The grand return of the Buffalo Pride Week Parade and Pride Festival will be more than just a party.
It’ll be an opportunity for Western New York’s LGBTQ+ community, allies and families to once again join together and affirm the message of love, inclusivity and unity.
The most colorful celebrations of the year will return in-person Sunday, June 5 after a two-year hiatus to mark the culmination of Buffalo Pride Week. The festivities will feature community organizations, family-friendly activities, food and drink, retail vendors, live performances and much more.
Buffalo Pride Week (May 31-June 5) is hosted by Evergreen Health Foundation and presented by Evergreen Health and M&T Bank. The 2022 theme is a special one: “Homecoming,” to reflect the excitement to come together again to commemorate LGBTQ+ history and culture by displaying the strengthening power of open-arms diversity. Quest Diagnostics and Geico are also sponsors of the event, which has roots dating back to the early 1990s. Proceeds support the mission and programming of the Pride Center of Western New York.
Free and open to the public, the Pride Parade will take place along its normal route on Sunday, June 5, beginning at 11 a.m. at the corner of Elmwood and Forest avenues and ending at Elmwood Avenue and Allen Street. Watch the floats go by from the sidelines as more than 150 organizations march.
Gates to the Pride Festival, the grand finale of Pride Week, will open at 1 p.m. With a dedicated kids zone, there’s activities for people of all ages.
A star-packed lineup of local and national talent is headlined by Rebecca Black, the queer icon who dazzled at Coachella this spring. Kornbread “The Snack” Jeté, drag performer and popular contestant on season 14 of RuPaul’s Drag Race will also take the stage—along with local drag performers BeBe Bvlgair, Vanna Deux and Jayme Coxx. Vogue Buffalo will bring the moves and DJ Deb and Muzzy Bear to keep the crowd lively.
You’ll even spot beloved New York City housewife Sonja Morgan and New Jersey housewife Margaret Josephs, who are coming up to Buffalo for the occasion. Long-time Festival host, Maggie Cassella, will be back again this year to keep the party going all day long.
General admission Pride Festival tickets are $10 in advance or $20 the day of the event, with free admission for anyone 15 and younger. Quest Diagnostics Premium Lounge tickets are $40 in advance and $55 the day of—this 21+ only experience gets you special access to premium stage views, private bathrooms and an opportunity to mingle with Kornbread, Sonja Morgan and Margaret Josephs.
Pride Week is more than just a parade and festival. There’s a wide range of events all month long to celebrate pride in different ways, such as a 5K, cornhole tournament, yoga session and more. Local businesses can submit events for the community calendar here.
