Denver Pride revamps with new events, new PrideFest location
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Participants during the 2025 Denver Pride Parade. Photo: Mark Makela/Getty Images
Denver Pride will expand this year's festivities to include monthlong and more inclusive programming.
Why it matters: In the face of growing pushback on the LGBTQ community — including from the White House — organizers from The Center on Colfax say now is the time to provide a space for queer people to feel seen and celebrated.
- Organizers want the celebration to turn into a blueprint for a national model of inclusiveness and fundraising.
State of play: Denver Pride's marquee PrideFest will go from a two-day festival to a single day on June 28, taking place at 16th Street Mall instead of Civic Center Park (organizers say they were unable to find a space large enough to accommodate a two-day festival).
- Other major events include Vizzy Denver Pride Parade downtown along 17th Street (June 28) and Pride 5K (June 27) at Cheesman Park.
- Additional events are meant to highlight historically underrepresented groups within the LGBTQ community, including Black and brown folks and transgender individuals.
New events this year include:
- A doggy drag show at Skiptown (June 6)
- A hike hosted by the Mile High Queer Club (June 14)
- A cookout at Cheesman Park (June 19)
- A music festival hosted at The Junkyard in partnership with PlayHaus (June 27)
Context: Denver Pride is The Center's biggest fundraiser. CEO Kim Salvaggio said they're seeking to raise just over $2 million from event sponsors, with at least half a million people expected to attend events this year.
- The Denver-based nonprofit uses more than 80% of its proceeds from Denver Pride to pay for free services that are growing in demand, like therapy, peer support groups, fitness classes and HIV/STI screenings.
- Raising money directly from its Pride events to pay for year-round services is "incredibly rare" for similar events across the country, Salvaggio said at a Monday press conference.
The intrigue: A loss in federal funding due to cuts made by the Trump administration last year didn't affect the nonprofit's ability to organize this year's Pride.
- Last year, major corporations pulled funding for Denver Pride as some companies followed the federal government in retreating from events celebrating diversity, equity and inclusion.
Between the lines: Sponsors have already started reaching out, with The Center receiving $200,000 toward the event as of Monday, Salvaggio said.
- The Center says it will be transparent about the companies it receives money from, and plans to post each one on its website.
Yes, but: The nonprofit won't take money from organizations or companies funding warfare or contributing to violence, with potential sponsors vetted through The Center's own standards.
What's next: Additional details will be announced on the event's new website.