Pride Island is indeed a central hub for the LGBTQ community in NYC. The diverse lineup includes legendary soul singers, indie pop bands, and more. This is one of the most popular Pride Week Events featuring lots of live music. Pride Island takes place at Hudson River Park’s, Pier 97, in the heart of Hells Kitchen. Other significant events are The Rally, Teaze (also known as Rapture on the River), PrideFest and the Dance on the Pier (Pride Island). Over 550 different marching contingents, over 100 floats make the march one of the most popular events in NYC. It passes by the famous Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street, where June 1969 Stonewall riots, have started the movement for gay rights. It draws tens of thousands of participants and millions of spectators. The main highlight of Pride Week is the annual New York City Pride March, surpassed by only the Sao Paulo Gay Pride Parade as the largest in the world. This Gay Pride Parade is followed by a street festival with live music, drag performances and food vendors. One of the early events is Queens Annual Pride Parade which goes down 37th Avenue in Jackson Heights, attracting about 40,000 spectators.
