Pride Day: How to spend the year’s most colorful day in NYC

Parties and marches and kiki, oh my!

Pride Day 2024 is finally here. After four weeks of events highlighting LGBTQ culture and showcasing the beauty in diversity, members of the LGBTQ community and their allies can officially celebrate the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising — a seminal moment in the fight for LGBTQ equality when a group of patrons of a popular gay bar in Manhattan’s West Village decided to fight back against police and changed the course of history in the process.

Whether you want to honor the legacy of the famous riots by taking to the streets, to the sidewalks or to the dance floor, one thing is certain: There’s no better place to be than NYC.

Here’s how to get started. Happy Pride Day!

If you want to dance and groove:

Dreamland: Pride in Central Park

Dreamland is back to Central Park’s iconic SummerStage for a massive celebration of rainbow power. Superstar American DJ John Summit headlines the afternoon of outdoor fun and dance, with a lineup that includes Spain’s DJ Suri and the discofied alter ego of French DJ Dombresky (aka Disco Dom) turning NYC Pride into a global affair. $199.99. 3- 0 p.m. Rumsey Playfield, 5th Ave., entry on 69th St. or 72nd St., Manhattan

Bliss Days at The DL Rooftop & Lounge

LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary people are taking the Pride festivities to the dance floor at Bliss Days. The party, formerly known as Femme Fatale, returns to the Lower East Side for an afternoon of empowerment, unity and sisterhood — as well as fabulous music by DJ Dimples, DJ Toni K, Rhonda Fox and more. Watch out for guest appearances throughout the afternoon and into the evening, including a performance by Maleigh Zan, whose debut single “GAG” is inspired by Atlanta’s underground house music and ballroom culture. Tickets start at $53, all proceeds benefit NYC Pride. 2-10 p.m. 95 Delancey St., Manhattan

The Dance on the River at Circle Line Cruises

Gay & Sober, a group whose mission is to provide a safe and enriching experience to the sober LGBTQ community, is celebrating Pride with a drug- and alcohol-free extravaganza on the Hudson River. Dance to the beats of DJ Eric James while enjoying breathtaking views of one of the world’s most famous skylines — including a close-up view of the Statue of Liberty — and an OMG-inducing firework display. $75. 8-11:30 p.m. Boarding starts at 7:30 p.m. Pier 83 at 42nd St. and 12th Ave., Manhattan

Sanctum: Pride in Bushwick

Most Saturday night Pride parties might be cooling off by the early hours of Sunday, but that doesn’t mean everybody is ready to go home just yet. Thankfully, relief is just an Uber ride away. Brooklyn-based DJ and producer Bare Naked brings his after-party “Sanctum” to Bushwick alongside DJs Tom Peters and Basia. The party, described as a “ritual of dark house and techno,” will go on until hours after the sun comes up. Tickets start at $45. 4 a.m.-10 a.m. The Office, 1308 Myrtle Ave., Brooklyn

If you want to march and reflect:

Queer Liberation March

The Queer Liberation March is bringing its vibrant “no corps, no cops, no BS!” energy to Lower Manhattan for another irreverent demonstration of unity. Tens of thousands of participants are expected to celebrate the original spirit of Pride in a march free of corporate sponsorships. For the sixth annual QLM, participants will march from Sheridan Square, just outside the Stonewall Inn, to Battery Park, ending across the river from the Lady Liberty. The route serves as a reminder that “the ideals of ‘Liberty and Justice For All’ upon which the country has claimed to be founded [has] consistently failed to achieve,” organizer Jay W. Walker said. Free. Kickoff at 11:30 a.m. Sheridan Square, Manhattan

NYC Pride March

The theme for this year’s NYC Pride March — “Reflect. Empower. Unite.” — was selected to show how the city’s long-running LGBTQ Pride march serves as both a symbol of queer liberation and joy. Like its predecessor, the Christopher Street Liberation Day March, first held one year after the Stonewall Riots, the NYC Pride March continues to be a space for people to celebrate the LGBTQ community’s victories, talents and resilience. Grand marshals to be honored this year include Stonewall Uprising veteran and trans rights advocate Miss Major, ally superstar and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” co-host Michelle Visage, and author and activist Raquel Willis. Free. Kickoff at noon. 25th St. at 5th Ave, Manhattan

Unveiling of Queer Saint Icon of trans activist Cecilia Gentili

The late trailblazing trans activist Cecilia Gentili is being honored as Queer Saint during the annual Pride service at Judson Memorial Church, a progressive congregation in the heart of Greenwich Village. Gentili, who was also a fierce advocate for the rights of sex workers and a powerful voice in the HIV/AIDS community, died at her Brooklyn home earlier this year at the age of 52. She will now join the ranks of fellow groundbreaking trans and queer icons Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, James Baldwin and others as part of the Queer Saints Project, which aims to “glorify and celebrate the miracle that is queerness.” Free. 10 a.m. 55 Washington Sq., Manhattan or via Zoom

If you want to mingle and kiki:

PrideFest

The Pride spirit takes over the streets of Greenwich Village with the city’s largest LGBTQ street festival. The 30th annual PrideFest will feature live music, food vendors, activities for young attendees and an area dedicated to LGBTQ rights organizations. Organizers say “a diverse lineup of performances, speakers, and hosts” will entertain, inspire and delight the rainbow-wearing crowd. The list includes Peachez, the drag queen winner of season 23 of “Worst Cooks in America,” and Brooklyn-based pop singer-songwriter Bayli. “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star and Drag Out the Vote co-chair Brita Filter will host. Free, 11 a.m. 4th Ave. and E. 9th St., Manhattan

Grindr Rides America Tour: The Great All-American Gay Road Trip

Grindr, the world’s largest LGBTQ social networking app, is wrapping up its month-long “gay road trip” in New York City just in time for Pride. The grand finale invites Grindr users and users-to-be to hop on a decked-out bus for a Pride celebration like no other. Hang out with highway hunks, feel the fantasy with over-the-top drag queens, score a giveaway or two, or strike a pose in a full-service portrait studio — so you can finally replace that 4-year-old selfie you’ve been using as your Grindr profile photo. Free. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Corner of E. 12th St. and 4th Ave., Manhattan

Pride Weekend Party at 230 Fifth Rooftop

Take your Pride celebration to new heights at one of Manhattan’s largest and most famous rooftop bars. Known for its breathtaking view of the city, the 230 Fifth Rooftop lounge is inviting LGBTQ New Yorkers and their friends to soak in the atmosphere of Pride some 20 floors above a very busy 5th Avenue — somewhere over the rainbow, where the skies are blue. 21+ Free. 4-11 p.m. 230 5th Ave., Manhattan