Arts & Entertainment
Pride events continue in region all summer
Frederick having its event Saturday; others in July and August
Last year’s Chesapeake Pride. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
Pride festivities continue in the region throughout the coming months.
Next up is this weekend’s Frederick Pride Festival Saturday from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Frederick Pride will begin with an ecumenical Pride service at Grace United Church of Christ (25 E. 2nd St., Frederick, Md.) at 11 a.m. At noon, the festival begins at Carroll Creek Park (44 E. Patrick St., Frederick, Md.). There will be music, games, a beer and wine garden, a pie-eating contest and an appearance by Miss Gay Maryland America Alondra Sancheez.
Keynote speakers will be the Point Foundation’s Sharon Brackett and Chris Lynch, a transgender student from Brunswick High School. Visit thefrederickcenter.org for details.
A new event is planned for nearby West Virginia. The Eastern Panhandle LGBTQ Pride in the Park is planned for Morgan’s Grove Park in Shepherdstown, W.Va., on July 12. Details available on the Facebook page of the Eastern Panhandle LGBTQ Alliance of West Virginia.
The Chesapeake Pride Festival set for Aug. 2 from noon-6 p.m. at Mayo Beach Park (4150 Honeysuckle Dr., Mayo, Md.) in Anne Arundel County. More information at chesapeakepridefestival.org.
Also on Aug. 2, the Delaware Pride Festival will be in front of Legislative Hall in Dover, Del., from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. It will be hosted by Miss Reading Pride Celebration 2013 Gracie Freebush and there will be a performance by Miss Delaware Pride 2013 Ivy Profen. More details will be released closer to the event date. Visit delawarepride.org for details.
These events are free.
Photos
PHOTOS: Helen Hayes Awards
Gay Men’s Chorus, local drag artists have featured performance at ceremony
The 41st Helen Hayes Awards were held at The Anthem on Monday, May 19. Felicia Curry and Mike Millan served as the hosts.
A performance featuring members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and local drag artists was held at the end of the first act of the program to celebrate WorldPride 2025.
The annual awards ceremony honors achievement in D.C.-area theater productions and is produced by Theatre Washington.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
2025 D.C. Trans Pride was held at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library on Saturday, May 17. The day was filled with panel discussions, art, social events, speakers, a resource fair and the Engendered Spirit Awards. Awardees included Lyra McMillan, Pip Baitinger, Steph Niaupari and Hayden Gise. The keynote address was delivered by athlete and advocate Schuyler Bailar.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
a&e features
Looking back at 50 years of Pride in D.C
Washington Blade’s unique archives chronicle highs, lows of our movement
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of LGBTQ Pride in Washington, D.C., the Washington Blade team combed our archives and put together a glossy magazine showcasing five decades of celebrations in the city. Below is a sampling of images from the magazine but be sure to find a print copy starting this week.
The magazine is being distributed now and is complimentary. You can find copies at LGBTQ bars and restaurants across the city. Or visit the Blade booth at the Pride festival on June 7 and 8 where we will distribute copies.
Thank you to our advertisers and sponsors, whose support has enabled us to distribute the magazine free of charge. And thanks to our dedicated team at the Blade, especially Photo Editor Michael Key, who spent many hours searching the archives for the best images, many of which are unique to the Blade and cannot be found elsewhere. And thanks to our dynamic production team of Meaghan Juba, who designed the magazine, and Phil Rockstroh who managed the process. Stephen Rutgers and Brian Pitts handled sales and marketing and staff writers Lou Chibbaro Jr., Christopher Kane, Michael K. Lavers, Joe Reberkenny along with freelancer and former Blade staffer Joey DiGuglielmo wrote the essays.
The magazine represents more than 50 years of hard work by countless reporters, editors, advertising sales reps, photographers, and other media professionals who have brought you the Washington Blade since 1969.
We hope you enjoy the magazine and keep it as a reminder of all the many ups and downs our local LGBTQ community has experienced over the past 50 years.
I hope you will consider supporting our vital mission by becoming a Blade member today. At a time when reliable, accurate LGBTQ news is more essential than ever, your contribution helps make it possible. With a monthly gift starting at just $7, you’ll ensure that the Blade remains a trusted, free resource for the community — now and for years to come. Click here to help fund LGBTQ journalism.
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PHOTOS: D.C. Trans Pride
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Looking back at 50 years of Pride in D.C
WorldPride events round-up
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