Plenty to Celebrate: Pride 2021 Live and Virtual Events Announced

The COVID crisis is slowly starting to recede, but – as with the struggle for equality – the work isn't over. After 2020's Pride celebrations saw delays, cancellations, and virtual editions, 2021 will see some Pride events return to in-person gatherings while others remain online. Either way, this year's Pride season will bring new innovations and prove all over again the LGBTQ community's
creativeness, determination, strength and resilience.

St. Pete Pride, the largest Pride celebration in Florida, features events that will take place outdoors across four themed weeks throughout June.

The PrideFest Kickoff Reception, scheduled for June 3, will feature "appetizers, drink specials and sunsets at Sirata Beach Resort on St. Pete Beach," a release for the monthlong celebration says. Following that will be Outdoor Adventure Week (June 1-6), which offers a host of activities, including a 5K run, "yoga and dog meet-ups," and "kitesurfing, boating, stand up paddleboarding, kayaking and more!"

Then comes Family Week (June 7-13), a fun-filled, family-friendly week of diversions that includes street performers, youth bands and dance companies. Arts & Music Week is next, running June 14-20, which spotlights the city's 30+ museums (and more than 500 murals).

Capping off the month is Restaurant Week (June 21-27). Food, fireworks, music, and more will be part of the mix, with "food trucks, microbrewery tasting stations and boxed 'Pride Picnic' meals" being "offered by participating restaurants."

Each themed week leads up to a signature event (prices range from $5 - $10).

Long Island Pride is also venturing out into the real world once more, adopting the theme "Together Again" for its afternoon of live music and in-person mingling. Five hundred participants are expected for the celebration at Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre in Eisenhower Park. The party starts at noon and continues until 4 p.m.– note that space is limited, and there will be no same-day entry to the pre-ticketed event. Also important: All attendees will be required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

Tickets are available here, and sponsorships are also available.

Chef Amanda Freitag, star of the Food Network's "Chopped," brings a different flavor to NYC Pride when she hosts the fundraiser and "virtual culinary experience" that is Savor Pride at 6:30 p.m. on May 26.

"Amanda has battled Bobby Flay on "Iron Chef America," and can also be found contributing to "Unique Eats" on Cooking Channel," a press release from NYC Pride notes. In the fall of 2009, she competed for the title of America's Next Iron Chef.

Tickets are available by following this link. Proceeds benefit NYC Pride and God's Love We Deliver, a service that "cooks and home-delivers nutritious, medically tailored meals for people too sick to shop or cook for themselves."

Virtual celebrations from home can be complemented with some rainbow pizzazz, thanks to Pride in a Box, an "at-home Pride kit" from Brand|Pride that will "bring fun, joy and unicorn love into your home!"

Even when "physically gathering in the way we're used to is not possible, the reasons Pride is celebrated and our community and allies gather have not changed," Brand|Pride notes.

Brand|Pride is "constantly seeking out LGBTQ+ and minority-owned businesses to work with," CEO Elise Lindborg relates. "We want products by us and for us, which is why we're thrilled that 95% of the Pride in a Box items are designed and sourced through LGBTQ+ suppliers."

Adds Lindborg: "This is our way to bring a little bit of Pride to your home, a reminder that Pride isn't just a single month of the year but something we feel 365 days of the year."

Sales also support a larger initiative: "In April, May, and June, $2 of the sale of each Pride in a Box will be donated to Black & Pink, a prison abolitionist organization seeking to liberate LGBTQ+ people through the abolishment of the criminal punishment system," a release for the company notes.

The kits contain banners, flags, decorations, and more.

Whether you're participating from home or heading to a destination event to join others, enjoy this year's Pride safely!