Breaking Travel News

Over 500,000 Expected for Denver PrideFest: The Largest LGBTQ+ Event in the Rocky Mountain Region

Over 500,000 Expected for Denver PrideFest: The Largest LGBTQ+ Event in the Rocky Mountain Region

his June, Denver will celebrate Pride Month in support of the LGBTQ+ community with a variety of showcase events including Denver PrideFest, recognized as one of the top 10 Pride events in the country.
As the largest city in a 600-mile radius, Denver attracts members of the LGBTQ+ community from all over the West and the world, resulting in welcoming neighborhoods, queer-friendly hotels, restaurants and shops as well as numerous annual events that draw huge crowds.

The Coors Light Denver Pride Parade allows visitors to enjoy marchers, dancers and floats down Colfax Avenue, the longest commercial street in the U.S. Denver PrideFest is also often recognized as one of the most family-friendly celebrations in the country.

This year’s Denver PrideFest is June 24-25, 2023. Weekend festivities kick off with the Pride 5K on June 24 and the celebration continues throughout the weekend with the Coors Light Denver Pride Parade on June 25. Denver Pride’s Center Stage will feature ABSOLUT.® Dance World with performances by Deanne, DJ T-Beatz and many more as well as headliners from RuPaul’s Drag Race. Denver’s PrideFest is produced by The Center on Colfax, a registered 501-c-3 nonprofit organization that provides year-round programs and services for the LGBTQ+ community.

In addition to PrideFest, Denver will celebrate all month long with Big Pride Energy at Call to Arms Brewing Company June 1-24; Indie 102.3 Pride Party at Meow Wolf on Friday, June 2; Pride Night at the Rockies on Friday, June 9; Denver Beer Co. will release “Berry Proud” Sour Ale on June 1st with a portion of proceeds of the beer and merchandise supporting One Colorado; Pride Powerhouses from A-Z Drag Show also on Thursday, June 22; Rainbows and Revolutions at History Colorado Center and more. Check out the VISIT DENVER website for a full calendar of events.

Denver’s celebration and support for the LGBTQ+ community spans beyond the month of June with welcoming neighborhoods, queer-friendly shops, restaurants and bars such as Pie Queen, Blush and Blu, Rita’s Law, Third Culture and Mozart’s Denver just to name a few, and events such as the CinemaQ Film Festival and the Colorado Gay Rodeo.

ADVERTISEMENT

The city has a long and proud LGBTQ+ history, with the first Pride celebration in Cheesman Park in 1974. In 1990, Denver became one of the first municipalities in the nation to adopt an anti-discrimination policy, including gay and lesbians, and in 2014, Colorado legalized same-sex marriage, honoring love across all communities. Learn about the city’s LGBTQ+ history on the VISIT DENVER website.