Toledo Pride Returns Downtown for a Weekend of Celebration, Community and Visibility
TOLEDO, Ohio — Downtown Toledo will be painted in every color of the rainbow this weekend as Toledo Pride returns Aug. 14–16 for three days celebrating Northwest Ohio’s LGBTQIA+ community, families, friends and allies.
Now celebrating its 17th year, Toledo Pride has grown into one of the region’s largest LGBTQIA+ celebrations. Organizers expect thousands of people to fill downtown throughout the weekend for live entertainment, drag performances, vendors, food, community resources and, of course, the annual Toledo Pride Parade. The official Pride website estimates more than 20,000 attendees across the weekend and more than 100 vendors and nonprofit booths.
The celebration begins Friday, Aug. 14, at Promenade Park with the Nite Glo 5K and one-mile fun run, followed by the official Pride Kick-Off Party. The evening will feature local bands, drag performers, DJs and food trucks, setting the stage for a full weekend of Pride in downtown Toledo.
Saturday brings one of the weekend’s most anticipated traditions: the Toledo Pride Parade.
The parade steps off at noon from 17th and Adams streets before making its way down Adams Street toward Summit Street. More than 200 organizations are expected to participate in the parade, which annually draws thousands of spectators downtown.
This year’s parade will be hosted by local entertainers Stevie Phoenix and Deja D. Dellataro.
Dellataro says hosting the parade has become something she looks forward to each year, offering an opportunity to celebrate not only Pride but the freedom for members of the LGBTQIA+ community to live authentically and visibly.
“I choose expression over oppression,” Dellataro said.
Following the parade, the celebration continues at Promenade Park beginning at 1 p.m. with live music, drag, vendors, family-friendly activities and entertainment across multiple stages. Performers representing Toledo, Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan will help showcase the diversity and talent of the region’s LGBTQIA+ community.
While Pride is certainly a celebration, the weekend also carries a deeper meaning. For many, Toledo Pride provides an opportunity to be visible, connect with community and celebrate the generations of LGBTQIA+ people who helped make gatherings like this possible.
Sunday keeps the celebration going along Adams Street and throughout Uptown. Pride's official schedule includes the Big Rainbow Bar Hop from 1 to 5 p.m., bringing the weekend into many of the businesses that support Toledo's LGBTQIA+ community throughout the year.
The weekend will also include Pride celebrations at Georgjz419 Food, Fun, & Spirits on Adams Street, including a closing drag show scheduled for 5 p.m.
For longtime attendees and those experiencing Toledo Pride for the first time, the weekend is ultimately about more than rainbow flags, music and entertainment. It is about creating space for people to celebrate who they are — loudly, proudly and together.
Toledo Pride takes place Friday, Aug. 14 through Sunday, Aug. 16 throughout downtown Toledo, with its main festival activities centered at Promenade Park.
For a complete schedule of events and updates throughout Pride weekend, visit Toledo Pride's official website and follow Toledo Pride on its official social media channels.
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