Photo by J. Fusco for VISIT PHILADELPHIA®
Technically speaking, Philly Pride Month is June—but it officially kicks off the last weekend of May, which is the day City Hall celebrates with the LGBTQ+ flag-raising AND the day the biggest Pride flag in the city’s history gets unfurled at iconic locations around Philly. There’s also the Pride Promenade at the Philadelphia Museum of Art—with food and drink, dancing, live entertainment, an awards ceremony and more. And then, of course, on June 1, there’s the big (massive!) Pride March and Festival, from noon to 7 p.m., in the Gayborhood, featuring multiple entertainment zones, games, food and drink, drag storytimes, 200+ vendors, and more … all just steps from our historic boutique hotel!
In fact, that’s one of the more noteworthy attributes of our location here at Guild House—our primo address in the heart of the Gayborhood. (You’ll note all of the rainbow street signs and crosswalks in the ‘hood!) We sit cheek to jowl with dozens of LGBTQ+-owned restaurants and shops (some of the best in the city, including favorites like Little Nonna’s, which is right up the street from our historic hotel; Open House, Verde, Halloween, Duross & Langel, Barbuzzo, and many more), as well as some of Philly’s best gay and gay-friendly nightlife spots: the legendary gay bar Woody’s, for example, as well as Tavern on Camac (a beloved piano bar and the city’s longest-running LGBTQ+ bar), Knock Bar & Restaurant and UBar, to name a few.
Those aren’t the only Gayborhood landmarks near Guild House worth pointing out—for one thing, you can also wander by the Pride & Progress mural, a tribute to Philly’s LGBTQ+ history, on the wall of nearby Spruce Street’s William Way LGBT Community Center. There’s also Giovanni’s Room on 12th Street (about a five-minute walk from Guild House Hotel), the longest-running queer bookstore in America, plus multiple historical markers within blocks of us honoring various Philly heroes in American LGBTQ+ history.
Photo of the Gayborhood by M. Fischetti for VISIT PHILADELPHIA®
But back to the festivities, which go far beyond the initial kick-off events and extend all throughout the month, in both the neighborhood and the rest of the city. There are countless ways to interact with Pride events and happenings this month, from drag brunches to festivals to happy hours to concerts — and here, we offer up our very own Guild House curated Guide to some of the very best bets. You can learn, dance, pay tribute to history, drink, laugh, eat, be merry and more—there’s something here for everyone. Happy Pride!
Photo of the National Constitution Center by G. Widman for VISIT PHILADELPHIA®
THE EVENT: Pride Month at the National Constitution Center
THE DETAILS: With the “Pride and Protests” exhibit, you can see how members of the LGBTQ+ community in the United States have fought for their inclusion via the First Amendment. There are also “make-and-take” craft tables where visitors (including littles) can create their own pamphlets and buttons.
THE DATE: Ongoing, June 1 – June 29
THE DETAILS: The Philadelphia Free Library has a wildly impressive range of various LGBTQ+-friendly events all month long, from children’s storytimes with Drag Queen Brittany Lynn to Queer Comics Club to a drag makeup hangout and Pride-themed crafts for teens … and much, much more.
THE DATE: Ongoing throughout June; check the site!
Photo of cross streets in the Gayborhood by J. Smith for GPTMC (VISIT PHILADELPHIA®)
THE EVENT: The Gayborhood/LGBTQ+ Tour and/or the Drag Me Philly Tour, both from the excellent Beyond the Bell Tours
THE DETAILS: The first of these two tours is excellent hour-and-a-half walking tour that covers a boatload of Philly LGBTQ+ landmarks, luminaries and important moments in history, including the evolution of Pride in the city, a look Philly’s LGBTQ activists and pioneers, and a stop at the country’s longest-running feminist and LGBT bookstore. The second tour, a Pride-month special, meshes oral history interviews from the Drag Arts Oral History Project with archival history and tour stops throughout the neighborhood to give attendees a sense of drag’s past and present in Philly.
THE DATE: The regular LGBTQ+ tour is ongoing year-round. The drag tour dates are various Fridays and Saturdays in Pride month; check the site for details.
Photo of treats from Cake Life Bake Shop, courtesy of Cake Life Bake Shop
THE EVENT: Well … it’s not so much an event, but you should really take advantage of all of the food and drink specials in celebration and recognition of Pride. For instance …
THE DETAILS: Fishtown’s Cake Life Bake Shop—the award-winning bakery and cafe—has a special Pride menu, featuring rainbow cookies, cupcakes, shortbread and other treats (with proceeds benefiting The Attic Youth Center for LGBTQ youth). At Famous 4th Street Delicatessen in Queen Village, you can find huge slices of six-layered Rainbow Pride Cake all month (with $1 per slice going to Philly AIDS Thrift). And at Center City’s Assembly Rooftop Lounge, you can order the very fancy Big Gay Spritz (vodka, cucumber, lime, Prosecco, pea tea, and glitter)—again, with $1 per drink going to the Attic Youth Center.
THE DATE: Ongoing throughout the month.
THE EVENT: Free Pride Concert and Celebration with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Martha Graham Cracker
THE DETAILS: A (free!) concert and celebration featuring two of the city’s best-loved drag queens (Martha is at the concert; Brittany Lynn is at the celebration beforehand), plus the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus, the Philadelphia Orchestra (including world-renowned conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin!), the ANNA Crusis Feminist Choir, and more.
THE DATE: June 4, 7 p.m., with the celebration beginning at 4 p.m.
Photo of Spill the Tea, courtesy of Sofitel
THE EVENT: The Sofitel en Rose
THE DETAIL: The Sofitel—the well-known Rittenhouse hotel—is hosting a chic, outdoor pink-themed Pride happy hour in the magical little John F Collins Park in Rittenhouse (complete with DJ) and then, later in the month, also hosting Spill the Tea, a special tea service in their own Liberté Lounge with drag queen Brittany Lynn and the Philly Drag Mafia.
THE DATE: June 5, 6 to 8 p.m. and June 28 at 2 p.m., respectively
THE EVENT: SPiN—the Center City ping-pong bar—hosts a First Friday Play As You Are Pride tribute.
THE DETAILS: Drag-hosted ping-pong, karaoke, special drinks and—as always—ping-pong. $10/table reservations.
THE DATE: June 6, 8 to 11 p.m.
THE EVENT: #LoveisLove Block Party at Evil Genius Beer Company
THE DETAILS: Evil Genius, the beloved Fishtown brewery, hosts its annual family-friendly block party with loads of beer, live DJs, face-painting, food trucks, a bunch of LGBTQ+-owned businesses and more fun.
THE DATE: June 7, noon to 7 p.m.
GayBINGO! photo by J. Fusco for VISIT PHILADELPHIA®
THE EVENT: Action Wellness’ Gay Bingo at Congregation Rodeph Shalom
THE DETAILS: This much-beloved drag bingo event happens every month—a raucous, joyful bingo game called by, yes, “a wild bunch of drag queens” who entertain, sing, oversee the festivities and keep everyone upbeat. The theme this Pride month? White Lotus!
THE DATE: June 7, 7 p.m.
Photo of Society Hill Dance Academy, courtesy of SHDA
THE EVENT: Club Queer Dance Class at Society Hill Dance Academy
THE DETAILS: Learn club-dance basics in laid-back (BYO!) classes at this dance-school institution. We’re talking bachata, hustle, swing and more.
THE DATE: Thursdays, starting on June 12, and then ongoing for six weeks
THE EVENT: Unmuted: LGBTQ+ & Voices of Color
THE DETAILS: This event celebrates the intersection of Pride and Juneteenth with a four-speaker panel about identity, resilience, and the overlap of race, gender and sexuality, as well as live performances (music, comedy, DJs), and an afterparty.
THE DATE: June 13, 8:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Photo of the South Street PHS Pop-Up courtesy the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
THE EVENT: ComedySportz Philadelphia Queer Show
THE DETAILS: The improv comedy troupe Comedy Sportz celebrates Pride with their a hilarious cast of LGBTQ+ performers and a Pride-themed interactive show in their 100-seat BYO theater.
THE DATE: June 20, 7 p.m.
THE EVENT: Sip City Queer Garden at South Street’s PHS Pop-Up
THE DETAILS: The Philadelphia Horticultural Society hosts the most beautiful little pop-up garden on South Street each year, and this Sip City Garden party takes it over for the 21-and-up LGBTQ+ crowd, with slushies, drinks, snacks and good company.
THE DATE: June 26, 6 p.m.
** Want to book a room or suite — or book the entire house — at our historic boutique Philadelphia hotel? Click here to plan your stay!
