Charlotte Pride Festival & Parade 2023

Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade 2023

Charlotte Pride, the city’s largest and most colorful parade and festival celebrating the LGBTQ community, attracting over 200,000 visitors over the weekend.

• Looking to stay in Charlotte for a pride event? Check out the Omni hotel, just a short drive from the NoDa gay district with outdoor pool and “fabulous” rating. NoDa, short for North Davidson, is the city’s arts, entertainment and gay district. 

The Pride Festival

• The Charlotte Pride Festival & Parade is the Queen City’s annual celebration of the LGBTQ community held in the heart of Uptown on Tryon Street each August.

Charlotte Pride Week 2023

• August 14th to 20th 2023 – Charlotte Pride typically takes place in late August and is a week long series of events that culminates in the Festival and Parade on the Saturday and Sunday.

The Charlotte Pride Parade 2023

• August 20th – The Charlotte Pride parade kicks off at 1pm and runs until 4pm. The route changes each year but is always held uptown.
• The parade is made up of a mixture of elaborate floats, individuals and groups dressed up in elaborate costumes. The event is open to everyone and has a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
• More than 40 floats and 170 groups will paint the town rainbow as they make their way down Tryon Street.The parade stops off at N. Tryon St. and 9th St. It then turns south on Tryon St. toward 4th St.
• The parade emcee stage stage is at 4th and Tryon Sts. The parade will disband on College St. between 4th and Trade Sts.
• Stay close to the parade at the “Superb” rates, The Ivey’s Hotel, with spacious rooms, delicious breakfast options and great location.

The Festival 2023

• August 18th to 20th, 2023 – The Pride festival runs over the Saturday and Sunday and features a gay village complete with food trucks, stands and a huge stage with live performances throughout the evening.
• The Pride Festival takes place on S. Tryon St., between 3rd St. and the Levine Avenue of the Arts and runs on Saturday from 12 pm to 10 pm and Sunday from 12 pm to 6 pm.

Gay Charlotte

• Nicknamed the Queen City, Charlotte has a fascinating history and a blooming cultural scene. The gay scene is small but vibrant, located in North Davidson.
• NoDa, as it is known locally, is Charlotte’s gay neighbourhood, just 10 minutes drive from some of the best uptown hotels.
• Leather lovers should try the Woodshed Bar, an unpretentious gay leather bar offering daily drink specials, diverse theme nights & a patio. The Scorpio is a longtime local favorite dance and show club. Nickel Bar is home to some of the hottest dancers in the Carolinas and Chasers comes a close second! Meanwhile, party every night of the week at Argon, an energetic gay bar & video lounge for cocktails, line dancing, trivia & karaoke nights.
• Sidelines Sports bar is one of the busiest of all the bars in Charlotte and is famous for its post-game celebrations! Who doesn’t want to celebrate with some hot jocks.
• Finally if you are looking for some great gay friendly dining options, check out Lupie’s Cafe, The Wine Vault and Popular Tapas at the Fourth Ward, offering delicious bites and tapas dishes.

Where to stay in Charlotte?

The following Charlotte hotels are currently trending with our readers. All are close to the city’s top gay bars and pride festivities:

The Ivey’s Hotel,  Kimpton Hotel,  Charlotte Marriott,  Hilton Hotel