The official Pride Weekend in NYC begins on Friday, June 27, with a full TBA line-up for Pride in Times Square and the annual Pride March on Sunday, June 29, starting at 26th Street and 5th Avenue at 11 am, with this year’s theme, “Rise Up: Pride in Protest,” honoring the legacy of the first Pride March in 1970, which commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, and PrideFest in Greenwich Village, the annual LGBTQIA+ street fair, from 14th Street and 4th Avenue to Astor Place, combining exhibitors, entertainers, food, and activities for a day of fun in the name of equality. But you don’t have to wait till the weekend to celebrate Pride with these three selections.
DJ Sets: Drag Night with Luxx Noir London – On Tuesday, June 24, from 5-7 pm, Luxx Noir London (RuPaul’s Drag Race; Drag: The Musical) returns to the TSQ LIVE stage at Broadway and 46th Street to DJ a dance party featuring drag performances from NYC icons Marti Cummings, Venus Mystique, Lana Ja’Rae, Mo’Riah, and Beaujangles, who’ll turn the street into a club. It’s outdoors, it’s open, and it’s free, so no reservations or tickets are required, just be there in Time Square.
Kweendom: A Night of Queer Stand-Up – On Wednesday, June 25, from 7-8:30 pm, NYC’s funniest LGBTQ performers take the stage of the Celeste Auditorium in the lower level of The New York Public Library, 42nd Street and 5th Avenue, for a one-night-only celebration of queer comedy, community, and joy. Hosted by Bobby Hankinson, the self-described “writer, performer, and full-time homosexual” brings together a wide range of LGBTQ voices, spanning gender identities, cultures, and backgrounds, each sharing their distinct experiences through stand-up. Born from Hankinson’s frustration with line-ups lacking authentic queer representation, Kweendom, featuring Zach Zimmerman, Lorena Russi, Calvin Cato, Veronica Garza, Tessa Skara, Ren Q. Dawe, and Jonnea Herman, offers a laugh-out-loud evening centered on queer stories and perspectives. To reserve your free tickets, go online.
Nymphia Wind in BANANAS? – On Thursday, June 26, starting at 7 pm, The Town Hall, 123 West 43rd Street, presents the first Taiwanese queen to win the crown on season 16 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, in an all-new one-night-only bombastic solo show marking the NYC debut of Nymphia, aka the “Banana Buddha.” Part drag, part fashion, and part performance art, BANANAS? is a reflection of Nymphia’s inner journey over the past history-making year of her life, providing a portal into her chaotic mind, exploring life, death, rebirth, and all things yellow, with her signature sartorial wit and irreverent joy. The audience is invited to wear yellow or Nymphia Wind-inspired drag for the “yellow carpet” experience both in and outside of the hall. For tickets (priced at $62.15-90.80, including fees), click here.
