The days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer and the cold, rainy mornings of early spring are passing. It’s time to shed those jackets, get outside, start socializing again and have some fun! And what better way than to experience all the excitement that is Pride.
June is the official Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride month, it was chosen to commemorate the Stonewall riots that occurred in June 1969 and is now host to some of the biggest events in the world celebrating diversity and bringing together all orientations and ethnicities. The events of Pride offer a great opportunity for a day trip to learn, experience and appreciate how our differences make us all fascinating, amazing people.
Here are the major Pride celebrations in New England:
Springfield
Springfield, Massachusetts kicks it off with a flag raising ceremony on May 31st, follow by an entire week of events. Be sure to check out the free showing of Pariah the movie on June 5th brought to you by the Boston LGBT Film Festival. The entire week’s events are posted on the right, for more information check out their homepage:
http://springfieldmasspride.org/
Boston
Boston’s Pride celebration runs concurrently from June 1st to June 10th. The flag raising is June 1st at noon at the City Hall Plaza and signals the start of Pride Week.
The pinnacle of the week’s celebrations is the Boston Pride Parade on June 9th that begins in Copley Square, followed by the Boston Pride Festival. The Pride festival is an amazing bouquet of vendors and artists. Live entertainment is hosted on the main stage and there is plenty to do, so check it out. If you’re looking for nightlife, there’s something going on just about every night during Pride. For a full schedule of events, see their site:
http://www.bostonpride.org/bostonprideweek/
Providence
Providence, Rhode Island hosts its Pride events the week following. Their wildly successful PrideFest as well as their nighttime parade takes place on June 16th. PrideFest takes place on South Water Street right along the Providence River, one of the most beautiful areas in Providence. And of course the nightlife in Providence is always a good time. Here’s a retrospective of last year’s PrideFest, a taste of what’s to come this year:
Portland
Southern Maine Pride takes place on June 16th in Portland, Maine. It features two main events, a parade that starts in Monument Square and ends in Deering Oaks Park where the festival begins! In the past they’ve had comedian and musical performances as well as drag and burlesque performers. This year proves to be just as entertaining. Keep up to date on the schedule of events at their site: http://www.southernmainepride.org/
You can find more suggestions on things to do in the area while you’re at Pride, here, on my site.
And what about you? What is your favorite part of Pride?
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