Denver Pride 2026: parade, history and more

Dates and details about Denver Pride 2026 are still TBC.

Denver Pride is Colorado’s largest LGBTQ+ event and one of the top ten Pride celebrations in the United States. Each year, the festival attracts more than 500,000 visitors to the Mile High City for a weekend of visibility, celebration, and community.

While official information for the 2026 edition hasn’t been released yet, here's what you can expect based on past Denver Pride events.

Denver Pride Parade

The Coors Light Denver Pride Parade typically takes place on Sunday morning, filling downtown Denver with color, music, and energy. In previous years, the parade has begun around 17th Avenue and traveled toward Civic Center Park, where the weekend-long festival continues with performances, food vendors, and community booths celebrating Pride in the heart of Colorado.

History and Organization

Denver's first LGBTQ+ Pride celebration took place in 1974, and the inaugural event inspired the founding of The Center on Colfax in 1976, which continues to produce Denver Pride today. The celebration expanded significantly in 1990 with the addition of a full festival, and has since grown into a major cultural event for Denver and the surrounding region.

The event is produced by The Center on Colfax, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides year-round programs and services for the LGBTQ+ community at no cost. Denver Pride serves as The Center's largest annual fundraiser, with proceeds supporting critical services including mental health support, programming for transgender and gender-diverse community members, youth and older adult services, and various other community initiatives.