Prepare for Pride: Celebrate LGBT community this weekend in downtown Dayton

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Dayton Pride Parade, hosted by the Greater Dayton LGBT Center, was reinvented as a reverse parade where the spectators drove down E. Second St. in downtown Dayton between Patterson Blvd. and Main St. to view static displays set up by the performers, sponsors and non-profits. Originally scheduled for June 6, 2020, the reverse parade was held on Saturday morning, August 22, 2020. Did we spot you there? TOM GILLIAM/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Credit: Tom Gilliam

Credit: Tom Gilliam

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Dayton Pride Parade, hosted by the Greater Dayton LGBT Center, was reinvented as a reverse parade where the spectators drove down E. Second St. in downtown Dayton between Patterson Blvd. and Main St. to view static displays set up by the performers, sponsors and non-profits. Originally scheduled for June 6, 2020, the reverse parade was held on Saturday morning, August 22, 2020. Did we spot you there? TOM GILLIAM/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

The Greater Dayton LGBT Center will host Dayton’s Pride celebration this weekend.

For those unfamiliar with Pride, it is a month-long celebration of the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan and how it impacted the LGBTQIA+ community.

Festivities will kick off on Friday, June 4 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. as a part of Affair on the Square with live performances by Colin Richards and Spare Change, Neo American Pioneers and The Rubi Girls, food trucks and a beer garden. This event will take place at Courthouse Square in downtown Dayton and is free to the public.

On Saturday, June 5, the Greater Dayton LGBT Center will host the Reverse Parade, which will set off on the corner of Patterson and Second Streets. Everyone is encouraged to decorate their cars and join the parade, which begins at 10 a.m. The Greater Dayton LGBT Center and other businesses and organizations will be handing out candy and freebies on Second Street during the parade. The parade is set to conclude at the intersection of Second and Main Streets.

After the Reverse Parade comes to an end, the Greater Dayton LGBT Center will host its annual Pride Festival from noon to 4 p.m. on Courthouse Square. The family-friendly event features live entertainment, nearly 50 food and vendor booths, a beer garden and a play area for children.

Despite the fact that most COVID-related restrictions have been lifted, organizers of Dayton Pride ask that even vaccinated attendees wear masks and maintain proper social distancing protocols. Attendees are also asked to pay attention to the informational signage at the Dayton Pride events.

The Greater Dayton LGBT Center will be hosting Dayton Pride on Friday, June 4 from 6-10 and on Saturday, June 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Credit: Greater Dayton LGBT Center

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Credit: Greater Dayton LGBT Center

HOW TO GO

What: Dayton Pride

Where: Courthouse Square, 23 N. Main St., Dayton

When: Affair on the Square festivities take place on Friday, June 4 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The Reverse Parade kicks off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 5, with the Dayton Pride Festival taking place afterward from noon to 4 p.m.

Cost: Free

More info: Website | Facebook

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