For the first time ever, Dallas will celebrate Pride with a nighttime parade.
The event steps off down Main Street at 7 p.m. on June 6
TAMMYE NASH | Managing Editor
Nash@DallasVoice.com
After six years of staging the annual Dallas Pride music festival and parade at Fair Park, Dallas Pride officials announced Friday, Jan. 30, that the 2026 celebration is moving downtown.
What had been a two-day event is being condensed into one day, and the Dallas Pride Parade will become a sunset extravaganza marching down Main Street.
“Dallas Pride, the nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening, supporting and celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, is proud to announce a major evolution for its annual celebration,” organizers said in a press release. “On Saturday, June 6, the Dallas Pride Festival and Parade will move to the heart of Downtown Dallas, taking over four major parks and introducing the event’s first-ever nighttime parade.”
The press release notes that Dallas Pride officials have worked in coordination with Downtown Dallas Inc. and with the city of Dallas and “all concerned city departments to navigate upcoming FIFA activities. This collaborative effort ensures the best possible experience for an event of this size,” the press release said.
Dallas Pride organizers are promising “a lighted extravaganza of rainbows,” that will “transform the city center into a hub of inclusivity and joy.”
This year’s Pride Festival starts at 11 a.m., with the event spanning Main Street Garden Park, Pacific Plaza, Harwood Park and Pegasus Plaza. Then the Dallas Pride Sunset Parade, in a first for the city, will step off down Main Street at 7 p.m. The parade, which is free to attend, will include more than 120 entries ranging from inventive floats to bands to marching groups.
“As the sun sets, the parade will illuminate the city with lights, outrageous costumes and vibrant pride,” The Dallas Pride press release promised.
Dallas Pride organizers encouraged the community to watch for more details in the weeks to come, and urged individuals, companies and organizations that want to participate in the Festival or Parade to register online at DallasPride.org/Registration. Brands “looking to showcase their support and gain significant visibility” can find sponsorship packages available online at DallasPride.org/Sponsorship-Opportunities.
Follow the Dallas Pride social media pages to keep up with updates as information becomes available: on Facebook @DallasPride; on Instagram @DallasPrideOfficial; on Twitter @DallasPrideOrg and at the Dallas Pride website, DallasPride.org.
This is the first time for Dallas Pride to hold their pride parade in Downtown Dallas but it is not the first Gay Pride Parade to be in Downtown Dallas. The first parade was June 24, 1972. 3 years after the Stonewall riots. It was organized by Circle Of Friends Texas and included 250 – 300 participants.
[C.O.F. Float in First Gay Pride Parade in Dallas, Texas] – UNT Digital Library https://share.google/OJUiLVQdhvMYiKQQe