NYC Pride Month Kicks Off with Queens Pride 2025

BY MARK CHESNUT

Every June, something magical happens on the streets of Jackson Heights, Queens. The rainbow flags come out, the speakers are turned up, and the Big Apple’s Pride season officially kicks off in the heart of one of the most diverse neighborhoods on the planet. The 2025 Queens Pride Parade, held on June 1, brought it all back with vibrant colors, enthusiasm and a serious sense of purpose — and as someone lucky enough to live in the middle of it all, I can testify that this is an event that works on so many levels.

You can watch my video reel of Queens Pride 2025 by clicking here, or scroll down to see it, as well as a bunch of photos. 

This year’s parade was a joyful, defiant and dazzling spectacle — a high-energy blend of marching bands, glitter-covered dancers, drag royalty, union members, elected officials, chosen families and people from every walk of life, walking for many different reasons. From little kids waving Pride flags bigger than they are to seasoned activists reminding us of the battles already fought and those still looming, the message was clear: Pride is about showing up, standing tall and taking up space.

Queens Pride is always first on New York City’s LGBTQ+ calendar, but it’s never just a warm-up. It’s a full-blown celebration and demonstration with lots of heart — and maybe a feather boa or two. And in 2025, that energy felt especially vital. With political rhetoric heating up and rights under attack in far too many places, the presence of community on the streets of Jackson Heights wasn’t just uplifting. It was necessary.

If you’ve never experienced Queens Pride, picture this: the whole of 37th Avenue, one of the main retail streets, is transformed into a colorful, thumping, joy-fueled runway. The crowd cheers everything — the big floats, the LGBTQ+ police participants, the tiny dance troupes, the local school bands, and the elders who have seen it all and still show up with just as much fire. There’s an unspoken agreement here: everyone is welcome, and everyone matters.

Among the lively groups in this year’s parade:

• Cheer New York, a talented group of LGBTQ+ and ally cheerleaders, who never fail to impress with their moves.

• Fogo Azul NYC, a Brazilian samba marching band with a heavy drum focus that keeps revelers dancing.

• JFK Airport, which this year was interestingly represented with two floats: one for Terminal 4 that has been present in many pride parades in the city, and another for Terminal 6, the new facility that’s under construction (I couldn’t tell if the people on that one were wearing real airline uniforms, but they sure knew how to dance).

Pride in Jackson Heights doesn’t end when the last float rolls past. It continues with a lively street festival with multiple stages. But it goes beyond that; the queer community is visible year-round here. We have the highest concentration of LGBTQ+ people in New York City outside of Manhattan, they say, and we have five queer bars — and lots of other welcoming places, too. 

When it's Queens Pride, of course, Pride keeps going — up the stairwells, onto the rooftops, and through the open apartment doors.

Case in point: this year alone, my building hosted not one, not two, but three separate Pride parties (they were private parties in apartments, but every year we meet new people who attend). Neighbors mingled, music spilled into the hallway and we compared floor plans and immersed ourselves in the joyful ambiance.

In a city full of iconic neighborhoods, Jackson Heights stands out for its vibrant spirit and deep sense of community. It’s not just diverse — it’s connected. And nowhere is that more evident than during Pride, when cultures blend, generations mix, and strangers become friends on the dance floor (or in the hallway waiting for the bathroom).

The 2025 Queens Pride Parade is one of the first reminders of the season about what’s worth celebrating — and what’s worth fighting for. It gave us sequins and solidarity, glitter and grit. It showed us young people learning the language of love and liberation, and elders who’ve spent decades teaching it. It reminded us that visibility still matters, and that joy is, in itself, an act of resistance.

If you're looking for a lively, diverse and unique pride celebration to add to your travel calendar next year, consider Queens Pride — it's New York City from a beautifully different angle. And it's just a few minutes by bus from LaGuardia Airport and a quick subway ride from Manhattan. 

Happy Pride, from Queens!

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ABOUT MARK CHESNUT

Mark Chesnut is a New York City-based journalist, editor, travel industry consultant and public speaker with more than 30 years of experience. The winner of the 2019 NLGJA Excellence in Travel Writing Award, Mark is the author of the book Prepare for Departure. Follow him on Instagram!