June is a time of celebration and unity for the LGBTQIA+ community worldwide. Right? Well, it’s also time to have lots of fun! It’s Summer, Pride, and we’re all just excited to be us.
Where should we go to celebrate? We at Instinct receive loads of press releases, invites, and we go places on a whim to see what we can see for Prides. What we don’t like to do is pass on recommendations if we’ve never been there ourselves. Tel Aviv Pride, we’ve done that. EuroPride, indeed we did that last September. And of course all the other big ones. We’ve done smaller and wonderful prides too like Ogunquit, Maine and an awesome Savannah Pride for their 10th year celebration.
We thought we would take this Travel Thursday post to give a little more information about some of the upcoming prides in cities that we’ve already visited and can attest they’re a lot of fun. We’ll also include some hotels that we’ve personally stayed at, too.
Hood River, Oregon
Hood River is eager to showcase its spirit of inclusivity. The Hood River Hotel becomes a focal point for Pride Month festivities, beginning with the much-anticipated Hood River Pride Celebration on June 7 and 8 in the heart of downtown Hood River. Before we get into the pride festivities, feel free to read up on our visit in February of this year and the fun we had.
Related Post: A Rainbow Journey to Hood River, The Little Oregon Town Full of History, Adventure, and Pride
Now for Pride 2024… Organized by the Columbia Gorge Pride Alliance, in collaboration with the Hood River Hotel, The Next Door, and Visit Hood River, this event marks a celebration of community diversity.
“We are thrilled to bring back the Hood River Pride Celebration, a key event that highlights the strength and diversity of our community. We encourage everyone from near and far to make a weekend of it at the Hood River Hotel and support our LGBTQIA+ community in a safe, joyful, and inclusive environment.” – James Pearrow, Hood River Hotel General Manager
We love James! He is not only responsible for the amazingness that happens at the Hood River Hotel, but he is just a beacon of rainbow light in the community, too.
James continues:
“Living authentically requires bravery and self-awareness. At the Hood River Hotel, we celebrate and support everyone for who they are. As an LGBTQIA+ operated and friendly establishment and PROUD Certified through Booking.com, the Hood River Hotel supports and allies with its LGBTQIA+ guests and community. promoting allyship and furthering the well-being of our LGBTQIA+ guests and community is fundamental to our ethos.”
Pride-themed activities across downtown Hood River will happen over two days. James, get my room ready! You know the one.
FRIDAY, JUNE 7:
5-8 p.m. – Visit Hood River First Friday Summer Series Pride Celebration: Held on Oak St. in downtown Hood River, the family-friendly event is free, open to the public, and will include a parade that begins at 6 p.m. and local vendors. For more information and parade registration, visit the Visit Hood River website.
7-9 p.m. – DIVA Drag Bingo in the Hood River Hotel Emerald Room: Hosted by Aspen Meadows and Puanani Posse, this is Hood River’s Summer Pride 2024 kickoff event! Tickets are $10 for five games. Additional games can be purchased for $5 (for a pack of 5) at the door before the start of the event. This isn’t your Grandma’s bingo, so be ready for anything, including performances throughout the event. This is a 21+ ticketed event. Tickets are available on Justin Buckles Productions ticketing website.
SATURDAY, JUNE 8:
Doors open at 11 a.m., show starts at Noon – Diva Drag Brunch: Featuring an ALL-STAR cast and the best performers that Portland (and beyond) has to offer. Join the Hood River Hotel for the biggest and best Drag Brunch in the Pacific Northwest. Featuring drag, burlesque, acrobatics, live singing, and more! This is a 21+ ticketed event. Tickets are available on Justin Buckles Productions ticketing website.
For more information on the Hood River Pride Celebration, ways to contribute, and Columbia Gorge Pride Alliance, visit the organization’s website.
Denver, Colorado
The Curtis Hotel in Downtown Denver is a vibrant pop-culture-themed property with a rich history of partnering with local LGBTQ+ community advocacy organizations and supporting local artists. The hotel’s retro-inspired, hyper-themed rooms include a retro video game room, comic book heroes room, Final Frontier-inspired room, “Who Ya Gonna Call” (Ghostbusters-inspired), champion’s lounge and KISS and The Rolling Stones. And don’t forget to look at the hallways and listen to the elevator sound when the doors open on each floor, especially the 13th floor. Yes, there’s a 13th floor. Here’s a link to our story we posted after staying at The Curtis a few years ago.
Related Post: The Curtis in Denver Offers Prime and Horrific Spot To Take In Pride
Now for Pride 2024… The Curtis is hosting Pride activities all month long:
June 14: Drag Bingo & The Corner Office Takeover
This will be a farewell to queen Mz. America Jackson, a longtime friend of the property. This will be her last show with The Curtis’ on-site restaurant as she has made a career change and she doesn’t have as much flexibility for drag bingo Fridays but we want to send her out with a bang!
June 21: Build Your Own Pride Parade Kit
The Curtis will provide markers, poster boards, stickers, temporary tattoos, pins and flags for anyone that wants to create some festive Pridefest signage. The Denver Pridefest will be held the following days (June 22+23).
This year, the hotel’s Proud & Pampered package includes:
- Complimentary Specialty Cocktail from The Corner Office Restaurant & Martini Bar
- A Pampering Kit with Silky Pillowcase for your Best Beauty Sleep, Pride Flag Sleeping Mask, and Luxe Shower Steamers
- A Sweet Pride Themed Treat From a Local Business
And each booking provides a 5% donation to The Center on Colfax – the largest LGBTQ community center in the Rocky Mountain region.
Other experiences you may want to check out while in Denver might be the Denver Beer Trail, graffiti tours and Pride is around Father’s Day so there are some Father’s Day Weekend activations at Coors Field for the Rockies’ game.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is one of our favorite cities in the US to visit as it has such great offerings like a large metropolitan city, but still feels and functions like a warm and welcoming midwest cozy place you may want to call home.
Cincinnati Pride Parade and Festival is on Saturday, June 22. The event originates downtown, winding its way through city streets before terminating at Sawyer Point Park. Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky are home to a rainbow of LGBTQ+-friendly establishments, each offering unique charm and community spirit. Other venues include the family-friendly Creative House of Art and Design (CHAD) to the historic Rosie’s Tavern in Mainstrasse Village located in neighboring Covington, Kentucky.
San Antonio, Texas
We’ve been to San Antonio before but we’re headed to San Antonio for Pride this year so we’re excited to experience the following and get back to you after all the fun has been had.
Related Post: Living the Big City, Small Town Life in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas, welcomes The Bud Light River Walk Pride Parades, an extension of the Alamo City’s strong Pride traditions with nearly 20 colorful river barge floats festoon with messages of love and ridden by guests and locals alike. The parade takes place June 1 at 4pm with a repeat at 8pm meandering two-and-a-half miles along the river. The celebration continues at La Villita with DJs, food, fun, and dancing. More information can be found here.
Toronto, Ontario
I have personally been to Toronto, but that was during my pre-Instinct days so I am more than excited to head to T.O. for this year’s Pride!
Toronto, Ontario, kicks off its Pride festival from June 28-30, but the city celebrates Pride with a whole month of 2SLGBTQ+ programming capped off with a celebratory array of floats, costumes and revelry at the Trans March, Dyke March and Pride Parade. The annual events benefit the Pride Toronto non-profit organization that supports Toronto’s queer community throughout the year. The calendar is packed with a street fair showcasing 2SLGBTQ+ artists, pool parties, performance art, Bi+ Pride happenings, and the Blockorama, Black Pride and Blackness Yes events that celebrate queer Canadians of color and Afro-Caribbean culture. Efforts are made each year to ensure programming is aligned with Pride Toronto’s values, including the use of green vehicles to power the parade floats and a growing emphasis on accessibility and the availability of harm reduction services.
St Croix, U.S Virgin Islands
What was a quick stop during a cruise, we’re going here this year, too!
U.S. Virgin Islands are getting proud as St. Croix celebrates the unique heritage and history of the LGBTQ+ community on the island with St. Croix Pride Month.
Pride events typically include an art exhibition at Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts, lectures and forums, dance parties, a scuba diving adventure at the Frederiksted Pier, a rave at Point Udall, and the most colorful event of all, the Pride Parade.
We will of course cover more Pride destinations and celebrations as 2024 continues.
Questions for you all and feel free to answer on the socials.
- Do you like a big or small Pride celebration?
- What Pride have you experienced that you would love to attend again?
- What was your must-do Pride?
Honorable Mention
We have not been to Bend, Oregon yet but have come very close! I did want to tip my hat to this one as the Campfire Hotel is the brainchild of developer Tod Breslau, along with the sister properties, which include Portland’s iconic Jupiter Hotel and Hood River Hotel. We love gay owned and operated!
Bend, Oregon
A stay at Campfire Hotel this summer is anything but standard. The centrally located hotel blends adventure, fun, and innovation with comfort amidst its basecamp-like amenities, central location, and overall knack for fun.
Pride Weekend Festivities:
Campfire’s summer festivities commence with Pride Weekend, Friday, May 31 to Sunday, June 2. On Friday, join the Campfire team at the Canteen Bar with DJ beats and curated cocktails. The weekend continues with a Saturday afternoon Cliché Dance Party at the outdoor heated pool from 3-7 p.m., followed by Drag Bingo in their outdoor event tent from 7-9 p.m. Justin Buckles Productions will not disappoint with their Diva Drag Brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by DJ Summer Pool Club Party Kick Off from 2-7 p.m.
