Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier celebration and fireworks show returning June 11
The annual Pride on the Pier Fireworks Show presented by the Leonard-Litz Foundation will take place on Saturday, June 11 at 9 p.m.
The Washington Blade, in partnership with LURe DC and The Wharf, is excited to announce the 3rd annual Pride on the Pier and Fireworks show during DC Pride weekend on Saturday, June 11, 2022, from 2-9 p.m.
The event will include the annual Pride on the Pier Fireworks Show presented by the Leonard-Litz Foundation at 9 p.m.
Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Southwest waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment.
The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older. Local DJ’s Eletrox, Jai Syncere and Sean Morris will perform throughout the event.
The Dockmasters Building will be home to a VIP experience. To learn more and to purchase tickets go to www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.
“After having to cancel Pride the past two years we couldn’t be more excited to bring back Pride on the Pier with a real bang,” says the Washington Blade’s Director of Marketing Stephen Rutgers. “No matter the age we are creating a welcoming event for all.”
The Transit Pier will house the Family Zone that will include the new Wharf Roller Rink.
“The Wharf is a place for everyone to enjoy D.C.’s greatest resource — the waterfront,” said Monty Hoffman, Founder and CEO of Hoffman and Associates. “District Pier is the perfect backdrop for this celebration and we look forward to the return of Pride on the Pier and the completion of the Wharf in Fall 2022.”
Event sponsors include Absolut, Alto, Bud Light, DC Brau, DC Fray, Burney Wealth Management, Cherry Fund, Leonard-Litz Foundation, PEPCO, The Wharf. More information regarding activities will be released at www.PrideOnThePierDC.com
The Washington Blade was founded in 1969 and is known as the “newspaper of record” for the LGBTQ community both locally and nationally. For more information, visit washingtonblade.com.
LURe was established in 2006 by Karen Diehl and Sterling Higgins and provides party promotional services to the Maryland, Virginia and D.C. lesbian community. For more information visit facebook.com/lurewdc.
ABOUT THE WHARF
The Wharf is Washington D.C.’s most exciting neighborhood. This remarkable mile-long neighborhood along the Washington Channel of the Potomac River reestablishes Washington, DC, as a true waterfront city and destination. Phase 1 opened in October 2017 with two million square feet of residences, offices, hotels, shops, restaurants, cultural uses, marinas, and public areas including waterfront parks, promenades, piers, and docks. When complete in 2022, this $2.5 billion, world-class, mixed-use waterfront neighborhood will feature more than 3.5 million square feet of development. The Wharf is easily accessible to the region by water taxi, Metro, WMATA and Southwest Neighborhood Shuttle buses, bicycle, foot, and car.
Development is led by Hoffman & Associates and Madison Marquette, in conjunction with ER Bacon Development, City Partners, Paramount Development and Triden Development.
More information is available at www.wharfdc.com. Download the District Wharf app for a live news feed, information on events, interactive map, transportation updates and more. The app is available on Apple and Android devices.
Out & About
Congressional Cemetery hosts Gays & Graves
Daylong Pride celebration blends history, remembrance, art and community
Historic Congressional Cemetery will host the second annual “Gays & Graves: A Big Gay Festival” on Sunday, June 14 at 11 a.m.
The event will feature pioneering activist Randy Wicker, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, and new public art installations and programs celebrating LGBTQ+ history. Gays & Graves is an official partner event of Capital Pride 2026.
This event is a daylong Pride celebration blending history, remembrance, art and community. Visitors can shop from LGBTQ+ and allied artists and makers, experience performances and interactive installations, and engage with programs exploring LGBTQ+ history and lived experience.
For more details, visit the cemetery’s website.
Baltimore Pride is underway, taking place from June 8-14.
The Pride Parade will be on Saturday, June 13 at 12 p.m. at Charles Street & North Avenue, followed by the Pride Block Party at 1 p.m. at Druid Hill Park. And then the Pride Festival will be held on Sunday, June 14 at 12 p.m. at Druid Hill Park.
There will be an array of additional events including: a fashion show, a “Suits and Sneakers” reception and a 5k race, among many other events.
For more details, visit Baltimore Pride’s website.
Friday, June 12
Bet Mishpachah will host “Pride Shabbat Happy Hour” at 6 p.m. at Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center. This is an in-person happy hour with an open wine and beer bar, great company, and joyful conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Women in their Twenties and Thirties will meet at 8 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social discussion group for queer women in the Washington, D.C. area. For more details, visit Facebook.
Saturday, June 13
Out N Bad will host “SWEET WHINE: DC Pride Queer Caribbean Slow Whine Function” at 9 p.m. at Decades DC. This is a late-night escape into slow and steamy Dancehall & Kompa only. No splits. No headtops. No pressure. Tickets are $22.14 and are available on Eventbrite.
The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center will host a screening of “10s Across the Borders,” a bold pan-Asian queer film that confronts homophobia, transphobia, and racism while celebrating Southeast Asia’s underground ballroom scene. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Sunday, June 14
Beth A Wolfe Yoga will host “Pride Baby Goat Yoga” at 1 p.m. at Faith Lutheran Church in Arlington, Va. The goats will be decked out in their finest Pride apparel, and human participants are welcome to do the same. Proceeds from this event will go to the Trevor Project. Tickets cost $44.52 and are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, June 15
“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).
Tuesday, June 16
“Self-Defense Class with Avi Rome” will be at 12:30 p.m. Rome is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and a full-time Martial Arts instructor with 25 years of teaching experience. He holds a 5th Degree Black Belt in Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do and is the director of the studio’s Adaptive Tae Kwon Do program for students with special needs. He has also run numerous self-defense workshops for various groups and situations. For more details, visit the center’s website.
Center Bi+ Roundtable will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is an opportunity for people to gather in order to discuss issues related to bisexuality or as Bi individuals in a private setting.Visit Facebook or Meetup for more information.
Wednesday, June 17
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
Thursday, June 18
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5:00 pm if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breathwork and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Congressional Cemetery hosts Gays & Graves
Baltimore Pride is here
Calendar: June 12-18
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