Jersey City’s historic downtown will transform into a vibrant celebration of love, resilience, and community this weekend as the city hosts its 25th annual LGBTQ+ Pride Festival.

The festival, a milestone event marking a quarter-century of advocacy, visibility, and pride, is set for Saturday. It will run from 1 p.m.-9 p.m. and will take over Grove Street and the surrounding area, including the Grove Street PATH Plaza and Newark Avenue between Grove Street and Jersey Avenue.

Organizers are expecting thousands of attendees — potentially matching or exceeding the estimated 25,000 who came out last year. The event is becoming one of the largest Pride events in New Jersey.

This year’s theme, “Speak Up, Stand Firm, & Stay Strong,” is a call to action inspired by a speech delivered earlier this year by voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams at the United States Association of Pride conference in Atlanta. Festival organizers say the message reflects both the celebratory and urgent tone of this year’s Pride Month.

“Jersey City Pride is a reflection of who we are: resilient, unapologetic, and united,” said Elizabeth Schedl, executive director of the Hudson Pride Center. “As threats to our rights grow louder across the country, so must we. Pride is more than a celebration. It is a call to action.”

While the event marks a joyful occasion, organizers emphasize that it is also rooted in activism.

“Jersey City Pride, one of New Jersey’s longest-running celebrations, showcases the strength and diversity of the local LGBTQ+ community thanks to decades of dedication from Hudson Pride and its volunteers.,” said Christian Fuscarino, executive director of Garden State Equality, a statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. “This year, leaders like Jim McGreevey, Raj Mukherji, and Rob Menendez are joining forces to honor the legacy of Venus Pellagatti Xtravaganza (a transgender performer and ballroom icon) and support Venus House, a new refuge for LGBTQ+ and trans people in Jersey City.”

The festival’s downtown location makes it easily accessible by PATH, NJ Transit buses, and other transit options.

August is officially recognized as Jersey City LGBTQ+ Pride Month, and the festival serves as the highlight of a monthlong calendar of events celebrating the city’s diverse LGBTQ+ community.

Whether a longtime ally, a first-time visitor, or a member of the community, organizers say Saturday’s event is meant to be a safe, welcoming space for all.

“We protest, we protect, we rise for our youth, our elders, and every LGBTQ+ person who deserves to live with dignity and joy,” Schedl added. “This is what it looks like when love wins and when democracy lives through us.”

For more details and event updates, visit jerseycitypride.com.

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Deion Johnson may be reached at djohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Instagram at @DeionRJohnson or X @DeionRJohhnson

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