Denver PrideFest Keeps the Party Going in 2025

Denver PrideFest celebrates queer joy! At a time when we can all use some queer joy, we need to celebrate our community, revel in our visibility, and show the world our pride in who we are with the largest Pride festival in the Rocky Mountain region!

Civic Center Park will host the iconic two-day PrideFest on Saturday, June 28 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Sunday, June 29 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. 

Sashay with queer attendees and allies beginning Saturday at 9:30 a.m. for a 5k fundraiser benefitting programs for LGBTQ+ folks including counseling and support groups for youth, older adults, trans folks who face isolation and financial challenges, and more; free healthcare and education programs at The Center on Colfax; and tearing down systemic barriers facing the queer community by creating inclusive policies and systems in the workplace.  

Then, join the PrideFest event to experience more than 300 exhibitors, 30 food vendors, and captivating live performances across four entertainment zones: Center stage featuring musical artists, drag acts, burlesque, and ballroom headlined by CHIKA and drag icons Vanjie, Detox, and Pattie Gonia; Absolut Dance World where DJs and go-go dancers bring the high-energy vibe headlined by Sean O’Grady and Twisted Dee; US Bank Latin Stage showcasing vibrant cultural performances; and the Family Area where you and your loved ones can enjoy story time, games, and crafts designed for kids and families. 

On Sunday morning, join Denver Pride for the 2025 Vizzy Denver Pride Parade. The dazzling parade will begin at 17th and Franklin, concluding at Lincoln. The free parade will draw more than 100,000 attendees, so line the streets early to celebrate Pride! 

Come make queer history this year by celebrating with over 500,000 visitors for the 51st annual Denver Pride! The event began as an intimate gathering in 1974 at Cheeseman Park inspiring The Center on Colfax, the current event’s producer and nonprofit organization that provides year-round programs and services to the community, to be founded two years later. The gathering evolved into a full festival in 1990 and has built on queer joy ever since to create a monumental annual event that continues to showcase the fun, beauty, sass, and resilience of the queer community. 

Not ready for the party to end? The local queer bars have you covered! On June 27 – 30, Charlie’s Denver will be hosting PLANET PRIDE! featuring the Taylor Swift Experience, WrestleDrag, foam parties, live DJs and more. X Bar presents X Fest, a week-long festival of Pride events June 23 – 29. Tracks will hold a variety of parties including an 18+ drag night on Jun 26 featuring Jewels Sparkles and Lexi Love, finalists from Rupaul’s Drag Race season 17, along with Women’s Pride on June 27, and an underwear party on June 29. The Tracks event on June 26 is the Official Denver Pride Kickoff Party! 

Though June is the official Pride month commemorating the 1969 Stonewall uprising that saw the LGBTQ+ community band together against police harassment, queer joy is something that should be celebrated year-round. So, check out monthly events at The Center on Colfax like the Trans Masc Support Group, Club50, Rainbow Writers Room, the Oral History Committee, and more. Continue spreading that queer joy all year by supporting queer-owned businesses like Ivy + Oak Salon, Queer Asterisk counseling, Petals & Pages bookstore, BarberX Barbershop, and others.

The greatest form of queer resistance is to celebrate the joy of who we are. This Pride month, celebrate queer joy as a community to show yourself and each other that we are visible, we are loved, we are supported, and we are here to have an amazing time!

Photo courtesy social media and Ivy Owens