Ithaca Pride Festival

The Ithaca Pride Festival is a three-day community celebration run by the Ithaca Pride Alliance. It includes the RainbowFest queer rock concert, an opening celebration and all-ages dance party on the Commons, and Pride in the Park at DeWitt Park. 2026 was the third annual festival.

The Ithaca Pride Alliance was founded in 2023 by local organizers who had been building queer events in Tompkins County, including earlier Pride programming with the Downtown Ithaca Alliance. The alliance is run entirely by volunteers, and its board oversees operations, event planning, finances and volunteer coordination, with members drawn from local businesses, performers and organizers, colleges and families.

The weekend opens with RainbowFest, an all-ages queer rock concert hosted by Ithaca Underground that features bands from the region. The Saturday kick-off dance party is designed for kids and adults together, with guest speakers, a DJ, a light show and community activities.

Pride in the Park begins with morning access hours without amplified sound. The day includes a performance stage with drag artists, musicians and family story time, a community hub with local artist vendors, LGBTQ+ resource and advocacy groups and queer-owned and queer-supporting businesses, and a family and youth area meant for families of all structures. Volunteers work two-hour shifts and receive a free T-shirt, and a printed Pride Guide is available at sponsor locations and Pride events around town.

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.

Ithaca Pride Festival has included festival, concert, dance and family events.

Organizers reported nearly 5,000 people in 2025.

The organizer has not announced dates for 2027 yet. In 2026 it was held June 12-14, 2026. It usually falls second weekend of June.