Phoenix Pride

Phoenix Pride unites, educates and engages people to support and empower the LGBTQ+ community and its allies across metro Phoenix. Its story begins in 1981, when a group of gay and lesbian activists organized the first Pride march through downtown Phoenix to the state Capitol, a politically focused walk to bring awareness to gay rights. A committee of volunteers later took up the annual Pride festival, and the work grew into the nonprofit that stands today, incorporated in Arizona in 1990 and recognized as a 501(c)(3) educational organization.

Today Phoenix Pride produces the two largest LGBTQ+ cultural celebrations in Arizona. The Phoenix Pride Festival & Parade takes place each October: the 2026 weekend opens with a Pre-Pride Coming Out Concert on Saturday at The Arizona Center, followed on Sunday by the parade, which steps off at 10 am and travels south on 3rd Street to the festival entrance. The Festival offers free registration, general admission and VIP tiers, an exhibitor marketplace, a community stage and a main stage, the Arts Expo, and KidSpace, a craft and play area for children 12 and under. ASL interpreters are present at the announcement stages and along the parade route, and the festival's accessibility page lays out parking and access details. In the spring, Phoenix Pride also produces the Rainbows Festival & Street Fair at Heritage Square Park in downtown Phoenix, a free, pet-friendly, family-friendly weekend with local food trucks and two stages of entertainment.

Between the big weekends, the calendar stays full. The Pride Awards Reception presents annual Spirit Awards to community members, businesses and organizations. The Miss & Mister Phoenix Pride Pageant names the faces of the organization for the year, and the Miss & Mister Junior Pageant gives young people a stage, with categories such as Creative Rainbow Wear, On-Stage Question and Talent. A free Mental Health & Wellness event brings local organizations and resources together, the Community Unity 5k runs in November, and a Pride Month calendar gathers parties, theater nights, markets and sports nights across the Valley. The Call to Artists invites local artists into the Festival's Arts Expo.

Giving back is central. Funds generated by Pride events flow into the Phoenix Pride Community Foundation, which has distributed more than $1.6 million since 2008 through scholarships, community grants and partnership support. The Scholarship Program, administered with the Arizona Community Foundation, serves high school seniors, current college students and adult re-entry students who identify as LGBTQ+ or as allies and attend any FAFSA-accredited postsecondary school. Community Grants provide project-based funding to nonprofits serving Maricopa County's LGBTQ+ community, and the Partnership Grants Program lets LGBTQ+-focused nonprofits earn charitable credits by volunteering at Phoenix Pride events.

Phoenix Pride also helps protect the community's memory. The Arizona LGBT+ History Project, a collaboration with Marshall Shore and ASU Libraries, encourages people to preserve the documents, stories and keepsakes that tell Arizona's LGBTQ+ history, and the organization raises funds to maintain the rainbow crosswalks near the Southwest Center and in the Melrose district.

People can get involved by volunteering at the Phoenix Pride office or on an event committee (admissions, arts, entertainment, KidSpace, parade, photography and more), applying to join the board or its committees, walking in the parade, exhibiting, sponsoring or donating. General questions can be sent by phone at (602) 277-7433 or through the online contact form.