NYC Pride Guide, Week 4: Marches, parties, benefits, Christina Aguilera (twice!)

It’s finally here! After three weeks of parties, demonstrations, and LGBTQ-related art it’s time to celebrate Pride with... More parties, demonstrations, and LGBTQ-related art.

All month long, LGBTQ New Yorkers and their friends have been taking to the city’s streets, parks and dance floors to commemorate the 54th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots: a seminal moment in the fight for LGBTQ equality when a group of patrons of a popular LGBTQ bar fought back against police during a now-world-famous June 1969 raid in Manhattan’s West Village.

Celebrations for the anniversary of that momentous uprising — a key turning point in the fight for LGBTQ rights — culminate with a week of events that illustrate the community’s resilience, determination and unity. Here’s a handy little guide to help you through the busiest days of Pride Month. Happy Pride!

Friday, June 23

BRÜTALLY PROUD!, Manhattan

Brüt, the long-running dance party for the fetish-inclined crowd is back in Manhattan for this year’s Pride edition. The event, an official partner of NYC Pride, will feature a special performance by Israeli singer-songwriter and Eurovision winner Netta. DJs Hector Fonseca, Dan Darlington and Brian Kent promise eight hours of “nonstop magical house music to fracture reality and release you to infinity.” Tickets start at $60. Doors open at 10 p.m. HK Hall, 605 W 48th St., Manhattan

Pride Live: Stonewall Day, Manhattan

Pride weekend kicks off with a star-studded benefit concert headlined by multi-Grammy-winning superstar and fierce LGBTQ ally Christina Aguilera. Spotlighting and uplifting women in the LGBTQ community, the event will feature an all-star female lineup, including “Pose” actress and transgender rights advocate Angelica Ross, who will serve as host, and DJ Lina Bradford, who will serve the crowd some sickening beats. 6 - 8 p.m. Hudson Yards Public Square and Gardens, Manhattan. Tickets are sold out, but the event will be live-streamed.

Saturday, June 24

FRNY LGBT Pride Run, Manhattan

Front Runners, New York’s LGBTQ+ running club is celebrating Pride with its traditional four-mile race in Central Park. The first Pride Run was a landmark race and marked the start of an enduring collaboration among Front Runners New York, New York Road Runners, and the City of New York. Today, the race continues to celebrate LGBTQIA+ Pride and the ongoing movement toward equality, diversity, and inclusiveness. Part of the proceeds from its 42nd annual race will benefit the Hetrick-Martin Institute, a New York City-based organization that provides community, basic needs, health, education, and career services to thousands of LGBTQ youth every year. Registration is sold out, but you can participate with cheers, smiles and funny posters. 8 a.m. East Dr. near East 69th St., Manhattan

Plante Pride: A New World, Brooklyn

An oversized Pride celebration is taking over Avant Gardner in Brooklyn. Planet Pride, a 12-hour party extravaganza being billed as “NYC’s biggest Pride event,” will welcome more than 20 DJs and performers — including electronic duo sensation Gorgon City and British trance music producer and DJ Gareth Emery — as well as one “super surprise popstar” across three stages of the 80,000-square-foot venue. Tickets start at $169.99. 4:30 p.m. Avant Gardner, 140 Stewart Ave., Brooklyn

NYC PRIDE XXL, Manhattan

Multi-platinum recording artist, LGBTQ icon and dance floor goddess Deborah Cox is joining forces with Israeli superstar DJ Offer Nissim for NYC Pride XXL. Cox, a long-reigning dance floor with 13 No.1 songs in the U.S. dance music charts, is a fierce LGBTQ ally who appeals to a multigenerational queer fan base — a phenomenon she attributes to her early days in New York City, performing at legendary gay clubs including the Palladium, Exit and Tunnel. “My music really became a huge part of the soundtrack of their lives,” Cox told the Daily News. Tickets start at $229. 10 p.m. - 5 a.m. Terminal 5, 610 W. 56th St. in Manhattan

Sunday, June 25

Queer Liberation March: Trans + Queer, Forever Here!, Manhattan

The fifth Queer Liberation March, a march and a rally organized by the Reclaim Pride Coalition, is once again bringing to the streets of lower Manhattan its colorful, loud and humorous form of protest. Created by a diverse group of LGBTQ+ activists and advocates in 2019, the event was born out of a mutual desire to mark the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising as the date was initially celebrated by the community: as a demonstration march with no regimented contingents, no corporate sponsors, and no police. Organizers say plans may change in case of inclement weather, but “we march, rain or shine.” Free. Rally starts at 2 p.m.; March kicks off at 3:30 p.m. Foley Square, Manhattan

The March, Manhattan

New York City’s traditional, long-running LGBTQ Pride march was first held on June 28, 1970, to mark the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, when it was called the Christopher Street Liberation Day March. This year, as LGBTQ rights and Pride demonstrations are being attacked by anti-LGBTQ crusaders across the country, it’s more important than ever to “unite together in Pride,” says Sandra Pérez, executive director of NYC Pride. Organizers say more than 75% of all marching groups are nonprofit organizations, and more than half of all marching groups are participating free of charge. Free, begins at noon, 25th St. at 5th Ave. in Manhattan

Pridefest, Manhattan

The Pride spirit takes over the streets of Greenwich Village. The 29th annual LGBTQ street fair PrideFest will feature performances by Broadway stars, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” winners Sasha Colby and Yvie Oddly, and many more. The area will be filled with a vibrant mix of local residents, out-of-state visitors and international tourists, who will experience an entire day of fun, celebration, food and, of course, Pride shopping — all in the name of equality. Free, 11 a.m. 4th Ave. between E. 8th and E. 13th Streets, Manhattan

Pride Island, Manhattan

Pride Island caps off the excitement of NYC Pride week with an afternoon of dancing, kiki-ing and socializing. This year, the rainbow-powered party heads to the Brooklyn Army Terminal, a massive warehouse complex in Sunset Park, on the South Brooklyn waterfront. Organizers promise an afternoon of “exuberant dancing, lights and music,” the traditional Pride-themed fireworks display, and a special performance by pop superstar Christina Aguilera in her second Pride performance in one week. Tickets start at $103.95, 2 - 9 p.m. Brooklyn Army Terminal, 80 58th St., Brooklyn

Tuesday, June 27

Tuesday Movie Matinée: “Pride” in Manhattan

Keep the Pride spirit going by catching a free screening of the inspiring 2014 British film “Pride.” Based on actual events, the historical comedy-drama tells the story of a group of LGBTQ rights activists in the U.K. who raised money to help families affected by the British miners’ strike in 1984. The impressive cast included screen and stage British stars including Dominic West, Imelda Staunton and Bill Nighy. Free, 1 p.m. 58th St. Library 127 E. 58th St., Manhattan

Wednesday, June 28

Silent Disco for Pride! in Manhattan

Missing your dance floor marathons yet? Shape Up NYC might be able to help you with that. The free, drop-in fitness program with locations across the five boroughs, invites New Yorkers to get fit, fun and fab by celebrating the last days of Pride at a silent disco event. Class formats will be dance-based. Free, 6 - 8 p.m. Gymnasium at Highbridge Recreation Center. 2301 Amsterdam Ave., Manhattan

Thursday, June 29

Pride at the High Line: Transformation Stories, Manhattan

Singing drag chanteuse Castrata hosts an intergenerational LGBTQ storytelling show at the High Line. Inspired by the park’s evolution and ongoing history as a site for queer expression, this free event will feature storytellers celebrating the journey of finding their truth. The event is produced by The Generations Project, a New York City-based nonprofit that preserves LGBTQ history through oral story sharing. Free, 5 - 7 p.m. The High Line 10th Ave. at 17th St. Manhattan

Friday, June 30

Pride at NYPL: Keith Haring Craft, Manhattan

Pride Month activities at the New York Public Library wind down with a celebration of the late artist, pop art icon and social activist Keith Haring. Children, ages 8-12, will create artwork inspired by the work of Haring, one of the inaugural 50 American “pioneers, trailblazers, and heroes” inducted on the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor within the Stonewall National Monument in New York City’s Stonewall Inn. The 2020 book “Drawing on Walls: a Story of Keith Haring” will be highlighted. Free, registration required. 11 a.m. Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL), Children’s Center. 455 5th Ave., Manhattan

Pride and Story: The Songs of Brandi Carlile, Manhattan

Queer performers from Broadway and beyond — including Tony-nominated actress Kathryn Gallagher (“Jagged Little Pill”) and Gabriela Pizzolo (“Fun Home”), join an all-queer band to pay tribute to nine-time Grammy Award winner Brandi Carlile. Proceeds will benefit the Looking Out Foundation, a nonprofit that amplifies the impact of music by empowering those without a voice. Tickets start at $24.13 plus a $25 food and beverage minimum per person. The Cutting Room 44 E 32nd St., Manhattan