As pride month comes to a close, New York is celebrating the StoneWall riots 50th anniversary with the “World Pride Festival” this Sunday.
Half a century ago, a popular gay bar in Greenwich village – the now infamous “Stonewall Inn”– was raided by police. The inn was a safe haven for queer people, a recreational space where they faced no judgement. On on June 28th, 1969 – now memorialized and revered as a day of respect – they were subjected to inhumane, foul treatment. Inciting a six day riot, the queer community protested for civil rights and fought relentlessly against law enforcement. “The Stonewall Inn Riots” are responsible and celebrated for being the most important step towards the gay liberation movement in the US.
To this day LGBTQIA+ people and allies are still fighting for equality, and celebrate StoneWall as the inception of the gay rights movement. This year, the celebration has been titled World Pride to include revolutionary feats globally. The day will be filled with music, dancing, and people celebrating their right to love freely. It’s bound to be a powerful event!
But what if you can’t make it? Lucky for you there are many other events that you can attend instead – check out a few favorites below, along with a comprehensive list from nycpride.org!
1.The Color Factory Pride Party (Adults only, 21+) – Thursday June 27
- What: An adults only afterhours party in the iconic Color Factory exhibit
- Where: 251 Spring Street
- When: The exhibit opens at 7:30 pm
2. Ladyland Music Festival – Friday, June 28th – Saturday, 29th
- What: Ladyland is an outdoor music festival celebrating pride! There will be a total of 31 artists, performing throughout the weekend.
- Where: The Brooklyn Mirage, 140 Stewart Avenue Brooklyn, NY, 11237
- When: The festival begins at 5pm both days
3. Family Movie Night – Friday, June 28th
- What: An outdoor movie night for families of all kinds! Family Movie Night sponsored by NYC World Pride is geared towards families within the queer community, however any and all are welcome. This year they are screening Disney Pixar’s CoCo
- Where: Pier 45, New York, NY 10014
- When: The movie starts at 6:30
4. Teaze Party (Adults only, 21+) – Saturday June 29th
- What: Teaz is a pride party being held at the DL nightclub. Tickets are required, however the proceeds go towards Sunday’s festival along with other free events, like the family movie night.
- Where: 95 Delancey St, New York, NY 10002
- When: Doors open at 5pm
5 .Pride on Canal operated by Wallplay – June 25th – 30th
- What: A pop-up program On Canal. The initiative begins with a group exhibition at 323 Canal, featuring works created by PRIDE | ON CANAL artists-in-residence, Jonathan Rosen, Kimyon Huggins, Tom Smith with “Tamala: Room with a View” and many more. Other programs include a gay drama screening and a Smirnoff Pride party.
- Where: 301–361 Canal Street, NYC
- When: June 25th – 30th, 2019
- Hours: 7 days a week, 11AM–7PM // Thursday late night, 11AM–9PM
At 325 Canal, Queerskins: A Love Story, – an award-winning VR drama exploring the dynamic tension between the “real” and the virtual, fact and fiction- will run through June 30th. The story revolves around a complex relationship between a devoutly Catholic mother and her gay son who dies of AIDS. The experience is anchored in a physical, interactive, immersive installation in which we recreate a domestic space—Sebastian’s childhood home—populated with historically accurate, crowd-sourced, and curated objects. It’s encouraged to explore this space before or after experiencing virtual reality.
Smirnoff’s House of Pride celebration runs from June 25th – 28th, 2019 (Wednesday – Friday, 12pm – 9pm) at 312-320B Canal Street. They’ve created a series of stereotype-smashing rooms while offering international cocktails, all while paying homage to key moments from history. “A home is not quite a home without the family we choose and the spaces we forge for ourselves.”
Check out the roster of exhibits, screenings, and parties taking place ON CANAL below.
321 Canal – Elepop
323 Canal – Darragh Dandurand
323 Canal – Kimyon Huggins
323 Canal – Guillermo Heinze
323 Canal – Chris Walla
323 Canal – Tom Smith
323 Canal – Jonathan Rosen
323 Canal – KS Brewer
323 Canal – VR Coven
323 Canal – Nicole Ruggiero
325 Canal – Queerskins
327 Canal – 8-Ball Community
357 Canal – MotivNY
359 Canal – Matchaful
361 Canal -Adult Swim
310 Canal – Forgotten East
312-322A Canal – Smirnoff: House of Pride
312-322B Canal -Nitemind
6. LGBTQ Photography Exhibition – Beyond Skin by Norman Yip – June 24- 30
- What: Exhibition “BEYOND SKIN BY NORM YIP” on view for World Pride NYC. Raising awareness and support of those seeking marriage equality in the LGBTQ+ community for World Pride 2019 in New York, “a photographic journey of identity, acceptance and beauty”. Following a successful launch in April at River City Gallery in Bangkok Thailand, this is the traveling exhibitions’ first stop in North America, timed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the gay civil rights movement, Stonewall.
- Where: The Untitled Space Gallery 45 Lispenard Street, New York, NY 10013
- When: June 24th – 30th, 2019
- Hours: 12pm to 6pm