Keene Pride Festival

Keene Pride runs a Pride week in the Monadnock region that ends with a festival on Central Square in downtown Keene. The festival includes artisans, nonprofits, live music, food trucks, circus acts, and drag performers.

Keene Pride's mission is to raise the visibility of LGBTQ+ people in the Monadnock region, a community the group says has long been under-recognized and under-served. It creates community-building programs, produces events for youth and adults through the year, and works to build a coalition of services, organizations and businesses that serve LGBTQ+ residents.

The group describes its festival as the largest Pride event in the region, with more than 5,000 attendees and around 150 vendors, including artisans, nonprofits, bands, food trucks, circus performers, drag queens and drag kings. Past headliners have included drag performer Sherry Vine, and local drag artist Miss Ginger Soulless is a founding member and the board's vice president. Vendors have ranged from a 4-H robotics club to a local church.

Volunteers staff a kids area with games and bounce houses, a youth booth with button-making and art, cotton candy and popcorn booths, a dunk tank, a merchandise table and a makeup booth where volunteers create looks for festivalgoers. Medically trained volunteers are asked to help in the kids area, where first aid kits are kept.

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.

Keene Pride Festival has included pride week, festival and drag performances.

Organizers reported over 5,000 attendees and 150 vendors people in 2025.

The organizer has not announced dates for 2027 yet. In 2026 it was held September 20, 2026. It usually falls mid to late September.