Gayborhood bars brace for fallout from Philly Pride move
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Philly Pride Festival's move to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Sunday is roiling some Gayborhood business owners, who fear the neighborhood will miss out on a major economic boost.
Why it matters: For the first time in years, the Gayborhood won't be the epicenter for the massive festival and march, which draws tens of thousands of revelers.
Driving the news: Some bar owners and community members in the Center City neighborhood tell Axios they were blindsided by the decision to move the festival, which was revealed in April.
- Some forecast smaller crowds and a drop in revenue for Gayborhood bars and restaurants.
- They also questioned why event organizers would remove the city's largest LGBTQ event from the neighborhood it's celebrating.
Catch up quick: Event organizer Philly Pride 365 has said it relocated the festival and march to Eakins Oval and the Parkway to accommodate larger crowds and improve safety, per the organization's website.
- And in a break with recent festivals, revelers must pay admission to access the event ($10+).
- A festival spokesperson didn't return multiple requests for comment.
What they're saying: "We're not going to feel the energy of gay pride here in the Gayborhood with the festival being out there" on the Parkway, Louis Torres, chef at Gayborhood bar and restaurant Knock, tells Axios.
- He added that while many non-Gayborhood businesses stand to benefit from setting up at the festival, many neighborhood bars and shops, like Knock, couldn't afford the expense of setting up a vendor booth there.
"Everybody is pretty pissed about it," Jody Sweitzer, co-owner of Dirty Franks, tells Axios about the festival's move.
- "That's a big day for businesses and it's a big day for the neighborhood," Sweitzer added. "Why take it to the Parkway? I don't understand."
- "We're sad to see it leave," Gaby Rubery, manager at McGillin's Olde Ale House, tells Axios. "I would love to see it return to this neighborhood."
Several other Gayborhood businesses did not respond to requests for comment.
Between the lines: Jay Bazzel, president of hospitality for the Midtown Village Merchants Association, which represents businesses in the area, tells Axios the festival's organizers never reached out to his group.
- Bazzel added that the association's membership was unsure about how the new Pride festival location would affect businesses this weekend.
Context: This is not the Pride festival's first foray outside the Gayborhood's borders.
- The event's been held in the Center City neighborhood since 2022.
- The event was canceled in 2021 and 2020. Before that, it'd been held at Penn's Landing and the Parkway.
Reality check: The Gayborhood will still be the scene of celebrations this weekend.
- Streets around Tavern on Camac (including Camac Street between Locust and Manning Streets) will be closed Friday–Sunday from 11am–8pm each day for a Pride-related event.
- On Sunday, the Pride march begins in the neighborhood at 13th and Locust Streets at 11am, before winding its way to 21st Street and the Parkway.
- Also on Sunday, a foam party is planned for the lot at 13th and Locust Streets from 3–7pm, per a post from Woody's bar.
Plus: A free Philly PHLASH shuttle will run between the festival (at the Franklin Institute) and Philly Pride Visitor Center at 12th and Locust Streets from 5–8pm on Sunday.
Kirk Berlenbach, the interim rector at the Church of Saint Luke & The Epiphany in the Gayborhood, tells Axios the church will remain involved with the festival despite its new location.
- The church is hosting a poster-making opportunity (9:30am) and an interfaith prayer service ahead of the march, he said.
The bottom line: "Whether or not this is the right move, I think we won't know until after the fact," Berlenbach said about the festival's new site.