Utah Pride Celebration activities return, with Pride Parade set for Sunday

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Pride Celebration is back, with this year's theme, Pride Elevated, meant to underscore advances by members of the community in asserting their presence.

"This year's festival is about elevation in every sense," said Chad Call, the executive director of Utah Pride and the Utah Pride Center. "We're elevating community voices, elevating experiences and elevating opportunities for connection across generations, identities and organizations."

June is Pride Month, meant to recognize the LGBTQ community, and the Utah Pride Celebration is perhaps the premier Pride event in Utah. Activities kick off Wednesday with a ticketed fundraiser. They continue through the week with a rally and march on Saturday, a two-day festival on Saturday and Sunday and the Utah Pride Parade on Sunday.

As has become tradition, the Salt Lake City Mayor's Office will host the raising of the city's Sego Belonging flag, meant to show solidarity with the LGBTQ community, on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Here's a rundown of some of the planned Utah Pride Celebration events:

• Utah Pride Director's Reception, a fundraiser, is set for Wednesday at 7 p.m., with tickets costing $100 each. The organization will also recognize recipients of four awards or honors meant for people and groups that have contributed to the LGBTQ community. The Bruce Bastian Legacy Award, in its first year, will go to the award namesake for his advocacy work with the Utah Pride Center. The reception will be held at the rooftop of the Salt Lake Main Library, 210 E. 400 South.
• An opening night party is set for Friday starting at 8 p.m. at Washington Square outside the Salt Lake City-County Building in Salt Lake City. Tickets are $30 and the event is for those 21 or older.
• The Utah Pride rally and march begins Saturday at 10 a.m. and will start at the Utah Capitol in Salt Lake City.
• The Utah Pride Festival is set for Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. It will be held at Washington Square. A youth dance will be held Saturday at 6 p.m. in the Youth Zone area within festival grounds. One day tickets range from $5 to $20 depending on age, with two-day tickets going for $35.
• The Utah Pride Parade, which typically draws perhaps 100,000 people including spectators and participants, starts at 10 a.m. on Sunday. The free event starts at 100 South and Temple Square and goes to 300 South and 400 East.

The Utah Pride Celebration may be the highest-profile event in Utah during Pride Month, but it's not the only one:

• The city of Millcreek will hold Pride 2026 on June 20 at Millcreek Common from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. The activities include drag bingo, skating and more.
• SLC Pride, another LGBTQ advocacy group, will hold a Pride event at 400 North and 400 West in Salt Lake City on June 27 from noon to 10 p.m. and on June 28 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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