Loud & Proud

Cincinnati Pride Parade and Festival

Saturday, June 22

11 a.m., parade
12–9 p.m, Festival
Sawyer Point

For more information visit www.cincinnatipride.org.

This year marks the 51st annual Cincinnati Pride.

“We have a much more diverse group of talent on our three stages this year, from drag artists to musicians to choirs to dance troupes, trying to showcase all different types of art within our community”, says Jake Hitch, director of communications for the festival.

This year’s festival headliner is indie pop group, The Aces, as well as Canadian singer and reality television drag artist Priyanka. Both headliners serve as pivotal influencers in the LGBTQ+ community.

Along with the diverse music lineup, the festival includes a family fun zone with inflatables, a sober zone, a teen zone, an art zone, a silent disco, as well as the food trucks, more than 100 local vendors.

Cincinnati Pride provides a platform that encourages acceptance and affirms individuality within the LGBTQIA+ community. Both the festival and the parade offer action-seeking individuals a voice to make an impact regarding the equality.

This year, the parade, in partnership with Transform Cincy, selected transgender youth to be the 2024 Grand Marshals. Transform Cincy is an organization that works with transgender and gender non-conforming youth to provide free wardrobes.

Cincinnati Pride partners with organizations and businesses like Transform Cincy to provide ally-safe options and resources that raise awareness about LGBTQ+ issues. These organizations utilize educational workshops, outreach programs, and a variety of other tools to support LGBTQ+ members. The Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization (BRAVO), a program of Equitas Health, has teamed with Cincinnati Pride this year and has created a theme, “Take Pride in Your Health” to connect the people of Cincinnati to a welcoming and inclusive healthcare service.

“Each year, Pride is among our greatest opportunities to interface with current and future patients,” says Anthony Clemente, BRAVO’S director of marketing communications. “In Cincinnati, more than 100,000 people gather for the event each year. Our team marches in the parade and sets up shop at the festival, where we talk to attendees about healthcare services like primary care, pharmacy, gender-affirming care, HIV/STI testing, and mental health.”

The expected attendance approximates nearly 250,000 individuals, making Cincinnati Pride the city’s third largest annual event.

– Sydney Carter