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As usual, there will be plenty of Pride parties and events happening throughout August, most of which are independent of the Charlotte Pride organization. We’ve compiled a number of those events below to help you make the most of Charlotte Pride 2025.

OFFICIAL CHARLOTTE PRIDE EVENTS

Charlotte Pride Interfaith Service
Aug. 10 | 4 p.m. | Unitarian Universalist Community of Charlotte | Free
A longtime staple of Charlotte Pride, this event features speakers from different spiritual backgrounds reflecting on how they have brought about positive changes in their local communities, with food and fellowship to follow.

Charlotte Pride Drag Pageant 2025
Aug. 14 | 7 p.m. | Chasers | Free
The Charlotte Pride Drag Pageant is a gender-inclusive pageant for contestants who believe in the power and importance of community service. “Pageant winners are more than just titleholders; they live and breathe the spirit of Pride,” the organization states. “They envision a world in which all LGBTQIA+ people are affirmed, respected, and included, free from any discrimination, rejection, or prejudice. They commit their volunteer work, time, energy, and talent to the Charlotte Pride mission to enrich, empower, strengthen, and make more visible the lives and experiences of LGBTQIA+ people in Charlotte and the Carolinas.” Three crowns are up for grabs for the year — Mr., Miss, and Mx. — at Chasers in NoDa.

Flourish: A Celebration of LGBTQ Arts & Culture
Aug. 16 | 1-6 p.m. | DuBois Center | Free
A free, air-conditioned space to escape the heat and take in some performances from LGBTQ performing and fine arts groups including song, spoken-word, short films and more.

Charlotte Pride Festival: Community & Celebration
Aug. 16 & 17 | noon-11 p.m. & noon-6 p.m. | First Ward Park | Free
Charlotte Pride’s two-day cultural festival includes a variety of national, regional, and local entertainers, musicians, bands, and hundreds of participating vendor booths, including art exhibits, local nonprofits, retailers, a food court, and more. The parade runs from 1-4 p.m. on Aug. 17.

Neighborhood Market & Health Fair
Aug. 16 & 17 | noon-11 p.m. & noon-6 p.m. | First Ward Park | Free
Support local artists, artisans, craftspeople and makers while adorning your home with unique, handcrafted wares. Visit the Health Fair along 8th Street to check up on your personal health and wellness, get an HIV or STI test, get vaccinated, visit with wellness vendors and more.

Youth & Family Zone
Aug. 16 & 17 | noon-6 p.m. | First Ward Park | Free
The Great Lawn of First Ward Park will be reserved for family-friendly entertainment and resources including arts and crafts, community resources, a family care tent and special speakers and entertainers.

Learn more including parking details, a parade map, hotel partners and how to find merch at the Charlotte Pride website.

INDEPENDENT PRIDE EVENTS

Menagerie: An Audiovisual Drag Experience
Aug. 8 | 7 p.m. | Petra’s | $15.70
Hosted by Fellini, this bold collision of art, sound and performance features appearances by RC Cola, Erica Chanel, Leonasia, Angel Facze, and Medusa Chaos.

Vanity House Charlotte Pride Kickoff Drag Brunch
Aug. 9 | 11 a.m. | Catalú | $15.70
Charlotte’s premier drag company kicks off its Pride festivities with this brunch at Catalú for a fabulous event filled with drag performances, delicious food and great company. Meet and greet opportunities will immediately follow brunch.

TOY Drop-In/Pride T-Shirt Decoration
Aug. 9 | noon- 4 p.m. | Time Out Youth Center | Free
Young folks looking forward to Pride events in the coming week can drop in at the Time Out Youth center and fashion their own look for the next weekend’s festivities.

CM Oakwold Pride Kickoff Party
Aug. 9 | noon- 10 p.m. | Common Market Oakwold | Free
Common Market Oakwold celebrates the beginning of Charlotte Pride with two drag shows (all ages at 6:30 p.m. and a not-all-ages show at 8:30 p.m.) plus a vendor market, beverage specials and a raffle benefiting Charlotte Trans Health.

Lite Brite Pride Nite
Aug. 9 | 8 p.m. | Blume Studios | Free with registration
Billed as “craft night meets a rainbow rave,” you’ll groove to beats from DJ Spider, sparkle under the lights with glitter tattoos and fairy hair, check out live glow art and more. A vendor market organized by the queer-led Makers & Mics starts at 4 p.m.

Ultraviolet Sapphic Dance Party
Aug. 9 | 8 p.m. | Petra’s | $10
The monthly Ultraviolent party is all about queer women loving queer women. An auditory oasis for queer, lesbian, bisexual, and pansexual+ women, nonbinary and trans folks with nothing but divine vibes.

Head Space Studio Pride Show
Aug. 10 | 5:30-7 p.m. | Head Space Studio | $44.52
An evening filled with amazing performances, art and community spirit. Show up earlier in the day (noon-3 p.m.) for a free pre-party and vendor market. Folks bringing young family members should be aware that, during the later shows, adult content may be included.

Serving Pride Drag Dinner
Aug. 15 | 7 p.m. | The Long Room | $15-$25
The Crown Kings of Charlotte are kicking off Charlotte Pride weekend at The Long Room with dinner, drinks and drag. Liam Laughin hosts with appearances from Will Charmer, Sassi Guinevere Michaels, Crystal Violet Van Dank and Vincent Sational, plus a few surprise guests and food from How Sanguine.

GAG! Queen City
Aug. 15 | 7 p.m. | The Fillmore | $35
Arrietty from RuPaul’s Drag Race headlines a night of drag performances and nonstop dancing hosted by Trey Roberts with music by DJ Domii and Luxe Posh.

Pride Friday Bear Happy Hour
Aug. 15 | 7 p.m. | Crown Station | Free
Great music and videos from DJ Marvy Marv and DJ Jimmy, the Frankenburger food truck, and local vendors set up selling a range of items to get you ready for the weekend.

Charlotte Pride Silent Disco
Aug. 15 | 7:30 p.m. | Hi-Wire Brewing | $9.50-$18
A night of music, movement and community to celebrate love, identity and self-expression while benefiting the Campaign for Southern Equity.

ICONS: Pride Goes Pop!
Aug. 15 | 7:30 p.m. | First United Methodist Church | $12-$37
Celebrate Pride with power chords, powerhouse vocals and pure joy as The Gay Men’s Chorus of Charlotte presents a bold, high-energy concert of anthems that have defined LGBTQ+ visibility and resilience over the last two decades.

LOLGBTQ+ Comedy Variety Show
Aug. 15 | 8 p.m. | Carolina Theatre | $23
Hosted by drag royalty Devida and featuring razor-sharp stand-up from LA Redd, outrageous sketch comedy by The Lynns, live music courtesy of Mona Lisa Musiq and Maggie Lowe, and more, this night celebrates some of the region’s most beloved queer artists.

Buzz City Breaks Pride + Vinyl
Aug. 15 | 10 p.m. | Blackbox Theater | $18.22
Old-school DJs from the heyday of Queen City nightlife spinning actual vinyl at Blackbox will include legendary Scorpio resident and Central Records owner Lin Benfield, DJ Levi Brown from Liquid Lounge and Tutto Mondo’s, and breakbeat connoisseur Jungle Gym Jones.

All Pink Pride Affair
Aug. 15 | 10 p.m. | Blush CLT | Free
Grab your pink fits — hot pink, pastel, glitter, or metallic — and head to Blush for $75 towers with bold fashion, fierce energy and radiant love.

Pride Mimosa Kickoff Party
Aug. 16 | 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. | Victoria Yards | $25-$50
Get a head start on the festival next door at Victoria Yards for a mimosa (or several) all while giving back and doing good for your community. The event benefits the Twirl Assistance Program, which provides emergency hardship grants to LGBTQ adults in the Charlotte area who need support with mental health treatment, food assistance, medical care or transportation.

Girls Room Pride Festival
Aug. 16 | 4 p.m. | The Music Yard at SouthBound | $16
As a movable dance party series that celebrates and provides safe spaces for queer women in music and art on a monthly basis, Girls Room is always throwing down with inclusivity, so you know they have to do it big during Charlotte Pride. Multiple music stages, amazing local and regional LGBTQ+ artists, performers, vendors, DJs and more.

Baewatch Pride: Pool Party
Aug. 16 | 4-9 p.m. | TBA, address info sent upon RSVP | $19.19
Sexy lifeguards, complimentary food and live performances are only the beginning of this Lez Party! event. Also expect hookah, games, drinks, food and poolside vibes.

Legends, Divas and Stars
Aug. 16 | 7 p.m. | Carolina Theatre | $37
Hosted by Palm Springs’ Tommi Rose, this Time Out Youth fundraiser features performances from RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Trinity K. Bonet; America’s Got Talent alum Delighted Tobehere and Juneau, Alaska’s Gigi Monroe covering icons of LGBTQ entertainment. With a combined stage experience of more than 100 years, this show is one that London’s QX Magazine says “has to be seen to be believed!”

Golden Gurls Drag Diner
Aug. 16 | 7 p.m. | Midtown Tavern | $24.79
Grab your caftans and clutch your pearls because Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia are strutting into the spotlight for a drag-tastic Pride event featuring Buff Faye and her cast of drag divas and entertainers serving up one-liners, over-the-top looks and Pride-filled cocktails.

Twirl Under the Sea
Aug. 16 | 10 p.m. | Blackbox Theater | $39.19
Dive into a magical night of color, beats and community as Jason & Zuni of Just Twirl Events present a full night of underwater enchantment, queer celebration and nonstop dancing with the fabulous DJ Sam Gee spinning all night long. Costumes are highly encouraged.

Altercation: A Queer Punk Drag Show!
Aug. 16 | 9 p.m. | Snug Harbor | $17
A night full of drag, burlesque and theatrical trill that’s split into two with an early show followed by some chill time to meet and greet, dance and/or take in a T-boy wrestling match before the final event begins at midnight. Enter to win a tattoo raffle from special guest Priscilla Chambers of The Boulet Brother’s Dragula.

SPLASH Pride Tea Dance
Aug. 17 | 4-8 p.m. | Bar Argon | Free
Head south after the parade to catch this pool- and beachwear-inspired event to benefit the Twirl Assistance Program. Check out Bar Argon’s events page for a slew of other events they’re hosting.

Pride Encore
Aug. 30 | noon-10 p.m. | NoDa Brewing Co. | Free
Wrapping up Charlotte Pride Month with a vibrant day of love, art, music and community in true NoDa style.

More 2025 Pride Guide content: Anti-DEI Push Leads to Shortfall in Corporate Funding at Charlotte Pride; Black as the Cosmos Explores Culture Through Crystal Art, Music, Sex and Magic