Charlotte's Pride Festival will be bigger and in a new location this year
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2024 festival headliners included Baby Tate, Bob the Drag Queen, and Slayyyter. Photo: Courtesy of Charlotte Pride
Charlotte's annual Pride Festival will be held on Aug. 16-17 in First Ward Park and surrounding streets — a shift from its previous home on South Tryon.
Why it matters: The new location will offer a third more space than its old spot, organizers said in a press release. Plus, it'll allow more people to participate, including vendors, nonprofit organizations, artists and small businesses.
What to expect: Two stages — the Main Stage and Community Stage — will feature performances on both days, including local LGBTQ+ and ally entertainers and a drag pageant.
- Festival vendors will line up in surrounding streets, including Brevard, 7th, 8th and 9th streets.
- The parade will take place on Sunday along Tryon Street, like in years past, starting at 9th Street.
- The Youth and Family Zone will be on the Great Lawn of First Ward Park.
- "Flourish," an indoor arts activation, will be inside UNC Charlotte's Dubois Center.
- There'll also be a health fair and a VIP area.
Between the lines: First Ward Park is where the inaugural Lovin' Life Music Fest took place last year.
The big picture: Charlotte Pride, the city's largest street festival and largest annual parade, generates $15.8 million in economic impact annually, organizers have said.
- This year marks the 25th anniversary of Charlotte Pride, the nonprofit behind the festival, which began in 2001 in Marshall Park.
What they're saying: "Symbolically, the park setting reminds us how and why we started doing this work," Charlotte Pride Board President Riley Murray said in a statement. "With rising anti-LGBTQ sentiment, Pride is more important than ever. This larger, accessible venue will allow us to welcome as many people as possible so that we can all be visible, vibrant, and celebrated."
If you go: The festival will run Saturday noon-11pm and Sunday noon-6pm.
- The parade will take place Sunday from 1-4pm.
- Both the festival and parade are free to attend.
Go deeper: The 11 best LGBTQ+ bars, spaces and gatherings in Charlotte