Austin Pride Festival and Parade

Austin Pride is the city's official Pride celebration, organized by The Austin Pride Foundation. An all-day festival at Fiesta Gardens is followed by a night parade that starts at 8 p.m. at the Texas State Capitol and travels south on Congress Avenue to the Congress Avenue Bridge. The event is held in August rather than June, when more college volunteers are in town. The 2026 theme was Viva la Resistencia.

The Austin Pride Foundation was formed in 2010 and is a fully volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Along with the annual Pride celebration, it organizes the Stonewall Rally. Its stated mission is to educate, provide resources for and connect the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community in Austin, and organizers describe the aim of Pride as bringing the whole LGBTQ+ community together in a safe, inclusive setting that honors its diversity and builds connection and visibility.

Pride season in Austin includes more than the festival and parade. The Mr/Ms/Mx/Elite Austin PRIDE Pageant is the official pageant of Austin Pride and takes applications each year. The foundation also hosts the Big Gay Brunch, which in 2026 was a partnership with The Brewtorium and drag performer Miss Kelly Kline. The 2026 festival and parade took place on August 22.

Pride events celebrate LGBTQ+ people and mark the Stonewall uprising of June 1969. Most combine a parade or march with a festival of performers, community groups, vendors and food.

Austin Pride Festival and Parade has included festival, night parade and pageant.

The organizer has not announced dates for 2027 yet. In 2026 it was held August 22, 2026. It usually falls a Saturday in late August.