Pride Festival in Tacoma (9th & Pacific) (greaterseattleonthecheap.com)

Pride Parades everywhere honor the Stonewall Uprising of 1969, the scene of a police raid over liquor licensing at The Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City. While raids on gay bars were carried out with some regularity, the Stonewall incident sparked several days of protests in the surrounding neighborhood.

About Stonewall

In 1969, the fight for gay rights was not new. However, Stonewall became a galvanizing force for LGBT activism. The uprising is regarded as the start of the gay rights movement to reverse the criminalization and harassment of the lesbian and gay community.

In 1999 the U.S. National Park Service placed the Stonewall Inn on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 2016, the site was established as the Stonewall National Park Monument, which included the Stonewall Inn, nearby Christopher Park, and the surrounding streets and sidewalks in Greenwich Village where the protests occurred. Read more about the Stonewall Riots at History.com and Stonewall Riots at Socialist Alternative.

Today, Pride parades and festivals continue to foster public awareness on current diversity issues, as well as provide resources to support equal rights and community for all.

Seattle & Tacoma Pride Signature Events

Seattle Pride has celebrated the Northwest’s LGBTQ rights movement since its first coming out in the Puget Sound region in 1974. Seattle Pride coordinates advocacy and allyship efforts year-round, in addition to signature events during Pride Month in June.

June 06, 2024, 5pm – 10pm. Seattle Pride @ Pioneer Square Art Walk. Free, all ages.
June 30, 2024, 11 AM. Seattle Pride Parade along 4th Avenue. Washington’s largest parade with 250+ local and national community groups, nonprofits, and companies.
More info: Events | Seattle Pride

Tacoma Pride presents events, including their signature Tacoma Pride Festival (TPF) in July. Although June is “Pride Month”, TPF coordinates with other Pride festivals around the South Sound, so people have many options throughout Pride Season.

July 12, 2024, 4:30 pm–6:30 pm. LGBTQ+ Community Pride Awards & Flag Raising at Pantages. Free. All ages. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Mayor Woodards will raise the Pride Flag over Tacoma City Hall to kick off Tacoma Pride Festival.
July 13, 2024, 12:00 pm–6:00 pm. Tacoma Pride Festival. Free. All ages. Festival entrance: 9th and Pacific Ave. Enjoy queer and BIPOC entertainment, a beer garden, Makers Market and more. Note: Parking is limited in the area.

More Washington State Pride events

Listed below are more Pride organizations around Puget Sound (and beyond) that host annual Pride festivals and other events.

Alki Beach PRIDE. Aug 20, 2023. Free community event.
Anacortes Pride hosts a parade & picnic on June 17, 2023. Parade in downtown Anacortes followed by a Pride Picnic at Causland Park.
Bainbridge Pride hosts its annual festival, July 15, 2023, at Bainbridge Island Waterfront Park.
Pride In Bellingham July 8-9, 2023. Saturday Family Picnic and Pride Dance. Sunday Parade Parade from Waypoint Park through the middle of Downtown Bellingham ending at the Festival in Depot Market Square for a Festival.
Burien Pride 3 fun filled days June 2-4, 2023. Friday 5p to 11p / Burien Pride Street Dance. Saturday 10a to 10p / Festival / Music / Kids Area. Sunday 10a to 2p / Drag Queen Bingo and a Pancake Breakfast.
Kirkland Urban Wear Your Pride June 16th, 2023 @ 4-6pm. Celebrate PRIDE at this festive, family friendly parade around the promenade, live entertainment, a dazzling interactive installation, and activities sponsored by local organizations and businesses.
Kitsap Pride Festival July 22, 2023 at Kitsap County Fairgrounds. Food vendors, improved youth and teen spaces, entertainment, local vendors, and LGBTQ+ community.
Olympic Pride in Port Townsend. June 10, 2023, 11-6 at Pope Marine Park. Celebrate with music, food, crafts, and entertainment.
Renton Pride. June 2, 2023, 5:30 PM – 8:00. At the Renton Pavilion Events Center, the event is free, family-friendly, all ages, and features local LGBTQIA+ artisans, vendors, and organizations.
Pacific Northwest Black Pride. August 9-13, 2023 at POCAAN (4437 Rainier Ave S, Seattle. Four eventful days of fostering inclusion and advancing equity within the Black LGBTQIA+ community of the greater Pacific Northwest area.
Wenatchee Pride June 3, 2023, 11a-9p at Memorial Park. It is about celebrating as a community of LGBTQ+ families and straight allies with live entertainment, youth activities, food, beer garden, and vendors.
White Center Pride on Instagram. June 3, 11AM at 16th Roxbury for the Pride Street Festival.
White Center Brown PRIDE Art Show | Facebook June 3, 2023 from 5pm-7pm. Opening reception of the Brown PRIDE Art Show runs Jun 3-25, Thurs-Sun, 12-6pm and features 7 of Seattle’s top Latinx Queer artists.

Event calendar of free and affordable things to do

Listed below are all types of free and affordable things to do in the next 30 days.

Featured Events are listed first each day, highlighted by a photo. These are unique, popular, or annual events that we or our advertisers don’t want you to overlook.