New York City celebrates Gay Pride for a full week each June (June 19 to June 27, 2010), to honor what many consider to be one of the foremost events in the history of lesbian and gay rights, the Stonewall Riots, which commenced early in the morning on June 28, 1969.
Book a New York City hotel room during Gay Pride Week.
Many major cities around the world now host their Gay Pride Celebrations around this time, among them Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Seattle, and Toronto.
Also, be sure to consider some of the New York Pride events that take place in neighboring boroughs earlier in the month, such as Queens Gay Pride and Brooklyn Gay Pride, as well as events in neighboring states, such as Connecticut Gay Pride in Hartford and New Jersey Gay Pride in Asbury Park.
In New York City, Pride celebrations typically center around five events held over the entire fourth week of June (from June 19 to June 27, in 2010): The Rally (the earliest of the events, taking place June 19), PRIDEfest, The March, the Dance on the Pier, and Rapture on the River. The events all take place in the West Village, very close to the city's other gay-popular neighborhoods like Chelsea and the East Village. Here's a quick look at each one:
The Pride Rally takes place at Bryant Park on Saturday, June 19. Last year featured a wide range of notables, including Marga Gomez, Michael Serrato, Telling on Trixie, and many others.
RAPTURE: A Women's Dance occurs at Pier 54 (13th St. by the Hudson River, in Hudson River Park). This thumpin' dance, featuring the music from top DJs, starts at 6 pm on Saturday, June 26, and lasts until 11 pm.
The March, now in its 41st year, commences at noon on Sunday, June 27, at 5th Avenue and 52nd Street and winds its way downtown to the intersection of Christopher and Greenwich streets. This is arguably the must-see event of Gay Pride in New York City, drawing thousands of spectators.
PRIDEfest is held on Sunday, June 27, from 11 am until 7 pm along Hudson Street between Abingdon Square and W. 14th St.. The festive (and free) GLBT street fair features dozens of vendors, entertainers, and community organizations.
The Dance on the Pier provides a grand finale for New York City Gay Pride. Thousands of GLBT revelers and friends congregate on Pier 54 (13th St. at the Hudson River) following the Pride March, at 4 pm on Sunday, June 27, until a massive fireworks show at 10:30 pm. It's one of the great gay Manhattan parties of the year.
Of course, additionally, numerous gay bars as well as gay-popular restaurants, hotels, and shops have special events and parties throughout Pride Week. Check local gay papers, such as Next Magazine and the Gay City News for details. And be sure to check out the helpful GLBT website produced by the city's official tourism organization, NYC & Compancy.
