Queens Pride Parade To Take Over Jackson Heights This Weekend

JACKSON HEIGHTS, QUEENS -- Thousands of Queens residents will flood the streets of Jackson Heights with color on Sunday to celebrate LGBTQ+ pride and visibility in the borough's 26th annual Pride Parade and Festival.

More than 40,000 are expected to gather along 37th Street as dozens of nonprofits, city officials and other local group march from 89th Street to 75th Street in what's become the second largest Pride parade in the New York City area, organizers said.

The Queens Pride Parade, now a celebration of diversity and acceptance, launched in 1993 in response to the murder of Julio Rivera, a 29-year-old man attacked in the P.S. 69 Jackson Heights schoolyard for being gay, according to its website. Each year since, the parade has passed by the school and the corner at 37th Avenue and 78th Street named in Rivera's honor.

Borough President Melinda Katz, who's been recognized as an LGBTQ+ ally during her time in office, will headline this year's parade as one if its grand marshals.

She'll be joined by fellow grand marshal and active LGBTQ+ community member Eli Betts, who began coming to the Queens Community House's youth group, Generation Q, when he was just 13 years old. Betts returned to Generation Q after college and has since become a staple of the group.

All marchers in the parade will be eligible to win "Queenie" awards," which are given out for best group theme, best group sounds, best drag performance, best use of the rainbow pride colors, best business representation and - the grand prize - being "Simply the Best."

The parade, which starts at noon, will be followed by a Pride Festival from 1:30 - 6:30 p.m. The celebration at 75h Street and 37th Road will feature singers, comedians, drag acts, dance groups and a special performance by headliner Ultra Nate, whose known for LGBTQ+ anthems such as "Free."

For more information on this year's parade and festival, visit the Queens Pride website.

(Lead photo via Shutterstock)