{"id":427819,"date":"2026-10-14T18:30:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T18:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/427819\/"},"modified":"2026-10-14T18:30:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T18:30:10","slug":"come-out-with-pride-orlando-celebrates-lgbtq-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/427819\/","title":{"rendered":"Come Out With Pride Orlando celebrates LGBTQ+ community"},"content":{"rendered":"

Orlando\u2019s colorful celebration of LGBTQ+ culture returns this weekend, inviting visitors to \u201cFeel the Beat\u201d and celebrate joy, culture and community.<\/p>\n

Back for its 22nd year, Come Out With Pride<\/a> gathers more than 200,000 attendees at Lake Eola this Saturday while honoring the 10th anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting. The free event \u2014 which falls a week after National Coming Out Day<\/a> \u2014 features a full slate of festivities, including drag performances, a trans rally, the signature \u201cMost Colorful Parade,\u201d and a fireworks finale.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year carries a lot of significance because of the 10th anniversary of Pulse in addition to the current climate that we are in,\u201d said Tatiana Quiroga<\/a>, executive director of Come Out With Pride Orlando, the nonprofit organization that hosts the festival. \u201cWe want to make sure that we\u2019re inclusive and that we remember our 49 angels. We\u2019re going to have a moment of silence on our Diva Stage to recognize them.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year, amid a harsh political climate targeting LGBTQ+ individuals and people of color, Come Out With Pride creates a new space called the Culture Club. The space is a party within the larger event, representing \u201ca joyful, unapologetic celebration of Black and brown LGBTQ+ communities and the cultures that continue to shape Central Florida.\u201d<\/p>\n

The area will also feature a special ofrenda, which is a decorated home altar typically created during D\u00eda de los Muertos.<\/p>\n

\"CityCity of Orlando District 4 Commissioner Patty Sheehan leads the Come Out With Pride parade down Orange Avenue in 2025. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s where we\u2019re going to be highlighting and remembering our 49 angels with pictures of them. An ofrenda is a celebration of life,\u201d Quiroga said. \u201cWe\u2019re remembering those who passed as a form of celebration and remembering to celebrate our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quiroga said that showing up authentically and celebrating can be an act of resistance amid Florida\u2019s anti-DEI<\/a> and anti-drag<\/a> laws. The festival will still be hosting drag performers, as Quiroga said: \u201cIt\u2019s not Pride without drag.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Come Out With Pride parade makes its way down Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando in 2025. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

The festival opens at noon on Saturday with dedicated entrances and metal detectors at three points around Lake Eola. Music begins at the EDM-focused Sonic Bloom Field at 12:30 p.m., and live entertainment kicks off on the Diva Stage at 1 p.m.<\/p>\n

This year, Come Out With Pride highlights Orlando and Florida-based drag talent, featuring Ginger Minj, Angelica Sanchez, Darcel Stevens, Sassy Devine, Roxxxy Andrews, Detox, Orusha San Miguel and Myki Meeks<\/a>, who recently won RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"DisneyDisney cast members march in the Come Out With Pride parade as it makes its way down Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando in 2025. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

At 1 p.m., the Trans Rally kicks off with the largest gathering of trans people \u201cnot only in Central Florida, but probably in all of Florida,\u201d Quiroga said. At 3 p.m., music kicks off within the Culture Club.<\/p>\n

The larger-than-life \u201cMost Colorful Parade\u201d starts at 4 p.m. The route starts on Orange Avenue, continues on East Central Boulevard, turns onto North Rosalind Avenue and concludes on East Robinson Street.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s grand marshals are Kelsi Bergmann and Johannah Bowman, social media creators; Cielo Sunsarae, executive director of The Queer Trans Project; comedian Sabrina Ambra and Myki Meeks.<\/p>\n

\"MykiMyki Meeks attends a “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Season 18 event, on May 31 in Pacoima, California. (Jesse Grant\/Getty Images for MTV)<\/p>\n

All day long, attendees can explore stations around the festival, including a vendor marketplace, a sponsor walk, the Sober Space, a Sensory Space and the Family Spot. Food and drinks are available within the festival footprint.<\/p>\n

A full day of events will conclude with a colorful fireworks display over Lake Eola at 9:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe official Come Out With Pride float makes its way down Orange Avenue during the parade in downtown Orlando in 2025. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

All of the Pride festivities can help the LGBTQ+ community gather together and show up authentically.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe spirit of Pride is us showing up as our authentic selves as a sign of rebellion and resistance,\u201d Quiroga said. \u201cI think it\u2019s very important for folks to show up and really represent in numbers. We want the larger community, state and country to see that Florida still has a very big presence of our LGBTQ+ community and allies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Find me\u00a0@PConnPie on Instagram<\/a> or send me an email: pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com<\/a>. Stay up to date with our latest travel, arts and events coverage by subscribing to our newsletters at\u00a0orlandosentinel.com\/newsletters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you go<\/p>\n

Come Out With Pride Orlando is from noon-10 p.m. Oct. 17 at 512 E. Washington St. in Orlando. The event is free to attend; VIP tickets are available. The event has three entrances \u2014 on Rosiland Avenue, on East Central Boulevard and on Eola Drive \u2014 with metal detectors and security. For more information, visit comeoutwithpride.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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