Dallas Pride’s 40th year gets even more fabulous with its headlining entertaining! At the Dallas Pride Music Festival June 3, musical artist Allison Ponthier will perform for the thousands gathered to celebrate this special anniversary year. Tickets are on sale now for the Dallas Pride Music Festival at www.dallaspride.org.
“The many steps we have taken in 40 years are something to celebrate, even as we see more journey ahead,” noted Jaron Turnbow, executive director of Dallas Pride. “While we celebrate, we keep working toward a future of equality and equity for the LGBTQ+ community. The way we get there is by linking arms and moving forward in unity. Dallas Pride is committed to producing inclusive events that our community members and our allies -- friends and families alike -- can come together and enjoy.”
Pride Month celebrations continue throughout the month of June. AT&T and Dallas Pride will unite to present Turn Up the Love, a major, new music event that will take place at the AT&T Discovery District in Dallas on June 23. Entertainment will include musical performances by Years & Years, Wrabel, Kalechi and more, and the evening will be hosted by Carmen Carrera. In support of The Trevor Project, the uplifting and celebratory event is free to attend and will also include an outdoor market starting at 6 p.m. This community initiative further carries out AT&T's Turn Up the Love tour mission to amplify LGBTQ+ voices and harness the power of musicians and artists to create awareness of the importance of love and acceptance.
In 1972, just three weeks after the Stonewall riots in New York City, a festive group of hundreds of men and women gathered in Dallas to show their pride. They marched through downtown, waving signs and chanting gay rights slogans before a crowd that grew to about 3,000. There were a few floats, but nothing elaborate; most of the participants walked the route or rode in gaily decorated vehicles. In 1983, the parade was branded the Texas Freedom Parade in commemoration of Judge Jerry L. Buchmeyer’s 1982 ruling that first negated the Texas sodomy law (in a decision that was later overturned by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals). Also in 1983, Dallas Pride was born.
Those humble beginnings helped to galvanize a community that in coming years would celebrate Texas sodomy laws being found unconstitutional and same-sex marriage legal. As the LGBTQ+ community and its number of allies grew – and the families of LGBTQ+ individuals grew, too – Dallas Pride made a historic move in 2019 to Fair Park to a larger footprint that would comfortably accommodate the community’s growing numbers, as well as attendees who are differently abled, as well as those of all ages.
Dallas Pride’s 40th festivities begin on Saturday, June 3, in Fair Park with the Dallas Pride Music Festival, a family-friendly event featuring a variety of musical and dance performances on both the outdoor main stage and on an indoor community stage. More than 200 vendors will have booths to see and shop at the festival. Family Pride Zone, an area designed for families, will feature several bounce houses, face painting, entertainment for the kids and the Pride Train ride in the Automobile Building at Fair Park. The festival also features Teen Pride, which fosters a safe environment for LGBTQ+ youth ages 13 to 19 and their friends to enjoy live entertainment from artists and DJs, and other age-appropriate activities. Local animal rescue groups will also be on-site for guests to meet a possible new furry family member. This area of the festival will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on June 3.
The Dallas Pride Music Festival is Saturday, June 3, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., in Fair Park. Tickets are $10 for adults (ages 20+), $5 for teens (ages 13-19) and admission for children 12 and under is complimentary. Tickets are on sale now at dallaspride.org. Watch Dallas Pride’s social media for event news. Vendor registration is open now, with more details available at dallaspride.org.
The Dallas Pride Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade winds its way through Fair Park on Sunday, June 4. Free to attend, the parade is a rainbow feast for the eyes, with outrageous costumes, inventive floats, bands, groups and more marching in support of the LGBTQ+ community in a mile-long event featuring more than 150 parade entries. The Dallas Pride Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade takes place Sunday, June 4, 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., in Fair Park. Admission is free. Parking is available at Fair Park for $10, or attendees may take the DART Green Line directly to Fair Park. Parade entry registration is open now (please note that the order of parade line-up is based on the order of completed applications and payments received).
Individuals, companies and organizations that would like to participate in the Dallas Pride Music Festival on June 3 or the Dallas Pride Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade on June 4 can find vendor, sponsor and parade participant registration links at dallaspride.org/registration/.
About Dallas Pride
Dallas Pride is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening, supporting and celebrating the LGBTQ+ community by creating events and initiatives that foster connections between members of the community, its allies and its supporters.
Follow @DallasPride on Facebook, @DallasPrideOfficial on Instagram, @DallasPrideOrg on Twitter, or via the organization’s website, www.DallasPride.org, for all the tea.