The Montclair Pride Festival has been postponed until Aug. 1 because of funding shortfalls, the loss of its presenting sponsor, and logistical problems caused by the FIFA World Cup, festival organizers said in a news release issued June 1.
Out Montclair Inc., the organization that puts on the festival, said the event still faces cancellation and has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover expenses.
The decision to postpone the event “was made by Out Montclair, in accordance with the Township of Montclair and our public safety partners, after careful evaluation of the financial and operational requirements necessary to safely produce the festival while keeping it free and accessible to the public,” Out Montclair said in the release.
Ese Esan, communications manager at GoFundMe, said in a statement that Out Montclair faces its first potential cancellation of the festival in its five-year history after losing its presenting sponsor and seeing mounting municipal costs leave a $55,000 gap just days before the event. The festival had been set for June 13 at Lackawanna Station.
“Out Montclair launched a GoFundMe (campaign) to help cover mandatory public safety expenses required by the township, including police, firefighters, and EMS…” Esan said. As of 1:55 p.m. June 2, 76 donations were made, according to the GoFundMe site, raising $7,116. That’s 13 percent of the organization’s $55K goal.
The situation, Esan continued, reflects a national trend in diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, rollbacks pushing corporations away from Pride sponsorships, leaving community-run organizations to fill the gaps.
“If the funds are not raised in time, the township will cancel the event, leaving one of the region’s most visible celebrations of LGBTQIA+ life dark for the first time,” Esan said.
Those who wish to donate can go here: gofundme.com/f/save-montclair-pride-2026.
In its release, Montclair Pride echoed Esan’s comments by saying that the organization, like many Pride organizations across the country, has experienced significant sponsorship challenges this year. “While Out Montclair has secured many generous sponsors and community partners, the loss of a major presenting sponsor created a substantial funding gap that requires additional time to address,” the organization said.
Audi had been the presenting sponsor and will not be sponsoring the event this year.
“Unfortunately, we were not able to sponsor this year’s event due to conflicting planning deadlines with the event organizers, however, we look forward to exploring sponsorship for next year’s event,” Audi spokesperson Michele Lucarelli said in an email.
Out Montclair Director of Events Genevieve Wrenn said in an email that Audi was a valued partner of Montclair Pride for several years and the organization is grateful for its support, adding that “while we weren’t able to secure a sponsorship agreement for 2026, we remain hopeful about bringing them back as a sponsor for 2027.”
She also noted that Gilead, Ikea, and Acme/Kings Market are among those that stopped sponsorship as well.
Dana Ward, a spokesperson for Acme/Kings Market said in an email: “We value the opportunity to support the communities we serve. Sponsorship decisions are made locally based on available resources, and while we were not able to sponsor Montclair Pride this year, we continue to support Pride events in the region, including Chester County Pride in Pennsylvania and Montgomery County Pride in Maryland.”
Gilead and Ikea did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Out Montclair’s efforts to reduce expenses for public safety and operations by relocating the festival to Lackawanna Station and having new community partners step forward to help support the event could not close the funding gap in time, according to the organization.
Out Montclair said that this year presented unique logistical challenges.
“June 13 coincides with the opening day of the FIFA World Cup in New Jersey, creating extraordinary demand on public safety resources throughout the region,” the organization said, adding that as a result, municipal service planning and funding commitments had to be secured significantly earlier than in previous years.
“The Township of Montclair has been working closely with Out Montclair throughout this process. The Montclair Police Department, the Montclair Ambulance Unit, the Montclair Fire Department, the Department of Public Works, and other municipal partners remain diligent in ensuring appropriate public safety measures are in place for events of this size,” the organization said.
Mayor Renée Baskerville, it continued, has been a strong supporter of Montclair Pride and the LGBTQ community. The mayor has regularly participated in Pride events, including the annual Pride Flag Raising Ceremony, according to the organization.
“Montclair Pride has always been about ensuring that every member of our community can participate, regardless of their financial circumstances,” Out Montclair President and Co-Founder Reubena Spence said in the release. “We made the conscious decision to keep Montclair Pride free rather than shifting these costs onto attendees through admission fees.
“While postponing the festival was a difficult decision, we believe it is the responsible one. This additional time will allow us to secure the resources necessary to deliver the safe, welcoming, and inclusive event our community deserves.”
The organization said that community partners and sponsors are integral to the event’s success.
A new community partner that stepped forward to help, the organization noted, is MM by Morimoto, the recently opened Montclair restaurant from acclaimed Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. The restaurant signed on as the Beacon Sponsor and host of the Montclair Pride VIP Hospitality Tent.
In addition, the organization said that the Montclair Center Business Improvement District remains one of the festival’s most important partners, supporting its production and marketing as well as outreach to local businesses.
Longtime sponsors, the organization noted, include Porta Montclair, Montclair State University, Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center, RWJ Barnabas Health, Valley Bank, the MC Hotel, KPMG, West of Hudson Real Estate, Through the Lens Studios, and many others. In addition, both Valley Bank and The MC Hotel increased their sponsorship levels in 2026, the organization said.
“Out Montclair remains confident that its partners and the community will come together once again to celebrate Montclair Pride’s fifth anniversary on August 1,” the organization said.
The festival drew more than 30,000 attendees in 2024 and nearly 19,000 in 2025 despite the rain, according to Esan.
UPDATE: This story has been updated with comment from Audi and Acme/Kings Market.
