Haddon Twp. Pride Returns With Parade, Multiple Nights Of Celebrations

HADDON TOWNSHIP, NJ — Haddon Township Pride returns this week in what organizers are calling a celebration of joy.

HT Pride begins Thursday evening with a parade down Haddon Avenue followed by an after-party. Festivities continue Friday with a night of community events, including drag lip sync battles and live music.

This year's theme is "Choose Joy."

"This year, we celebrate the strength of our community, the love that binds us, and the resilience that carries us forward," HT Pride says on its website. "Join us in Haddon Township as we come together once again to uplift LGBTQIA+ voices, honor those who paved the way, and create a future rooted in inclusion, advocacy, and celebration. Whether you're here to march, dance, learn, or simply connect, there's a place for you at HT Pride 2025."

The parade kicks of at 6 p.m. Thursday at Crystal Lake Avenue. It will proceed down Haddon Avenue until it reaches Strawbridge Avenue.

After-party activities — including music, entertainment, food and drinks — will continue until 10 p.m. at Haddon Square.

HT Pride + Progress Community Night runs from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Friday at Haddon Square. The evening will include Pride Quizzo, performances, and educational and celebratory resources.

Pride Month honors the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, when members of the LGBTQ community and civilians on the street fought back after a police raid on a gay bar in Manhattan. The rebellion, which led to six days of protests, is considered a watershed event in the fight for LGBTQ rights in the United States.

Over the last few years, Pride celebrations have come in the face of a surge in anti-LGBTQ legislation across the country.

HT Pride, now in its fifth year, is organized by the Haddon Township Equity Initiative.