New York

NYC Pride 2021: June 1st – June 30th, 2021 30 days, 50+ events, 3 million people. The event’s attached nonprofit, Heritage of Pride, plans and produces the city’s first and only official LGBTQIA+ Pride events each year to commemorate the Stonewall Riots of 1969: the beginning of the modern Gay Rights movement. NYC Pride March: TBA The first march was held in 1970, and has since become an annual civil rights demonstration. Over the years, its purpose has expanded to include recognition of the fight against AIDS and to remember those we have lost to illness, violence and neglect. The NYC Pride march starts at 26th Street & 5th Ave and ends at 23rd Street & 7th Ave. Paris Pride 2021: June 27th – June 30th, 2021 Grab your friends and head to Le Marais, Paris’ gay district, for a week of non-stop parties that ends with one big event: Marche des Fiertés LGBTQ (Paris Gay Pride Parade). Marche des Fiertés LGBTQ is a historic event for the French capital, born in the 80’s when a group of locals from the community united over a fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Paris Pride Parade: TBA The procession starts at Place de la Concorde (in front of the National Assembly) at 2pm and winds its way through Châtelet, Le Marais, Pont de Sully, and Bastille, before concluding with a massive (and free!) party at Place de la République. As if Pride in Paris isn’t dreamy enough, Disneyland Paris is throwing a magical Pride celebration on in June 2021. In town for a few days? Check out some of the best LGBTQ+ spots in our guide to queer Paris. Berlin Pride 2021: July 23rd – July 25th, 2021 Berlin Pride is one of the biggest European Pride events of the year. Known by locals as CSD (Christopher Street Day), the event is a gay landmark that’s been celebrated in Berlin since 1979. Today, four decades later, over one million people gather each year to honor LGBTQ+ equality and self-determination in Germany. Attendees of CSD can expect everything from official club nights in Kreuzberg to queer film screenings across the city. Berlin Pride Parade: July 24th, 2021 On Saturday, the parade leaves at 12pm at Kurfürstendamm and finishes at 14:00 at Brandenburger Tor. After dark, a huge Pride party will close the night and wrap up CSD celebrations. Want to experience CSD from boat? Head over to the CSD auf der Spree for a pom-pom filled celebratory river tour. Montreal Pride 2021: August 2021 Founded in 2007 by Montréal’s sexual & gender diversity communities, Montréal Pride Festival, aka Festival Fierté Montréal, is now the largest Francophone Pride gathering in the world. The organization’s primary mission is to “support and promote local communities while serving as a beacon of hope for people around the world who continue to battle injustice.” This year, Montréal Pride Festival will attract more than 2 million local and international visitors over two weeks of community, cultural and festive activities including free shows, panels, the Community Day and the oh-so-famous Pride Parade. Montréal Pride Parde: TBA The 2.7 km parade’s route will “symbolically link the old and the new,” departing from the former west end LGBTQ+ sector to arrive at the very heart of the new Gay Village. The parade will begin at Metcalfe Street and end on Alexandre-DeSève Street. Don’t forget to celebrate Community Day on Saint-Catherine Street in the heart of the Village. Community Day draws over 90,000 visitors and is the perfect opportunity to meet local LGBTQ+ communities, promote your services and recruit allies. New to the city? Stay in one of our favorite downtown Village lofts thanks to Airbnb Montréal and check out some of our favorite things to do in Montréal. Taipei Pride Parade: October 2021 The biggest gay event in Taiwan is the Taipei Gay Pride Parade, with more then 80,000 people from around the world attending this vibrant 4-day event. The Parade starts from Kaidagelan Blvd and moves its way through the streets of Taipei before returning to the Gay Village for a huge party. then moves thought the streets of Taipei, ending up back where it started. The Gay Pride Parade actually features three different routes, that all end up back at the Gay Village. The parade lasts for roughly two hours, so be sure to bring plenty of energy! Many Asian countries are not as LGBTQ+-friendly as Taiwan, so the Taiwan Gay Pride Parade attracts thousands of people from neighboring countries like China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, creating a truly wonderful (and international!) Pride experience. Buenos Aires Pride 2021: TBA Buenos Aires hosts its biggest celebration of diversity in November, with a week of LGBT festivities and the annual Pride parade. Events will take place at various venues, culminating in the parade that runs every year along one of the city’s most important avenues, Avenida de Mayo, from the Casa Rosada, or “pink house” – the headquarters of the Argentine national government in Plaza de Mayo to the National Congress building. The event continues outside the Congress with speeches, music and dancing, which lasts into the evening, and continues afterwards in buses, trains and bars and nightclubs. Amsterdam Pride 2021: July 31st – August 8th, 2021 Amsterdam Pride is one of the biggest (and most unique) Pride events in the entire world. Here, look forward to Amsterdam street parties all weekend long and, of course, the famous Canal Parade through the historic Amsterdam Unesco canals. Amsterdam Pride Parade: August 6th – August 8th, 2021 The boats start at the Scheepvaart museum at the eastern part of the city center moving towards the Amstel river. The floats will continue from there taking the Prinsengracht towards the Westerdok. The Canal Parade starts around 12:30 pm and will cruise until late afternoon. The street parties after the Canal Parade on start at around 16:00.  Spectators of the parade often go to Amstelveld (which is direct next to the route), the large main stage on Dam square (en route towards to Central Station) and Rembrandtplein. On top of Pride, Amsterdam’s top music venues and clubs will be hosting parties all night long. Toronto Pride 2021: June 1st – June 30th, 2021 Head over to Pride Toronto for a busy, colorful Pride weekend (with an estimated attendee count of over one million for 2021!) The celebratory weekend includes a special Family Pride program, Trans Pride, the Dyke March and the famous Pride Parade. Toronto Pride Parade: TBA The party starts from the corner of Church St and Bloor St all continues all the way down Yonge St to Yonge-Dundas Square. The city of Toronto urges visitors to use public transportation to make travel easy. Don’t forget to stop at one of Toronto’s famous rooftop bars after getting your Pride on. Washington DC Pride 2021: June 2021 Washington DC Pride (aka, Capital Pride Alliance) serves DC’s LGBTQ+ community through entertainment, community outreach and diversity celebrations. Each year, the nonprofit organization curates Capital Pride, which features a popular collection of events including the Pride Parade, Festival and Concert. Washing DC Pride Parade: TBA Head to the historic Dupont and Logan Circle neighborhoods to experience the parade. More than 200 organizations will walk the 1.5 mile route with floats, trucks, signs, banners, and world-famous entertainment to commemorate Pride’s history and support the LGBTQ+ community, making this one of DC’s favorite and most impactful parades. London Pride 2021: June 2021 Pride in London is “about the people, for the people.” This year’s theme is  #PrideJubilee, remembering fifty years of activism, protests and victories that have made the movement what it is today. London Pride Parade: TBA The parade kicks off at Portland Place at 12pm, moving down Oxford Circus, along Regent Street to Piccadilly Circus, Lower Regent Street, Pall Mall and then passing Trafalgar Square before finishing on Whitehall. London Pride recommends that spectators avoid busy locations, like Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus, and notes that the parade will fill the whole afternoon until around 5:30pm.
Looking for real-time London Pride updates? Download their app and have everything from updates to information right at your fingertips. Pride advocate with limitations or anxiety? Book a Grandstand seat and make sure you don’t miss out on any of the action (and a great place to take a breather if you need one). Zurich Pride Demonstration: TBA The peaceful demonstration procession of Zurich Pride is the political manifestation of the LGBTIQ community throughout Switzerland. Celebrations will take place on Friday and Saturday. All LGBTIQ people, organizations, and allies from home and abroad are invited to participate in the demonstration and to peacefully announce their political message. The two- day fest offers a wide variety of artists, politics and LGBTIQ-organizations on two stages, information stands and, of course, amazing food and drink. Pride will take place on the central Place of Sechseläuten, just at the shore of the lake of Zurich. For this event, registration isn’t necessary. All folks are welcome, regardless of gender and sexual orientation, making it one of the most accessible Pride events around the world. Dublin Pride 2021: June 2021 In 1983, the first large scale LGBTQ+ protest march took place in Dublin, Ireland. It was organized by the Dublin Lesbian & Gay Collective in response to the release of the murderers of a gay man named Declan Flynn. Since then, Dubliners have been marching in the thousands to support and celebrate LGBTQ+ rights, and Pride week continues to gather people around meet-ups, parties, lectures, marathons, and more. Dublin Pride Parade: TBA Gathering on O’Connell Street and Parnell Square on Saturday, June 29th, 7,000 people from over 150 different groups with floats and marching bands and colourful costumes will lead off the parade. From O’Connell Street, the parade will turn on to Eden Quay and pass Liberty Hall, where the first large scale march for LGBTQ+ rights in Ireland started in 1983. The Parade will cross the Liffey at Talbot Memorial Bridge and travel along City Quay, Lombard Street, Westland Row and end with a free and totally fun outdoor event in Merrion Square. Johannesburg Pride Parade: October 2021 With over 30 years of advocacy, Johannesburg Pride has grown to become the most established and well-attended Pride event in South Africa. Adopting a bigger cause in 2019, Johannesburg Pride created Pride of Africa: a unified platform and voice for a diverse community, introducing a lifestyle conference and youth shelter. The Pride village will be set up on Rivonia Road, between Sandton Drive and West Str, Sandton. The march will leave from the assembly point and move en-route through the Sandton CBD. If you’re not ready to let the party die after Pride, don’t forget to check out Afropunk: one of our favorite black festivals in South Africa. Mexico City Pride 2021: June 2021 Mexico City Gay Pride truly is one of the largest, wildest and crazy gay Pride events in the whole of Latin America. Mexico City Pride, or Marcha del Orgullo LGBT de la Ciudad de México, takes place every June and attracts over one million people to the streets of the capital. Mexico City is already well known for its lively gay scene, so you can imagine that celebrations reach new heights during Pride. The first Mexico City Pride took place 1978, so get ready for a well-rehearsed (and incredible) time. Mexico City Pride Parade: TBA The main event for Mexico City Gay Pride 2021 is the Marcha de la Diversidad. The gay Pride parade departs from the soaring El Ángel de la Independencia victory column in Zona Rosa, and continues all the way to the city’s iconic Zocalo. Following the parade, a massive party will kick off in the Zocalo for the entire night. Sydney Pride 2021: June 2021 A festival of LGBTI+ art, cinema, trivia, debates, sports, fundraising activities and club events across Sydney. The Sydney Pride Festival launches at Stonewall Hotel on Thursday 6th June and runs from the 6th until the 30th June. While Sydney honors Pride month with a parade and celebrations all through June, the real party happens in February for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Register for 2021 here. Athens Pride Parade: June 2021 Every year in June, thousands of people gather on West Washington Street for the annual Athens PRIDE Street Festival. Athens PRIDE is currently the largest gathering of the LGBTQ+ community and allies in the greater Athens area.  After Sunday’s street festival, they aim to offer smaller events focused on cultivating community and connection between the local LGBTQ+ community and allies alike. Metro Manila Pride March 2021: TBA Metro Manila Pride is a volunteer-based, non-profit organization that creates safe, affirming, informative, educational, and empowering spaces for LGBTQIA+ people in Metro Manila. The full-day event will be held at the Marikina Sports Center in Marikina City. Admission is free, but attendees should register in advance here. San Fransisco Pride 2021: June 2021 Get ready to celebrate “Generations of Resistance” at San Francisco Pride. Immerse yourself into two-days of engagement and entertainment with a full lineup on both the main stage and community stage. San Fransisco Pride Parade: TBA San Francisco Pride is one of the oldest and largest LGBTQIA parades in the world. Contingents march through the heart of the city, along Market Street, with more than 100,000 spectators. The parade starts from Embarcadero and celebrations continue all the way to Civic Center. Reykjavik Pride 2021: August 2021 2021 will been a big year for LGBTQ+ folks and allies in Iceland. Not only does 2021 mark 52 years from the Stonewall riots, but Reykjavík Pride is also celebrating its 22nd anniversary. To party it up, Reykjavik Pride will run for ten days instead of six, starting with an opening ceremony. The schedule will include a Pride Parade, outdoor festival and ginormous Pride Party. Reykjavik Pride Parade: TBA Reykjavik Pride puts the creativity into the hands of the participants, and encourages registered attendees to start prepping early so that their message is exciting, fun and entirely original. Tel Aviv Pride 2021: June 2021 Known as the gay capital of the Middle East, Tel Aviv celebrates Israel’s LGBTQ community with Tel Aviv Pride, a week-long series of totally fun events. Tel Aviv is a diverse city with multicultural influences, tourists from all over the world, and super open-minded locals. Every summer, folks of every gender, religion and color flood the streets and gather for a celebration of acceptance, love and joy. Tel Aviv Pride Parade: TBA This year the parade will start at 10am with a large fair. At 12pm, the parade will launch from Ben Tsiyon – Melchett towards Bograshov St, Ben Yehuda and the Herbert Samual Promenade. Rolling late into the evening, you can expect a parade of artists and DJ sets alongside food stands and colorful Pride merch. The parade’s last stop is the Charles Clore Garden, where thousands of people get down to live shows, hang out in bars and enjoy an amazing view of Tel Aviv’s blue beach. In town for Pride and want to see more of the country? Hop on a Gay Bus between and make stops in Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Jerusalem, Masada and the Dead Sea and Galilee. São Paulo Pride Parade: June 2021 The largest gay Pride parade in the world (over 3.5 million attendees!) will celebrate its 25th anniversary when the São Paulo LGBT Pride Parade takes over the city in 2021. Dating app Grindr awarded the Sao Paulo Pride with the title of best parade in 2012, so this definitely isn’t one to be missed. São Paulo is somewhat famous for its sex clubs, cinemas and saunas. If this is your thing, all will be open and active during Pride weekend. Stockholm Pride 2021: July 2021 With its gender-fluid fashion and colorful LGBT scene, Stockholm is a vibrant, open and welcoming city. Founded in 1998, Stockholm Pride is now the Largest LGBTIQ events in Scandinavia as well as the largest annual event in Stockholm. Stockholm Pride’s activities are centered around three main arenas: Pride House, Pride Park and Pride Parade. Stockholm Pride Parade: TBA Every year, nearly half a million people flock to see the Stockholm Pride Parade. The parade marches through the center of the city (starting at at city hall and ending at Pride Park). The parade is “a joyful and colorful manifestation of love for human rights; a demonstration of the right of everyone to love and be who they want.” If you’re feeling adventurous, check out “Kinky Quarters”: a specific area with BDSM, fetishism, and other sub-cultures that common people call kinky. It was created for folks to talk, shop, and get to know more about everything associated with kink life. Shanghai Pride 2021: TBA This year, Shanghai Gay Pride celebrates its tenth birthday. Because all political demonstrations are banned in China, Shanghai Gay Pride doesn’t feature a parade. However, the organizers more than make up for it with a packed 10-day program featuring a Pride film festival, ‘pink picnic’, bike ride, run, dance party, barbecue and photo exhibition. Check out the Shanghai Pride Film Festival (SPFF), which runs in June.

The Empire State is the latest domino to fall in our path towards federal legalized recreational Marijuana use. On March 31, 2021, New York became the 16th 420 friendly state with its passage of legalized recreational marijuana use. “The bill allows for individuals 21 and older to possess up to 3 ounces of cannabis and 24 grams of cannabis concentrate outside the home. It also allows for individuals to grow up to six plants in their homes—three mature plants and three immature plants—with a cap of six mature plants and six immature plants per household.” While it is too early to tell exactly what’s in store for weed tourism in New York, big things are likely to follow. The state already has an extensive network of medical dispensaries. Currently, an ounce of weed in New York will cost you $339.49.

New York is the ultimate destination for music lovers. While Chicago, Kansas City, and New Orleans were pivotal in the early years of jazz, the Big Apple’s jazz scene is as hot as ever with iconic venues like Birdland Jazz Club, The Iridium, and Village Vanguard. It’s also where hip-hop was born and home to neon-lit Broadway theaters where ballads are belted at matinees and evening shows. From dive bars and open mic nights to jam-packed jazz clubs to the operatic overtures at The Metropolitan Opera, New York City is a musical feast unlike any other.

Curlfest 2022: TBD Known as the largest festival in America celebrating natural beauty, CurlFest started in 2014 as an ode to Black women and our hair. Owned and operated by four Black women, The Curly Collective is on a mission to uplift and empower Black women and girls while redefining what the world’s standards of beauty look like. Every year, the festival takes over Randall’s Island Park in New York for a full day of beauty, music, food, and Black culture.  Brands that are well-loved in the natural hair community, like DevaCurl and Creme of Nature, set up interactive booths featuring on-the-spot braid bars, photo booths, and onsite shopping experiences. Art lovers can watch paintings come to life at CurlFest’s Arts District. There’s truly something for everyone at CurlFest making it feel more like a family reunion than a festival.

NYC is the birthplace of Pride, so it only makes sense that it’s high up on this list. The Stonewall Riots were started in 1969 by Black trans activist, Marsha P. Johnson (Marsha is credited with throwing the first brick). Fed up with the constant harassment and brutality from the police, patrons at Stonewall said enough was enough and took a stand for their rights. This moment in LGBTQIA+ history paved the way for Pride celebrations all over the world and is why we celebrate Pride in June each year. Aside from being a place of significance in history, the city has been a long-standing haven for the LGBTQIA+ community where they can feel accepted and authentically themselves.

As an avid fan of The Lizzie McGuire movie, I have long fantasized about riding on the back of a Vespa through the streets of Rome. Wind blowing through my hair, hands on the waist of someone I have a major crush on – ah, bliss. With the Revel app, you can coast through the New York City streets on a Vespa without having to make the major investment of buying one. Save you (and your date) time by downloading the app on your phone ahead of time and taking the short introductory course. The app will tell you where the closest scooter is, you take a quick snapshot, throw on your helmets, and off you go! What a way to sweep them off their feet, am I right?

Many cities in the USA go all out when it comes to Chinese New Year, but the biggest celebrations are by far the ones in New York and San Francisco. In New York, you can expect to see martial arts performers, dancers, colourful outfits, and a dragon parade that heads down Mott and Canal Street on to East Broadway, Manhattan Bridge, Sara D. Roosevelt Park, and ends on Grand Street. It’s almost impossible to miss the gigantic and gorgeous display of music, dancers, floats, and dragons.

Join 500 top chefs for the 15th annual NYCWFF October 13-16, 2022, New York City’s largest wine and food festival. The four-day festival features 80 events, including walk-through tastings, dinners with world-famous chefs, wine tastings, and classes that all benefit God’s Love We Deliver, a nonprofit that provides medically-tailored meals for people living with severe illness.

The crowds get hectic in December here in New York - but thankful they clear out the week of Christmas so we can fully enjoy it.

happy christmas!