Greensboro Pride Festival Begins Monday
The 16th annual Pride Festival kicked off Sunday (Sept. 24) in Greensboro to begin a full week of events in the Downtown Greensboro area.
Celebratory events are set to take place from Monday to Sunday, from South Elm Street and West Market Street to West Lewis Street in Downtown Greensboro.
The Greensboro Pride Festival is the headlining annual event for Alternative Resources of the Triad (ART), a nonprofit organization dedicated to “improving the emotional and social wellbeing of LGBTQIA2+ individuals in Greensboro by promoting inclusivity and building resources, safe spaces and social events.”
Here’s the schedule for this week, culminating in the Pride Festival on Sunday:
On Monday, there will be a “takeover” of SouthEnd Brewing at 6 p.m. at 117B W. Lewis St. Entry is free.
On Tuesday, Hidden Gate Brewing Company will serve beer and tacos from 6-9 p.m. at 102 Barnhardt St., with an appearance by the Nikolai Dragney Bulgarian Taco Truck.
On Wednesday, Crafted – The Art of the Taco will be serving drinks and food from 6-9 p.m. at 220 South Elm St.
On Thursday, there will be a “takeover” of Twisted Trivia at Twisted Lounge, 435 Dolley Madison Road, at 7 p.m. Teams are allowed to have up to six players.
On Friday, the Boxcar Bar and Arcade, 120 W. Lewis St., will host the annual pride kickoff party, beginning at 8 p.m. Brenda the Drag Queen will host, with feature performances by Greensboro Pride Queen Tia Chanella, Greensboro Pride King Omega St. James, Marceline Mashic, Arianna XLopez and Miss Cocktail. This event is for ages 21 and up.
On Saturday, Otis & Wawa will host their second annual Pride Bar Crawl from 3-9 p.m., hosted by Brenda the Drag Queen. The event will start with a drag show and continue through 10 different bars and restaurants celebrating Pride Week. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Greensboro Pride and other nonprofits. It’s for ages 21 and up.
On Sunday, the Pride Festival will start at 11 a.m. along South Elm St. in downtown Greensboro and will end at 6 p.m. The event will start with the national anthem and a parade of colors. There will be food trucks, vendors, performances, and a kid’s play area.
This year’s festival headliners are Triad native and drag superstar Heidi N Closet and LaLa Ri, star of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” They will be joined by the Legends of Drag — Lawanda Jackson, Jamie Monroe, Ebony Addams, and Crystal Frost — as well as local R&B and hip-hop performer Ed E. Ruger and dozens of other performers.
You can meet Heidi N Closet, LaLa Ri, and the Legends of Drag during the festival. Tickets to meet all six stars are $20 per person. Tickets are limited.