MANCHESTER, NH – A full week of colorful, vibrant events kicked off this past week in celebration of Manchester’s very own Queen City Pride. Rainbow flags flew high, along with the spirits of our home city’s residents as the energy of Pride took over Downtown Manchester beginning on Wednesday with a night full of karaoke serenades at Stark Brewery.
A continuing theme throughout our Pride week gatherings were the exhilarating, entertaining, and extravagant drag queens who graced the Queen City with their outstanding presence all week long, introducing the glam on Thursday night at Shaskeen with a special drag performance.
Early Friday, Queen City Pride was made official with recognition by City Hall, moving words by honorary speakers and the raising of Manchester’s very own pride flag. The evening was fabulously capped at the Currier Art Museum, converted into an epic discotheque inside of their running Andy Warhol exhibit.
The culmination of the week’s celebration took place on Saturday with an all-day run of events from morning to night with early risers marching down Canal Street in full regalia to bring in the Queen City Pride Parade. The parade flowed perfectly into the featured Pride Festival at Arms Park, boasting pride flags from end to end. The festival showcased talent, including a special DJ, numerous vendors and organizations who showed up and out in full support of Manchester’s Pride celebration, live performances by musicians, wrestling matches, food, drinks, and even a dunk tank!
It was a phenomenal sight to see Manchester celebrate its LGBTQIA folks in such a grand way. Inclusivity, diversity, love, and community created an atmosphere of joy that every Manchester resident can appreciate. Families, couples, and friends alike were all in attendance, basking in their day of celebration, seen and heard for all the wonderful vibrancy the Pride community brings to our city.
The week of Pride events ended with a special after-party at the Masonic Lodge where Manchester’s celebrants reigned in the festivities with a boisterous night of dancing, cocktails, and of course, more drag and more camp! Be sure to check in Summer 2023 for the next Queen City Pride celebration; all are welcome, fly those flags high with Pride.
