Philadelphia will be decked out in rainbow colors Sunday for the city's annual Pride March and Festival. This year, the all-day, outdoor event celebrates "love, light and liberation" for the LGBTQ community and its allies.
Galaei, an organization serving Black, Brown and Indigenous queer people, has taken the reins of the city's flagship Pride celebration after several years in which the event's leadership was in flux. The new celebration, named Pride 365, promotes the ideas of Pride all year long and aims to bring Pride back to its activist roots.
MORE: Check out these Pride Month events happening the first weekend of June in Philly
Though past Pride celebrations have been focused on parades with large floats and corporate banners, Galaei's plans for the march from Independence Hall to the Gayborhood harken back to the Reminder Day demonstrations that were held in front of Independence Hall on Chestnut Street from 1965 until 1969.
The city's first Pride Day celebration, held in 1972, concluded in that same spot.
Whether you're making signs to hold up while marching alongside community leaders or just looking for some fun and meaningful ways to celebrate the season, here's what you need to know about Philly's Pride March and Festival.
What is the route for the Pride March?
The Love Light and Liberation March is open to the city's LGBTQ community and allies, with no registration required. Floats, vehicles and corporate banners will not be allowed, though participants are invited to bring signs and learn chants to recite as they are guided along the march route.
Participants can gather at Sixth and Walnut streets at 10 a.m., with the march slated to begin at 11 a.m. The route heads north on Sixth Street, west on Walnut Street, south on 10th Street and ends at 1100 Locust St., where the Pride 365 Festival commences.
What is happening at the festival?
The Pride 365 Festival features more than 200 small businesses, artists and nonprofit organizations offering everything from themed cocktails to testing for sexually transmitted infections in the Gayborhood from noon to 7 p.m.
Galaei has organized a handful of vibrant "zones" for attendees to visit during the festival.
The Youth and Family Zone, organized by the William Way LGBT Center, Philly Family Pride, Big Brothers, Big Sisters and The Attic Youth Center, has family-friendly activities. It also offers areas for breastfeeding and changing diapers.
There is a dedicated sober space and dry bar where people can enjoy food, mocktails and other non-alcoholic drinks. Located near the food truck market, it includes a stage for DJs and performers.
Need a break from the festivities, there will be a Decompression Zone with seating, water stations and shade next to a resource tent with medical providers, low-volume music, wheelchair docks and free snacks.
There is also a resource center with information on safe sex, STI testing, housing and health care support.
Other sections of the festival focus on Afro-Latino dance culture, the history of the queer liberation movement, community service, Philly's ballroom community, corporate allies and party promoters.
What is the weather forecast?
Expect mostly sunny skies with a high temperature near 72 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The temperature is expected to dip into the low 50s by the end of the night.
What roads will be closed?
Motorists should expect traffic delays around Center City and the Gayborhood, where much of the festivities take place. The following streets will be closed to traffic from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m. Sunday.
• Juniper Street from Walnut to Cypress streets
• Cypress Street from Juniper to 12th streets
• 13th Street from Walnut to Spruce streets
• 12th Street from Walnut to Spruce streets
• Quince Street from Walnut to Locust streets
• Locust Street from Juniper to 12th streets
• Spruce Street from Juniper to 12th streets
• Chancellor Street from Juniper to 12th streets
• St. James Street from 13th to 12th streets
• South Camac Street from Spruce to Walnut streets
• Schubert Alley from South Camac to 12th streets
• Manning Street from South Camac to 12th streets
Parking is not permitted on the closed streets from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Parked vehicles will be relocated. Residents can contact the Sixth Police District for assistance locating vehicles that have been relocated.
What SEPTA routes will be detoured?
SEPTA bus routes 12, 23 and 45 will be detoured from their normal schedules from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. Detours will be posted at each stop and weekend commuters can find specific changes and boarding stations on SEPTA's System Status webpage.