Houston Gay Pride Festival and Nighttime Parade
Houston, Texas, USA
Late JuneDescription
- About Pride Houston - Pride Houston, a 501(c)(3) organization, is dedicated to celebrating individual gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Pride, commemorating our community's history, and celebrating who we are as a people. The organization sponsors a number of cultural, social, and civic events throughout the year which lead up to Pride Month in June and culminate with the annual Pride Festival and Parade.

The organization offers a wide variety of events and sponsorship opportunities that provide the best way to reach the GLBT community in Houston and beyond.

- Event Overview - The Houston Pride Festival and Parade is a family-friendly celebration of Houston's large and diverse gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered communities. This annual event, the largest Gay Pride in the Southwest, draws 50,000+ participants from around the state, region, and country for a full day of educational, commemorative, and celebratory activities. The Festival runs from 2 pm to 8 pm, and the nightime Parade kicks off at 8:45 pm.

- The 2007 Houston Pride Festival - There’s only one place to be on the afternoon of Pride Day—the 2007 Houston Pride Festival! Come on out June 23rd from 2 pm - 8 pm and celebrate the GLBT community as Pride Houston throws a fun-filled street carnival in the heart of Montrose.

The 2006 Pride Festival blew away all expectations for attendance. As a result, this year’s festival will be even bigger and will include even more food, more activities, more places to cool off and relax with friends, and more entertainment than ever before.

The festival is more than a party, though. It’s also a place to learn about our history and discover those organizations that are working to make our community better. This year’s festival will include an exhibit of artifacts from the history of the GLBT rights movement, as well as pavilions showcasing over 125 local businesses and non-profits that support our community. Stop by to learn, shop, and get involved.

- The 2007 Houston Pride Parade - Whether you are one of the 1000+ participants or one of the 50,000+ attendees, there is nothing quite like the exhilaration of Houston's annual Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Pride Parade. As America's original *nighttime* Pride Parade, it holds a unique place in the hearts of Houstonians and the many visitors who come to the Parade from throughout Texas and Louisiana and from other parts of the country.

The Parade is a thrill for spectators all the way down Westheimer from Woodhead to Whitney. Throughout the route, the Parade is an empowering blend of light, color and sound with beautiful illuminated floats, costumes and performances. Its Mardi Gras heritage is evident in the traditional throwing of beads and trinkets to attendees. Be sure to join us for the 29th annual Houston Pride Parade on June 23, 2007.

Performers
The Houston Pride Festival features two stages of entertainment that run continuously throughout the day. The Community Stage focuses on the best in local talent, while the Headliner Stage features nationally- and internationally-known performers. Past performers include pioneering queer-punk band Pansy Division, 2005 Outmusic Award winner Rachel Sage, and multi-platinum and Grammy-nominated performers Sophie B. Hawkins and Taylor Dayne. Performers for the 2007 Festival are currently being selected.
Venue
Montrose
Directions
The Houston Pride Festival and Parade are conveniently located in the Montrose District of Houston, close to downtown. The Festival is located near the corner of Westheimer Road and Montrose Boulevard, and the Parade runs on Westheimer Road from Woodhead Street to Whitney Street. The Festival and Parade sites may be easily reached from I-10 by exiting at Studemont and heading south; Studemont bcomes Montrose Boulevard. If coming from US-59, simply exit at the US-527 spur and continue on it until you reach Elgin. Turn left on Elgin and it will become Westheimer Road.
Times
Festival: 2:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Parade: 8:45pm - 12:00 am
Admission & Parking
Festival admission is $5.00 in advance
$10.00 General Admission
Viewing the parade is FREE (bleacher seating available for $25.00)
Website
http://www.pridehouston.org
Infophone
713--529-6979
Email
info@pridehouston.org