Jackson Heights is gearing up for a full-on rainbow takeover this Sunday as Queens Pride marches back onto 37th Avenue for its annual parade and multicultural festival. Marching contingents, floats and family-friendly performances will roll down the neighborhood’s main corridor, with nearby storefronts and parks turning into makeshift stages. The all-day affair ranks as one of New York City’s largest neighborhood Pride celebrations.
When and where it happens
The parade is set for Sunday, June 7, with festival programming running roughly from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. along 37th Avenue in Jackson Heights, according to MetroPlusHealth. Marchers typically head east from 89th Street to 75th Street, where a multicultural street fair takes over with stages, food vendors and community booths.
Grand marshals and the "Unstoppable Pride" theme
The New York LGBT Network tapped FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore as one of this year’s grand marshals and rolled out the theme "Unstoppable Pride" in a February release from the NY LGBT Network. The theme is meant to underscore the strength, visibility and resilience of LGBTQ+ communities across Queens and Long Island. Organizers also flagged a full slate of performers and family-oriented programming for the street festival.
Roots in Jackson Heights activism
Queens Pride traces its roots to early 1990s organizing in Jackson Heights following the murder of Julio Rivera and controversy over the Children of the Rainbow curriculum, historians and archives note. The first march and block party took place in 1993, organized by community leaders including Daniel Dromm and Maritza Martinez to boost visibility for LGBTQ+ residents in the neighborhood. That activist origin story, along with the parade’s multicultural focus, still shapes the event, as documented by LaGuardia Community College.
Coverage and scale
CBS New York recently aired a short segment titled "Celebrating Pride in Queens," whose caption referred to the parade as the 33rd installment. Organizers, however, list this year’s celebration as the 34th on the official parade site, Queens Pride. The mismatch appears to come down to a simple counting discrepancy between outlets and organizers. Crowd sizes are anything but small: in prior years the parade has packed the avenue, and CBS New York reported that organizers estimated more than 60,000 people attended in 2024.
How to go and what to expect
Anyone heading out should bank on heavy foot traffic along 37th Avenue and plan to arrive early or hop on public transit. Vendors and multiple stages typically keep the route buzzing, but also packed, according to event listings. Volunteers and community groups generally staff information booths, and organizers set aside blocks of family-friendly programming along the festival stretch. For route maps, volunteer signups and accessibility information, check the event listing from MetroPlusHealth and the NY LGBT Network’s event page.
