Delaware Ohio Pride Festival

The Delaware Ohio Pride Festival is a daytime Pride festival in downtown Delaware. The 2026 festival was held at Boardman Arts Park with vendors and a drag show lineup.

Delaware Ohio Pride grew out of a 2019 controversy at the local library. A group of teens had asked for a Drag 101 program on the history and art of drag, to be led by Columbus drag performer Selena West in a library community room. After the library received angry calls, some with veiled threats against staff and participants, the director canceled it. A downtown comic book shop owner then closed her store for an afternoon to host the workshop, and hundreds of supporters, including other drag performers, lined the street. Seeing that response, Delaware natives Lee and Spencer Webb decided Delaware County needed an LGBTQ+ advocacy group.

The festival takes place at Boardman Arts Park at 154 West William Street from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is free and open to all ages, with more than 80 vendors, performances, drag shows and local food trucks. Families will find crafts, games, story times, face painting and special guest appearances.

Parking near the park is limited, so organizers recommend ride-share. They also suggest bringing water, sunscreen, a lawn chair or blanket, and some cash for small purchases and for tipping performers. In 2026 the group invited community members to submit designs for its Pride logo.

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.

Delaware Ohio Pride Festival has included festival, vendors and drag show.

The organizer has not announced dates for 2027 yet. In 2026 it was held June 6, 2026. It usually falls early June.