Charleston, the capital and largest city in the state, plays host to the West Virginia Gay Pride celebrations, a series of events and gatherings held from May through early June 2009, culminating with a Gay Pride Parade and Festival on Sunday, June 7, 2009.
Book rooms and compare rates at hotels in Charleston during Gay Pride
Check out West Virginia Pride's online Rainbow Report for a Gay Pride calendar of events throughout the season, including everything from Miss Rainbow Pride of West Virginia on May 29 to a Pride Doggie Day on June 4. There's also information on a Huntington Pride Picnic held on May 31 from noon until dusk.
West Virginia Pride's main events are the 13th Annual Pride Parade and Festival, on June 7. The parade steps off at 1:30 at Haddad Riverfront Park, and then moves along Capitol Street to Davis Park, at the corner of Lee and Capitol Sts.. Davis Park is the site of the Pride Festival, which runs from 11 am until 5 pm and features live music and speeches, great food, and booths from local GLBT-friendly organizations and businesses.
Although this mountainous state with a fairly conservative reputation has a smaller and somewhat less visible gay scene than in the main cities of neighboring states like Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Ohio, West Virginia does have an increasingly active GLBT community. Much of the state's gay population resides in or near Charleston, which has a handful of gay bars, the most famous popular being Broadway (210 Leon Sullivan Way, 304-343-2162).
