Greensboro Pride Parade Returning For First Time In Nearly 30 Years

Greensboro Pride will mark its 20th anniversary this month by bringing a Pride parade back to downtown Greensboro for the first time in nearly three decades. The Greensboro Pride Parade and Festival will be held Saturday, Sept. 12, with the parade beginning at 10 a.m. along Elm Street and the festival running from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. around LeBauer Park and City Center Park. It will be the first parade organized by Greensboro Pride and the first Pride parade held in Greensboro since 1996. That year, Greensboro hosted NC Pride, a statewide event that rotated among North Carolina cities. Greensboro Pride itself began in 2006. That distinction explains why some promotional material calls this year's event Greensboro's 'first-ever' Pride Parade, while other material describes it as the first in nearly 30 years. It's the first parade organized as part of Greensboro Pride, but not the first Pride parade ever held in the city. The parade is scheduled to begin near East McGee Street and South Elm Street and travel through downtown before ending near City Center Park. Organizers say a final route map and staging information will be released closer to the event. The parade is expected to include community groups, nonprofits, businesses, marching bands, performers, floats and vehicles. Organizers say tens of thousands of spectators and participants are expected. The parade will be followed by the annual Greensboro Pride Festival in and around LeBauer Park and City Center Park. The festival footprint will extend along North Church Street, North Davie Street, East Lindsay Street and East Friendly Avenue. Organizers say that the event will include live entertainment, more than 300 exhibitors, food and beverage vendors and nonprofit organizations. Downtown Greensboro Inc. describes the event as one of the city's largest single-day events and says tens of thousands of people are expected. The City of Greensboro is also promoting the festival on its official calendar, where it describes Greensboro Pride as one of the largest LGBTQIA2+ events in the region. There's a discrepancy in the listed ending time: The city calendar lists the festival as running from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., while Greensboro Pride organizers and Downtown Greensboro list a 7 p.m. ending time. The Sept. 12 parade and festival are the main events in a week of Pride activities. Pride Week began with the Greensboro Pride Pageant on Saturday, Sept. 5. Other events include an LGBTQ+ art show and Pride-themed trivia on Thursday, Sept. 10, a kickoff dance party at Chemistry Nightclub on Friday, Sept. 11 and an official Pride afterparty Saturday night. There will also be religious events connected with Pride weekend. Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Greensboro will hold a Holy Eucharist celebrating Pride on Friday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. on the church's outdoor labyrinth facing North Greene Street. The Rev. Marion Sprott, Canon for Transition with the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, is scheduled to deliver a short message, and the service will conclude with a prayer walk on the labyrinth. College Place United Methodist Church will hold a Pride Weekend worship service Sunday, Sept. 13 at 11 a.m., followed by lunch. Greensboro Pride began 20 years ago as a local festival. This year's addition of a downtown parade makes the 2026 event its largest expansion yet. The parade and festival are free and open to the public.