February 27, 2023
BUFFALO, NY – Buffalo Pride Week organizers announced today that the annual celebration, which includes the Pride Parade and Pride Festival, will be held Tuesday, May 30 to Sunday, June 4. This year’s theme is “Show up. Turn up.” The celebration’s featured tagline will be: “We show up because there’s much to fight for. We turn up because there’s much to celebrate.”
“As we prepare for this year’s Buffalo Pride Week, we reflect on just how important it is to continue this tradition – and to show individuals that our community welcomes and celebrates our differences,” said Justin Azzarella, chief strategy officer, Evergreen Health. “We’re also excited to introduce this year’s theme as we look to honor both the obstacles the LGBTQ+ community still faces as well as the strides we’ve made by showing up together in the spirit of love and inclusivity.”
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 annual weeklong celebration, which traditionally includes family-friendly events, fitness-related events, art events, club parties, and much more at various locations and venues throughout Western New York, is hosted by Evergreen Health Foundation, an affiliate of Evergreen Health and presented by Evergreen Health and M&T Bank.
M&T Bank Chief Diversity Officer Glenn Jackson said, “At M&T, we’re building a culture of belonging where everyone can truly be their authentic selves at work. It’s a culture we want to spread far beyond the walls of our workplaces and into our communities across Western New York. As we look forward to this year’s Buffalo Pride Week, our commitment to the work ahead grows even deeper. Standing with the LGBTQ+ community, we’ll continue to show up and turn up, fighting for equality and inclusion and celebrating our victories along the way.”
Two signature events, the Pride Parade and Pride Festival, will take place on Sunday, June 4. The Parade will take place along its normal route, beginning at the corner of Elmwood Avenue and Forest Avenue and ending in Allentown. The Festival will take place at Canalside and feature community organizations, family activities, food and beverage vendors, retail vendors, and live performances. Proceeds from the Parade and Festival support Buffalo Pride Week, and the mission and programming of the Pride Center of Western New York, an affiliate of Evergreen Health.
“Thanks to the generous support our community provides during and before Buffalo Pride Week, the Pride Center of Western New York can continue to be a resource to all that we serve, support established and new programs and services, and partner with other organizations to ensure that Western New York is a safe and healthy place for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, nonbinary, and queer individuals to live, work and establish their families,” said Kelly Craig, MPA, executive director, Pride Center of Western New York. “We look forward to showing up to this year’s events and celebrating proudly with our friends from all over Buffalo and the Western New York region.”
2023 Buffalo Pride Week is also sponsored by Buffalo Sabres Foundation, Dunkin’, Highmark BlueCross BlueShield, Independent Health, Linde, Try-It Distributing/Labatt USA, Rich Products, Univera Healthcare, Wegmans, and many more community partners.
Beginning today, Buffalo Pride Week participants are welcome to:
For more information, visit buffaloprideweek.com.
About The Evergreen Health Foundation
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.
About Evergreen Health
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. For more information, visit www.evergreenhs.org.
About Pride Center of Western New York
The Pride Center of Western New York, an affiliate of Evergreen Health, is a Buffalo-based 501(c)(3) health promotion organization specializing in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) health and HIV prevention. Established in 2001, the Pride Center’s goal is to promote the lifelong health and well-being of LGBTQ+ people.
M&T Bank
M&T Bank Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Buffalo, New York. M&T’s principal banking subsidiary, M&T Bank, provides banking products and services in 12 states across the eastern U.S. from Maine to Virginia and Washington, D.C. Trust-related services are provided in select markets in the U.S. and abroad by M&T’s Wilmington Trust-affiliated companies and by M&T Bank.