June 1, 2023
BUFFALO, NY – JUNE 1, 2023 – Buffalo Pride Week organizers are putting the final preparations in place for the Pride Parade and Festival taking place this Sunday, June 4. The theme of this year’s events is “Show Up. Turn Up” – we show up because there’s much to fight for and we turn up because there’s much to celebrate. Event organizers are announcing all the details everyone will need to have a safe and fun weekend.
Pride Parade – Sunday, June 4, 2023, 11:00 a.m.
Step off at Elmwood Avenue and Forest Avenue
The Parade travels south on Elmwood Avenue starting at Forest Avenue and ends at Allen Street. Approximately 250 community organizations and floats will participate. It’s free and open to the public. People can also view the parade via live stream at wkbw.com starting at 11 a.m.
Pride Festival – Sunday, June 4, 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Canalside
The Pride Festival is a vibrant celebration of Western New York’s LGBTQ+ community that features entertainment, family-friendly activities, food and beverages, live performances and nonprofit and retail vendors. Proceeds from the Pride Festival support Buffalo Pride Week, and the mission and programming of the Pride Center of Western New York, an affiliate of Evergreen Health. Tickets are available for purchase on buffaloprideweek.com. General admission tickets are $10 if purchased in advance online or $20 if purchased on the day of the event at the festival’s entrance or online. Individuals aged 15 and under are able to attend the Festival free of charge. Here is a Festival FAQ, which includes a list of items not permitted at the event.
National guests:
Local talent:
The safety and security of our LGBTQ+ community, allies, volunteers, parade and festival goers, sponsors and vendors are the top priority for event organizers. Evergreen Health is working closely with the Buffalo Police, University Police at Buffalo State, VISTA Security, AMR, and Canalside management to help ensure everyone’s safety during the Pride Parade and Festival.
In addition to the Pride Parade and Festival, there are events taking place throughout the month of June at various locations throughout Western New York, including family-friendly events, fitness-related events, art events, club parties and much more. Affirming organizations, businesses and individuals can still submit their events to buffaloprideweek.com to be included on the website’s community calendar.
The mission of Buffalo Pride Week is to uplift the LGBTQ+ community by raising awareness and providing access to diverse events that bring people together in the spirit of celebration, advocacy and community engagement. The weeklong celebration is hosted by Evergreen Health Foundation, an affiliate of Evergreen Health, and is presented by Evergreen Health and M&T Bank. Proceeds from the Pride Festival supports the mission and programming of the Pride Center of Western New York, an affiliate of Evergreen Health.
2023 Buffalo Pride Week is also sponsored by Alzheimer’s Association of WNY, Banshee Irish Pub, Barefoot Wine, BryLin, Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Magazine, Buffalo Sabres Foundation, CannonDesign, Christopher J. Tyrpak, Attorney at Law, Colton RV, Curtiss Hotel, Dunkin’, Explore & More, Fisher-Price, Highmark BlueCross BlueShield, Hodgson Russ LLC, HSBC, Independent Health, Lawley, Life Storage, Linde, Millington Lockwood, National Grid, Phillips Lytle, Quest Diagnostics, Rich Products, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Salvatore’s, Service Bridges, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Tito’s Vodka, Try-It Distributing/Labatt USA, Univera Healthcare, Wegmans, and WKBW.
The Evergreen Health Foundation, an affiliate of Evergreen Health, coordinates and manages the Buffalo Pride Parade and Pride Festival as a way to give back to the communities served by Evergreen Health and its affiliate organizations.
Evergreen Health fosters healthy communities by providing medical, supportive, and behavioral services to individuals and families in Western New York – especially those who are living with chronic illness or who are underserved by the healthcare system.
M&T Bank is a multi-state community-focused bank serving New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. Founded in 1856, M&T Bank and its affiliates provide banking, investment, insurance and mortgage financial services to consumer, business and government clients.
Editor’s note:
Media interviews
Pride Parade – Sunday, June 4
Ideal time for interviews will be 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. during float set up at Buffalo State University, lot R14 (1300 Elmwood Ave.)
Pride Festival – Sunday, June 4
If you would like to attend the Festival, please enter at the entrance marked with the pink star on the attached map. You’ll have the opportunity to shoot video and take photos. Interview opportunities may be limited.