Happy Pride Month.
A celebration of LGBTQ+ rights nationwide and a celebration love in all its forms, Pride Month offers plenty of chances to have fun, educate yourself and allow everyone to be their authentic selves.
Here’s what to know about Pride Month, and where to celebrate around Delaware.
What is pride month?
Pride Month is celebrated nationwide throughout the month of June, commemorating the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York.
In late June of 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a notorious gay bar in Manhattan. Protests ensued over the following week in what is largely recognized as the beginning of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.
The parades, celebrations and color that Pride events have come to be known for began a year after the Stonewall protests. With its emphasis on love and community, it also calls attention to the work that needs to be done on the front of LGBTQ+ rights.
At a time when LGBTQ+ rights are at the forefront of the national conversation, this year’s Pride Month celebrates the resilience of a community that continues to face cultural and legislative discrimination.
Where to celebrate in Delaware
DE Pride’s annual Delaware Pride Festival is the biggest pride event happening in the state. The event is open to the public and will take place on Saturday, June 10 at the Legislative Hall in Dover from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Over 80 entertainers and vendors are booked alongside a kid zone and beer garden for all ages to celebrate.
The LGBTQ+ nonprofit organization CAMP Rehoboth is also hosting a variety of events this June. The group will host its “white party luau” fundraiser for the third year in a row on June 17 from 5:30 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at The Lodge at Truitt Homestead. Admission is $75, which includes hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and live music.
CAMP Rehoboth will also host a handmade market featuring work from local LGBTQ+ artists and makers on Friday June 9. Taking place at the CAMP Rehoboth Courtyard at 37 Baltimore Avenue, it will also feature live music and vendors.
The Brandywine Zoo will host its third annual Pride Day on June 24 from 10:00 until 3:30 p.m. Guests are encouraged to wear their pride colors to the events which will feature education programming, a scavenger hunt, storytime and more. The events are included with the price of regular zoo admission.
Cinema Art Theater in Lewes will partner with Rehoboth Beach Society June 9-11 for a PRIDE Film Festival. Eight films will be featured over the three days, including a late night special feature of the cult-classic Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Drag shows in Delaware
No pride celebration is complete without the one-of-a-kind entertainment that drag shows provide. Luckily, there are plenty of options in Delaware to check them out, and support a good cause in the process.
Milton Theatre will host its Born This Way drag show on June 9, with $22 tickets for the night. The show will start at 8:00 p.m. and will feature Alondra Sanchez and Ariel Versace from RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Dockland’s Riverfront in Wilmington will host its second annual Docklands Divas Pride Drag Brunch on June 3. Doors will open at noon and the show begins at 1:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 and anticipated to sell out quickly.
Aptly named for the celebration, The Queen in Wilmington will host a drag brunch on June 17 at noon. General admission tickets include one brunch menu item and one drink while watching the show, starting at $39 per ticket. VIP tickets are $61.50 each and include a “queen-sized” drink and a photo-op with the drag queens following their performance.
Contact Molly McVety at mmcvety@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @mollymcvety.
