Here are some ways in which you can celebrate Miami’s LGBTQIA+ community during this Pride month.
June was officially designated as Pride Month in commemoration of the New York Stonewall Riots of 1969. These riots marked a before and after in the fight for the civil rights of the LGBTQIA+ community. A year later, in June 1970, LGBTQ+ activists across the country organized marches in cities across the country including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco in commemoration of Stonewall. These became the first Pride Parades in the United States.
Nowadays, June serves as a time to celebrate and commemorate our rich LGBTQIA+ history, and after a difficult year of pandemic and virtual events, Pride festivities are finally returning to Miami so you can celebrate the city’s LGBTQIA+ community in style! Keep on reading to find out more about what’s going on for Pride month in the 305 and how you can partake in the festivities.
1. Biscayne Park Pride, June 12
Join your local community to celebrate Pride in the 2nd annual Biscayne Pride Parade this coming Saturday, June 12. Decorate your bikes and cars, and meet at ED Burke Recreation Center at 1 p.m. on Saturday for a family-friendly parade and celebrate love! The caravan will depart at 1:43 p.m. sharp and you can find its route here.
When: Saturday, June 12 at 1 p.m.
Where: ED Burke Recreation Center at the corner of 113 St. and 9th Ave.
2. Pride Bar Crawl with Miami Beach Pride, June 16
Join Miami Beach Pride for an awesome bar crawl on Thursday, June 17. The organization has teamed up with some of your favorite gay bars in South Beach so you can enjoy a free drink in each of them! Each ticket is $25 and includes a free drink at Gaythering, Axel South Beach, Nathan’s Bar, Palace Bar and Twist. There will also be additional food discounts for all ticket holders and a chance to win Miami Beach Pride’s grand prize which includes hotel stays, dinners, bar tabs, brunches, and VIP bottle service!
When: Thursday, June 17 at 7 p.m.
Where: South Beach
3. Wynwood Pride, June 17 – 19
After going virtual last year due to the pandemic, Wynwood Pride is returning to Miami for its third season on Friday, June 18. The weekend-long celebration will feature an expansive neighborhood-wide plan that puts a spotlight on Wynwood businesses as well as a stellar kick-off event featuring performances by Pop icon Charli XCX, RuPaul’s Drag Race superstar Kandy Muse, Miami and Chicago drag legend Miss Toto, amazing DJs, local drag favorites, celebrity hosts and more!
4. Stonewall Pride Parade, June 19
Stonewall Pride Parade & Festival is returning to Wilton Manors, FL, on Sunday, June 19! This amazing event, which usually attracts upwards of 30,000 attendees, is returning for a one-day event next week starting with a street festival featuring music and vendors at 3 p.m. followed by a twilight parade at 7 p.m. once the temperatures fall. This year’s parade theme “Out of the Darkness, Into the Light,” a theme which will be a “great way for businesses to get involved, have fun and thank the LGBTQ+ community for their loyalty and support,” according to Jeff Sterling, CEO of WMEG Community Marketing and Events, the firm organizing the event.
When: Sunday, June 19, from 3 p.m. to
5. Daybreaker Pride at Space Park, June 26
Daybreaker will be making its debut at Space Park on Saturday, June 26. This brand new event will have you sweating in the name of love and the LGBTQIA+ movement with the help of yoga lessons, Skybeat Dancing, and the hottest tunes by the one-and-only Mystic Bill. They will also have tarot readings all through the morning!
When: Saturday, June 26; Yoga or Skybeat Dance Fitness 10 to 11 a.m. and party from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: 298 NE 61st St, Miami, FL 33137
6. Communitea Dance at Arsht Center, June 26
Communitea Dance at the Arsht Center is returning for its fourth edition on Saturday, June 26, with a reimagined in-person affair onstage at the Ziff Ballet Opera House. This intimate celebration will feature a star-studded lineup of South Florida-based LGBTQ+ artists, including international superstar DJ Citizen Jane, choreographers Alaina Andersen (of Miami City Ballet) and Randolph Ward (creative director of RTW Dance Productions), as well as a soul-inspired rock ’n’ roll concert by Patrick & The Swayzees that will make you twist and shout!
When: Saturday, June 26, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132.
7. Pride Month at Pérez Art Museum
This year, the Pérez Art Museum a Pride Month Film special on Thursday, June 24, from 2 to 9 p.m. showcasing a selection of films curated by Miami-based artist Thom Wheeler Castillo. These films will be screened on loop in the PAMM Auditorium and will focus on themes such as manifesto, history, joyful camp, loss, quotidian moment, and love.
In addition, the PAMM is also holding weekly Pride-focused tours through to September 2021. These will be host a maximum of 9 people per tour and are being held on Thursdays at 6 p.m. and Saturdays at 3 p.m. The tours will take you on a guided visit highlighting works across various exhibitions by LGBTQIA+ identifying artists or that focus on the LGBTQIA+ community. Some of the artists you’ll see include Igshaan Adams, Hernán Bas, Carlos Alfonzo, Andrea Geyer, John Giorno, Elliott Hundley, Jasper Johns, Zanele Muholi, Christina Quarles, Zilia Sánchez, Mickalene Thomas, and Kehinde Wiley, among others.
Where: Pérez Art Museum, 1103 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132.
8. Take a trip up to Wilton Manors, the LGBTQIA+ capital of Florida
With one of the largest LGBTQIA+ population’s in the country, second only to that of Provincetown, MA, Wilton Manors is often referred to the LGBTQIA+ capital of Florida. Home to the Stonewall Pride Parade & Festival, The City of Wilton Manors is a historic landmark of LGBTQIA+ history in Florida. Apart from playing host to the Stonewall Pride, the city is home to countless LGBTQIA+-owned businesses, and institutions such as the World Aids Museum and the Stonewall National Museum & Archives, making it the perfect destination for those looking to learn about the history of the movement in our state and the country. Plus, it’s just a short drive away from Miami!
See also: Miami Beach Pride Parade & Festival Will Return In September
[Featured image: Shutterstock]