Columbus Pride Festival and Parade are the highlights of June in Columbus, the 14th biggest city in the U.S., which is considered to be among the most LGBTQ+ friendly cities in the United States. The Pride celebration features an array of events and activities, culminating with the annual procession, commemorating the Stonewall protests. Other events include the City Hall Pride Illumination, Stonewall Columbus Pride Brunch (fundraiser) at Columbus Athenaeum, a Pride Ride Challenge w/ Pelotonia, and the Pride 5k w/ Fleet Feet Runners.
Columbus Pride March (June 15, 2024)
Columbus Pride Parade features about 17,000 participants, including LGBTQ+ non-profits, community groups, corporate sponsors, businesses, celebrities, and politicians. The tradition of celebrating LGBTQ+ activism in Columbus appeared in 1981 when the first parade ran, featuring just 200 marchers. Recently, every edition of the Columbus Pride Festival and Parade has gathered about 750,000 attendees and spectators.
The parade takes off at 10:30 am on Saturday, starting at Goodale Park (N High St & W Poplar Ave), then heads south on High Street, crosses Broad Street, turns to Rich Street towards the Bicentennial Park and ends at S Civic Center Dr & W Rich St. Note: the route might be subject to change.
Parking
Parade organizers encourage everyone to use public transportation, carpooling, and ride-share services to get to the festival. Residential permits are needed for some areas of downtown and the Short North, so car owners will have to look for garage parking and designated parking zones in the area.
Columbus Pride Festival (June 14-15, 2024)
The Parade is followed by the annual Columbus Pride Festival at Goodale Park in the Victorian Village area of Columbus. Being one of the most massive Pride celebrations in the region, the festival gathers over 500,000 people. The event features live music on three stages, lots of entertainment, over 180 vendors, and designated areas for teens and families. The festival runs from 4 pm to 10 pm on Friday and from 11 am to 8 pm on Saturday. Columbus Pride Brunch takes place at the Greater Columbus Convention Center on Sunday, between 11 am and 1 pm.
Columbus Pride Festival and Parade History
Central Ohio's Annual Festival and Parade for the LGBTQIA+ community was founded in 1981. It features over 200 different marching contingents, representing various community organizations, NGOs, sponsors. In 2005 Stonewall Columbus purchased the building to create a center for various services and needs of the LGBTQ+ community. Since In 2013, the organization has been raising funds to help revamp the Center on High.
