June is Pride Month, and it’s shaping up to be hopping this year. In addition to the 50th anniversary WorldPride events taking over the DMV, you’ll find a rainbow spectrum of fun and meaningful ways to honor the LGBTQ+ community throughout Northern Virginia.
Arlington Pride at WorldPride
Don’t miss the third-annual Arlington Pride Pageant, hosted by Shi-Queeta Lee, on May 30 from 7-10:30 p.m., when one preeminent queen will take home the crown. Return the next day for an all-day indoor Pride Festival (May 31, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.) featuring local talent and programs to build a sense of community. Stop by the Drag Brunch from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., then join a speed dating event for 21-and-ups from 2:30-6:30 p.m. The revelry continues at an After Party from 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Ticket prices range from $30-$250. Hyatt Regency Crystal City, 2799 Richmond Highway, Arlington
Capital Cup Sports Festival
The D.C. area has one of the most extensive local networks of LGBTQ+ sports teams and leagues, according to WorldPride Washington D.C. See them in action or join the fun May 30-June 4, with sporting events at multiple venues, including pickleball, flag football, golf, soccer, volleyball and the DC Front Runners Pride Run 5K on June 1. New to this year’s Armed Forces Cycling Classic is a Pride Ride, open to cyclists of all abilities, on May 31 at 7 a.m. The13-mile closed course starts and ends in front of the Capitol in D.C., but crosses in and out of Arlington mid-route.
MoCA on the Move at Met Park
Swing by Met Mark in National Landing on June 1, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. for arts and crafts with the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington. Make Pride Parade hearts and personalize a bandana while musician Rook Richards plays tunes. 1330 S. Fair St., Arlington (National Landing)
Be the ‘Eye’ in Pride
Artist and LGBTQ activist Lisa Marie Thalhammer, creator of the colorful mural atop the Crystal City metro escalators, often uses rainbow colors and inspirational images in her work. She’ll share insights into her design process before taking questions from the audience at this artist talk on June 3, 11 a.m.-noon. (Rain date is June 5.)Â 2100 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington (Courthouse)
Queer Joy Art Party
Make your own Pride flair (think hat, tote, button and/or signage) during this June 4 event from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Arlington Central Library’s makerspace, aka The Shop. A teens-only version of the same event for students in grades 6-12 will be held earlier that day, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Family Art Night is taking place on June 9, 6:30-7:30 p.m. 1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington (Virginia Square)
Equality in Business: A Pride Month Breakfast Connection
The Arlington Chamber of Commerce is partnering with Equality Chamber of Commerce for a speed networking event at the Crystal City Sports Pub on June 5, 8-9:30 a.m. 529 23rd St., S., Arlington (Crystal City)
Foreign Language Film: Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Catch the French flick Portrait of a Lady on Fire, a 2019 film about a woman who finds love when she is hired to paint a bride-to-be. See it for free with English subtitles, June 5 at 1 p.m. or June 11 at 6:30 p.m. The Alden Theatre, 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean
Capital Pride Parade
A D.C. tradition, this year’s Capital Pride Parade kicks off June 7 at 2 p.m., featuring a procession of ornate floats and grand marshals traveling from Logan Circle, down 14th Street to Pennsylvania Avenue. Register here to participate or purchase tickets ($40) to sit in the shaded grandstands at 1400 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. After the parade, head to the corner of Third Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., to see performances by Kristine W, CeCe Peniston, David Archuleta, and Wicked star and Tony Award-winner Cynthia Erivo. From noon-6 p.m., June 7-8 kids can have a blast at Camp Pride at John Marshall Park (400-448 C St., N.W.), a fun zone with crafts, Drag Story Hour, a Pride Bands Alliance-hosted instrument petting zoo and more.
Shop for a CauseÂ
On June 7, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., One More Page Books will donate 15% of proceeds from in-store and online purchases to The Wanda Alston Foundation, a D.C. organization that provides pre-independent transitional living and support services to homeless or at-risk LGBTQ youth ages 18-24. 2200 N. Westmoreland St., Arlington (East Falls Church)
International Rally + March on Washington for Freedom
Gather for a rally at the Lincoln Memorial on June 8 at 9:30 a.m. and stick around for the noon march to the Capitol, which culminates in the WorldPride DC Street Festival and Closing Concert featuring performances by  Brooke Eden, Khalid and Grammy-winner Doechii. Participants of all ages are welcome to join this celebration of human rights and the LGBTQ+ community, but minors must be accompanied by an adult. 2 Lincoln Memorial Circle, N.W., Washington, D.C.
Pride Pawty at The Boro
Looking for some doggone good fun? Find it in Tysons on June 14, 1-4 p.m. Furry friends are welcome to partake of a rainbow doggy bone bar, pose for a caricature artist, get a glitter tattoo and show off on the agility course. // 8350 Broad St., Tysons (The Boro)
Mosaic Pride Celebration
Mosaic’s 4th Annual Pride Celebration returns June 14, 3-9 p.m. with festivities including a parade, Family Fun storytime with drag queen Tara Hoot, DJ and drag shows, and a concert by Metro to Paris. 2910 District Ave., Fairfax (Mosaic District)
Dance with Pride!
This free dance party at Lubber Run Community Center on June 20, 1-3 p.m., will feature songs by LGBTQ+ icons and recent chart-toppers. 300 N. Park Drive, Arlington (Buckingham)
Pages of Pride: A Celebration of Queer Literature & Community
Stop by One More Page Books on June 21, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. for a book drive, fundraiser and a Kingsbury Chocolates pop-up shop staged in partnership with the nonprofit Rainbows and Reflections, which works to get LGBTQIA+ books to young readers with limited access. 2200 N. Westmoreland St., Arlington (East Falls Church)
Be Gay, Solve Crime: A Queer Mystery Panel
One More Page Books continues its Pride Month party with mystery writers Cheryl A. Head, Katharine Schellman, Stephen Spotswood and Alex Travis. Join them June 25, 7-8 p.m., to learn more about queer characters grappling with murderers, misogynoir and the rise of McCarthyism in settings ranging from Jazz Age speakeasies to the halls of a private school. 2200 N. Westmoreland St., Arlington (East Falls Church)
Pride Happy Hour & Drag Sing-a-Long
Put on some flip-flops and head to Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant on June 25, 5-7:30 p.m., for a performance by Destiny B. Childs and music from znl. 555 23rd St. S., Arlington (National Landing)
Pride Prom
Safe Space NOVA and the City of Alexandria Office of the Arts will present the 4th annual regional Pride Prom with a theme of “Enchanted Forest.” Open to 9th-12th graders in Northern Virginia, the June 27, 7-11 p.m., event will feature art stations, door prizes, an ice cream sundae bar, and a quiet room with books and board games. Tickets cost $38. Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 N. Union St., Alexandria
8th Annual Alexandria Pride Fair
On June 28, 3-6 p.m., Alexandria’s City Hall and Market Square will play host to more than 60 exhibitors, a drag story hour, a mobile art lab, live music and food trucks. 301 King St., Alexandria