Lancaster Pride

🌈 Pride is almost here, and we need your help!

The Lancaster Pride Festival is one week from today, and we're looking for additional volunteers to help make the day a success. From supporting our Family Zone in the afternoon to helping with festival wrap-up at the end of the day, there are several important roles still open, which will help create a safe, welcoming, and joyful experience for our community.

✨ Family Zone volunteers are especially needed for afternoon and closing shifts. (Please note: Family Zone volunteers must complete a simple background check.)
✨ A variety of end-of-day support roles are needed to help close out the event and pack things up as we wrap up the festival

Sign up today: https://buff.ly/ODgiJnC

Behind every successful Pride Festival is a team of volunteers who show up for one another. Whether you've attended Pride for years or are looking for a new way to get involved, volunteering is one of the most meaningful ways to support the LGBTQIA+ community and help make this event possible.

Every shift makes a difference. Join us and help us finish Pride strong! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Today marks 10 years since the tragedy at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, where 49 people lost their lives and dozens more were injured in an act of violence that deeply impacted the LGBTQ+ community.

For many of us, Pulse was more than a news story. It was a painful reminder of why safe spaces matter, why visibility matters, and why the fight for equality, acceptance, and safety continues. Ten years later, we remember those whose lives were taken, honor the survivors, and hold space for everyone still carrying the weight of that day.

We also recognize the resilience of our community. In the face of hatred, LGBTQ+ people continue to create spaces of joy, belonging, celebration, and love. That spirit lives on in every Pride event, every act of advocacy, every chosen family, and every person who refuses to let fear define who they are.

Today, we remember the 49 lives lost at Pulse. We mourn. We honor. And we recommit ourselves to building a future where everyone can live authentically, safely, and proudly. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Community matters, especially when you can show up exactly as you are. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Lancaster Pride is proud to partner with Peace of Mind Mental Health Group to support Unapologetically Us, a free monthly support group for LGBTQIA+ adults.

This welcoming space is rooted in lived experience and facilitated by a Certified Peer Specialist. Whether you’re hoping to build connections, share openly, listen quietly, or simply spend time in affirming community, you are welcome here.

Come as you are. There’s a place for you here. ❤️

📅 Sunday, June 21
⏰ 3:00 – 5:00 PM
📍 313 W. Liberty St., Lancaster
💲 Free (registration required)

Spots are limited, so RSVP today:
🔗 https://buff.ly/rlEB1fT

No one should have to feel alone - and together, we’re building community care one gathering at a time.

Pride Month is all about showing up as your authentic self, and finding community that welcomes you exactly as you are. 🌈✨

Looking for a quieter way to celebrate and connect? Join us for our monthly Sober Craft & Sip, an inclusive afternoon of creativity, conversation, and community.

📆 Sunday, June 14th from 1:00 – 3:00 PM
📍 The Midnight Oil, 44 N Christian St, Lancaster, PA 17602
🧑‍🦼 Accessible, 1st floor location with a ramp
🚘 Free street parking on Sundays

Whether you're feeling crafty, hoping to meet new people, or simply looking for a comfortable place to spend your Sunday afternoon, you'll find a warm welcome here. Bring a friend or come solo - everyone is welcome, including allies. All supplies are provided (paint, collage, felting, beading, mixed media & more), and participation is entirely at your own pace.

✨ $16 per person (profits support Lancaster Pride)
✨ No RSVP needed

However you celebrate Pride, we hope you'll join us for an afternoon of creativity, connection, and community. 🌈🎨

🎬🏳️‍🌈 Pride Month is the perfect time to celebrate the stories, history, and voices that have shaped our community, and we're thrilled to partner with Zoetropolis Cinema Stillhouse for a special Pride Collection this June!

Each screening begins with Amish Country Q***r, an award-winning short documentary by Lancaster artist Brady Pappas that highlights local q***r nightlife, drag culture, and community.

Featured films include:
🍿 Paris is Burning
A landmark documentary exploring New York City's ballroom scene and the Black and Latino LGBTQ+ communities who transformed culture through resilience, creativity, and chosen family.

🍿 The Queen
A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the 1967 Miss All-America Camp Beauty Pageant and an early snapshot of drag culture in America.

Whether you're revisiting these classics or experiencing them for the first time, these screenings offer a chance to connect with the history, artistry, and community that continue to inspire Pride today.

📍 Zoetropolis Cinema Stillhouse
🎟️ Visit Zoetropolis for showtimes and tickets.
https://zoetropolis.com/movies/pride-collection-paris-is-burning-with-pre-film-screening-of-amish-country-q***r/
https://zoetropolis.com/movies/the-queen/

👑 Applications are now open for the 2026 Lancaster Pride Pageant! 👑

Think you have what it takes to shine under the stars? We're now accepting applications for this year's Lancaster Pride Pageant, themed Starry Night, taking place on Saturday, September 5th at West Art in Lancaster.

Whether you're a seasoned competitor or considering your first pageant experience, we invite drag kings, queens, and other drag entertainers to apply for a chance to take the stage and celebrate the incredible talent, creativity, and artistry of our local drag community.

🎤 Hosted by Amethyst Diamond
✨ Honoring and featuring Nes, current Lancaster Pride Royale 2025
📅 Saturday, September 5, 2026
📍 West Art
💲 Application Fee: $25
📝 Entertainer applications close Friday, July 31 at 11:59 PM

Please note: submitting an application is required to be considered for participation, but does not guarantee a spot in the pageant.

This application is for drag entertainers who would like to compete in the 2026 Lancaster Pride Pageant and be considered for the title of Lancaster Pride Royale 2026. It is separate from performer applications for the June 20th Lancaster Pride Festival, which have already closed.

We can't wait to see what you bring to the stage! Apply today: https://forms.gle/TMLH9FV3V4tXkLqE6

🌈 Know Before You Go: Festival Entrance & Safety Information 🌈
We’re less than two weeks away from the 2026 Lancaster Pride Festival, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you at Penn Medicine Park on Saturday, June 20 from 12–6 PM!

To help everyone have a safe, welcoming, and enjoyable experience, please take a moment to review our entrance and safety guidelines before you arrive.

🎟️ Admission is free, but all attendees will enter through a security checkpoint and receive a wristband upon entry.

👜 Bag Policy
To help keep lines moving and ensure a safe event, each attendee may bring one approved bag, subject to search:
• Clear bags smaller than 12" x 6" x 12"
• Small wallets, f***y packs, and purses smaller than 4" x 6" x 1.5"
• Medically necessary items, including diaper bags

🚫 Please Leave These Items at Home
• Fi****ms and weapons of any kind
• Knives
• Pepper spray
• Outside food and beverages*
• Signs, banners, and pamphlet distribution materials
• Additional bags that do not meet the approved bag policy
*We understand some attendees require specific foods or beverages for medical reasons. Medically necessary snacks, drinks, and dietary accommodations are permitted and will be reviewed at the security checkpoint.

☀️ Plan Ahead
The festival takes place primarily outdoors. We recommend:
• Wearing sunscreen and staying hydrated
• Reviewing parking and entrance information before arrival
• Arriving early to allow time to park, walk to the stadium entrance, and get through security

📍 Find full details, including parking maps, stadium entrances, accessibility information, and our complete safety policies:
Entrance & Parking: https://buff.ly/HI6U3VN
Safety Policies: https://buff.ly/JQjmAWB

Thank you for helping us create a safe, welcoming, and affirming space for everyone. We can't wait to celebrate Pride with you! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️💜

The countdown to Pride is on, and we’re excited to introduce the incredible entertainers who will be joining us at the 2026 Lancaster Pride Festival! 🌈✨

This year’s lineup features more than 60 performers, hosts, musicians, DJs, drag artists, family entertainers, and community members who will help make June 20th a day full of joy, creativity, celebration, and connection.

From dazzling drag performances and live music to family-friendly entertainment and special appearances throughout the festival, there’s truly something for everyone.

Take a scroll through the album to meet the amazing people bringing this year’s festival to life, and be sure to give them a follow and show them some love. 💖

We can't wait to celebrate with all of you at Penn Medicine Park on Saturday, June 20th from 12 PM–6 PM!

🌈 Final Call for Festival Volunteers! 🌈
The 2026 Lancaster Pride Festival is almost here, and thanks to our incredible community, many of our volunteer shifts have already been filled. ♥️

From assisting with cleanup and breakdown to helping us wrap up a successful day, closing volunteers play a vital role in making the festival run smoothly from start to finish.

We're still looking for about 40 volunteers, with our greatest need being closing and breakdown shifts at the end of the festival. If you're planning to stick around Lancaster before heading to the Uptown Pride Afterparty, this is a great way to spend those in-between hours while helping make Pride possible!

✨ Volunteers must be at least 12 years old (ages 12–16 must be accompanied by an adult for their entire shift).
✨ Sign up for one shift or multiple shifts.
✨ No previous experience is required.

It takes hundreds of people working together to create Pride, and we're so close to having the volunteer team we need. If you've been thinking about signing up, now is the perfect time! Sign up here: https://buff.ly/UaovIDJ

Questions? Contact Theo Brown, Director of Volunteers, at [email protected].