here should be useful.
9
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati’s parade, which will take place on June 23, begins at the intersection of 7th St. and Central Ave., traveling along 7th Vine, and then following Vine to Freedom Way. Hang a left on Freedom Way to continue, followed by a right on Main and a left onto the Ohio River Trail. The parade will finish at the festival grounds at Sawyer Point/Yeatman’s Cove. Info and a map are available here.
10
Washington, D.C.
In the District, the parade will launch on June 9, starting at P and 22nd and finishing at R and 14th. The block party, meanwhile, will take place at P and 15th, adjacent to the parade route. More info is available here.
11
Oklahoma City, Okla.
The parade for OKC Pride is scheduled for the evening of June 24. Kickoff is at the intersection of Classen and 39th St.; then the route goes down 39th and across Pennsylvania Ave., winding up at Youngs Blvd and 39th St. by the Expressions Church and Community Center. Check out more information here.
12
Portland, Me.
On June 16, Maine’s Pride Parade is set to start in Portland’s Monument Square. It ends in Deering Oaks Park, about 0.8 miles away. There’s a big celebration in the park after the parade ends. For the full schedule of events, head here.
13
St. Louis, Mo.
In Missouri, St. Louis’ two-day Pride Festival features the parade on the second day, June 24. The whole festival centers around Soldiers Memorial Part on Market St. between N. 15th St. and N. Tucker St.; the parade travels down Market. Find out more here.
14
San Francisco, Calif.
San Francisco’s parade, which takes place on June 24, is perhaps the most straightforward route; it travels in a straight line down Market Street. It starts at Embarcadero and finishes up at the Civic Center at 8th St. You can see a map of the route here.
15
Seattle, Wash.
Like many Pride Parades, Seattle’s will occur on June 24. It follows a route through downtown, starting at Union St. and 4th Ave., traveling north on 4th past Pike Place and Belltown and ending at Denny Way. Check out the map here.
16
St. Petersburg, Fla.
St. Petersburg’s parade will occupy the downtown waterfront area of the city on June 23, with the step-off located at 5th Ave. N. and Bayshore Drive; the route will then follow Bayshore to Dali Blvd. Information and a map are available here.
17
Philadelphia, Pa.
Scheduled for June 10, Philly’s parade will wend through the Gayborhood, forming at 13th and Locust, following Locust to Washington Square, hanging a left onto 7th, and taking a right onto Market. It ends at the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing. See the map here.
Happy Pride, everyone!
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