Mayor Ras J. Baraka, the Newark Municipal Council, the City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Advisory and Concerns Commission, Newark Pride, Inc, and other organizations and partners will hold Newark Pride Week fromMonday, July 7, to Sunday, July 13.
The rainbow flag, a universal symbol of LGBTQ pride, will fly outside City Hall for the week’s duration. The City of Newark created its first-ever LGBTQ Commission in 2013 and Mayor Baraka’s office and the Commission actively work on initiatives for the LGBTQ community. This year marks the 20thanniversary of Newark Pride Week.
“The people of Newark are proud of our efforts to support the rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ residents, through the daily services of our commission and other organizations, to our annual LGBTQ Pride events,” said Mayor Baraka. “Our homegrown celebration every July is especially joyful as an invitation for all of us to touch our own sense of freedom and liberation. We welcome all visitors to come see firsthand how Newark upholds inclusion and justice, and bursts with opportunity, potential, and dreams come.”
This year’s theme: “Reclaiming OUR Time: Legacy of Resistance,” honors two decades of collective resilience and joy, while centering the legacy of those whose lives and activism have fueled the community’s fight for liberation.
Newark Pride Week originated in response to a 2003 tragedy – the hate-motivated murder of 15-year-old Black lesbian Sakia Gunn. Her death shook Newark and ignited a movement demanding justice, visibility, and protection for LGBTQ+ youth of color. For two decades, Newark Pride Week has carried forward that spirit of resistance—transforming grief into action, and silence into visibility.
The festival launches on Monday, July 7, with the Progressive Pride Flag Raising at Newark City Hall, hosted by the City of Newark’s LGBTQ Advisory and Concerns Commission and Newark Pride Inc., followed by a community reception at Chateau of Spain, which is located at 11 Franklin Street. The week’s programming includes a wide range of events—from the Sakia Gunn Day of Service on Tuesday, July 8, to mixers, pageants, and screenings across the city.
As one of the week’s highlighted community events, on Saturday, July 12, from noon to 4 p.m., the LGBTQ Advisory and Concerns Commission will host its inaugural ‘Pride En Blanc,’ an All White Affair + Brunch, in partnership with Newark Pride, Inc., and other community partners and sponsors.
Attendees will arrive dressed in all white attire, adding a unifying visual element to this vibrant celebration with picnic baskets, brunch bites, charcuterie boards and more on hand. Local vendors will be present and other surprises will take place as community members and attendees celebrate diversity, inclusion, and community pride in a fashionable way. The brunch will be held at an exclusive, undisclosed location (attendees will be notified on July 12), and feature one of New Jersey’s most popular DJs, Shell Spin, with other live musical performances.
Friday, July 11, spotlights the return of the Brick City Comedy Revue and the highly anticipated Fourth Annual Legacy Ball at NJPAC. Saturday, July 12, also brings a community bar crawl, and the vibrant Pride Pajama Jam. The 20th Annual Newark Pride Parade and Festival in the Park will be held on Sunday, June 13. The parade will commence at Lincoln Park at 10 a.m. and go north up Mayor Kenneth A. Gibson Boulevard to Park Place, turn right on Center Street, right again on Mulberry Street, and conclude at Mulberry Commons in downtown Newark. The Festival will be held at the Commons from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. The celebration will be headlined by national artist Dawn Richard and regional star TheARTi$T, and hosted by Milan Garcon and Gotti Fox.
This year’s celebration is made possible by the generous support of corporate sponsors and community partners: Festivals United, Skittles, NYC Pride (Heritage of Pride), Prudential Foundation, Gilead, ViiV Healthcare, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, University Hospital, Greater Newark Conservancy, Femme Curator Arts, Tiana Marie Creations, Jades Art Corner, Lovelee Wines, DIVINO Lounge, and the City of Newark.
For more information about Newark Pride Week activities, events, and volunteering opportunities, please visit https://www.newarkpride.org/festival-events and follow @NewarkPrideInc on all platforms. Be sure to follow City of Newark’s LGBTQ Advisory and Concerns Commission Instagram @NewarkLGBTQAdvisoryCommission
To support, donate to, or attend the mystery location Pride en Blanc event, please visit https://www.newarkpride.org/event-details/pride-en-blanc.
