Newark Pride will celebrate its 20th Annual Newark Pride Festival starting July 7, and the parade and festival will held on July 13. This year’s theme is “Reclaiming OUR Time: Legacy of Resistance.” The festival week will honor two decades of pride in New Jersey’s largest city.
Organizers said, “It will be a celebration of collective resilience and joy, while centering the legacy of those whose lives and activism have fueled our ongoing fight for liberation.”
“Here in Newark, we are proud of our efforts to support the rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ residents,” said Mayor Ras J. Baraka. We are committed to equality for all in our society, and are determined to be leaders in this civil rights struggle. Working together across state and city lines, we will transform America into a truly stronger nation.”
The festival launches on Monday, July 7 with a Progressive Pride Flag Raising at Newark City Hall, followed by a community reception at Chateau of Spain. The week’s programming includes a wide range of events — from the Sakia Gunn Day of Service on Tuesday, to mixers, pageants, screenings, and nightlife across the city.
Friday spotlights the return of the Brick City Comedy Revue and the highly anticipated 4th Annual Legacy Ball at NJPAC. Saturday brings the chic Pride En Blanc Brunch Soiree, a community bar crawl, and the vibrant Pride Pajama Jam.
The celebration reaches its peak on Sunday, July 13 with the 20th Annual Newark Pride Parade, followed by the Newark Pride Festival in the Park at Mulberry Commons, headlined by national artist Dawn Richard and regional star TheARTi$T, and hosted by Milan Garcon and Gotti Fox.
“Newark Pride was born in the aftermath of tragedy — the 2003 murder of Sakia Gunn, a 15-year-old Black lesbian killed in a hate crime just blocks from Newark City Hall,” said Newark Pride in a press release. “Her death shook the city and ignited a movement demanding justice, visibility, and protection for LGBTQ+ youth of color. For 20 years, Newark Pride has carried forward that spirit of resistance — transforming grief into action, and silence into visibility.”
This year’s celebration is made possible by the support of corporate sponsors and community partners: Festivals United, Skittles, NYC Pride (Heritage of Pride), Prudential Foundation, Gilead, ViiV Healthcare, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, University Hospital, and The City of Newark.
Newark Pride invites all residents, allies, and advocates to join in commemorating this historic milestone. For more information, volunteer opportunities, and the full schedule of events, visit newarkpride.org
