With ten percent of Seattle identifying as LGBTQIA+, and so many more locals of this dynamic and progressive city showing up and support them in droves, the city’s annual Pride festivities spill out from June’s Pride Week into the entire month—with a few events kicking off the season in May and lingering well into the rest of the summer. Everyone gets in on the action, with breweries creating special beers to support Pride and LGBTQIA+ causes around the country, drag shows working the crowds at the aquarium, and plenty of incentives to spend money at queer-owned small businesses.
But the heart of the city’s pride celebration comes toward the end of June, when the citywide Seattle Pride parade and carnival-style parties bring a family-friendly feel to the days, and bars and clubs go all out for after-hours entertainment. The sheer quantity of events and the size of Seattle’s community also means there’s something for people of every stripe on the Progress Pride flag. Read on to find out more about the most colorful, fabulous, and fun celebrations of Seattle’s 2023 Pride.
Seattle Pride parade, free events and public festivals
Seattle Pride Parade
The state’s largest parade each year is the annual Seattle Pride Parade, returning this year for its 49th edition on June 25 with a “Galactic Love” theme. The more than 200 participating groups march along Fourth Avenue from Pike Street to Seattle Center, where it disperses into the day’s PrideFest. The Seattle Pride Parade starts at 11am and is free to watch from the streets along the route, with free ADA priority seating. Grandstand tickets start at $40, with a 50% discount for BIPOC attendees.
Seattle PrideFest
The country’s largest free Pride Festival happens over the course of two days, June 24 and 25, from noon to 8 pm, in two different locations, making sure that everyone has a chance to celebrate the community. Seattle PrideFest begins Saturday on Capitol Hill with three stages, two beverage gardens, and more than 100 vendors. The various music, drag shows, karaoke, and other activities include ones specifically geared towards children, youth, and even dogs. The party continues on Sunday at Seattle Center with a similar but even bigger party celebrating the resiliency of the LGBTQIA+ community and its fight for a more equitable and inclusive world.
Trans Pride Seattle
This year, Trans Pride Seattle celebrates its 10th anniversary during the festival at Volunteer Park Amphitheater on June 23, from 6 to 9:30 pm. Organized by Gender Justice League, the event eschews corporate sponsorship in favor of supportive community organizations, and no longer includes a march in order to sidestep the requirement for a police escort at an event often at odds with cops. The result is a supportive, accessible event promoting the visibility and acceptance of trans and gender-diverse people, with art, performances, and resources from, by, and for the community.
Seattle Dyke March
For almost two decades, the local tradition of the Seattle Dyke March has given space and voice to queer women and dyke-identified people with an event open to all. This year’s event on June 24 starts with a rally at the Volunteer Park Amphitheater, with the march to follow.
Capitol Hill Pride
Most of the neighborhood pride events happen earlier in the month, with the city-wide events dominating the big week. But since Capitol Hill is the cultural center of the city’s LGBTQIA+ community and where much of the action happens during Pride anyway, it fits that Capitol Hill Pride happens on June 24. This free event sets itself apart by promoting “no fees, no fences, just Pride,” and includes a march, rally, and events like the doggy drag costume contest and Pride putt putt.
Repeating events to check out
Le Faux Productions at Julia’s on Broadway has long been a local favorite for its drag cabaret show, and they don’t stop during Pride. Check out the Las Vegas-style show Friday and Saturday nights, or Saturday and Sunday brunch. Get more cabaret kicks at the Unicorn, which hosts Mimosas Cabaret for brunch every Sunday. Broadway hits become half-hour drag-stravaganzas, and this month’s delight will be “Sistah Act.”
Two local hotels are trying on drag brunch this month, too. Frolik, inside Motif Seattle, hosts them on Sundays, with a specific Pride Brunch on June 25, which will mean that along with the buffet, DJ, and drag performances, guests get a view of the parade as it goes by. Outlier, at Hotel Monaco, will host a Pride-themed Drag Brunch on June 24. The following day, it hosts a Pride Parade Pre-game on the patio with rainbow Jell-o shots, drag queen Pride trivia, and free pup cups for furry friends.
