DC Pride Party Roundup

We may not be totally out of the pandemic woods just yet. Still, those who feel ready to get out and about for Pride 2022 are in luck. D.C.’s bars and nightclubs have caught the Pride bug, with what seems like one celebration after another. And 2022 also sees Capital Pride returning in full effect, brilliantly organizing its festivities as a “reUNITED” affair.

Official Events

Capital Pride organizers have planned several nightlife events to complement its Block Party and Parade on Saturday, June 11, and the Festival and Concert on Sunday, June 12.

Riot! Opening Party. Billed as “D.C.’s largest pride party and main event,” Riot!, at Echostage, 2135 Queens Chapel Rd. NE, will kick off the weekend on overdrive, aided and abetted by headliner Symone, winner of Season 13 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, not to mention a bevy of local queens set to work the crowd into a proudful frenzy, including S.H.E., Haus of Bambi, Molasses, Desiree Dik, Jaxknife, Bobby Decanio, and Vagenesis aka National Bearded Empress 2022. In between the drag will be dancing to the beats of DJs Ed Bailey, Jacq Jill, KS, and Wess the DJ. Riot! starts at 9 p.m. on Friday, June 10.

ReMIX!: Official Parade After-Party. Planned for City Winery, 1350 Okie St. NE, ReMix! boasts “7 DJs, 4 parties, 1 experience” with four unique dance areas — labeled Flashy, Cake, Pop Culture, and Eagle’s Nest — and overseen by DJs Chord, Farrah Flosscett, Mike Babbitt, Rosie Hicks, Sean McClafferty, Sean Morris, TWiN, Cake the Drag Queen, and more, all starting at 9 p.m. on Saturday, June 11.

The Capital Pride Sunset Dance Party will spring into action immediately after DNCE closes out the Capitol Stage lineup at the festival, as the incomparable DJ Tracy Young will work her musical magic to get Pridegoers up and dancing on Pennsylvania Avenue NW, with the U.S. Capitol as an indelible dramatic backdrop. The grooving gets going at approximately 8 p.m. and stops at 10 p.m. on Sunday, June 12.

Featured Partner Events

The half-dozen activities listed here are not produced by Capital Pride, but their community-minded organizers have pledged to donate a portion of proceeds to the nonprofit organization — and their support should be supported in turn.

DC Latinx Pride Party: Sweet 16, co-presented by Latinx History Project, at The Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW, starting at 8 p.m. (6/9)

Kinetic Pride: Uncut XL, the first of three parties produced in a collaboration of Dougie Meyer Presents, Takeover Presents, and LaFantasy Productions, this one features an open-to-close set from DJ Abel at Bliss Nightclub, 2122 24th Pl. NE, at 10 p.m. (6/10)

Fuse: Pride Womxn’s Party, presented by LURe and Tagg magazine, with DJs Electrox, Honey, and MIM, at the Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW, at 9 p.m. (6/10)

Wonderland, presented by Scorpio Entertainment, described as a pride pop-up dance party where “Alice in Wonderland meets Willy Wonka meets Studio 54” with two DJs and three dance floors, two party tents, and eye-catching immersive projections, all taking place in the Navy Yard’s brand-new space, HqO Events, 1385 Canal St. SE, at 8:30 p.m. (6/11)

Kinetic Pride: Galactic Edition Main Event at Echostage with RuPaul’s Drag Race queens Shangela and Jorgeous and DJs Dan Slater & Ben Bakson spinning back-to-back, plus an opening set from DJ Joe Pacheco, at 10 p.m. (6/11)

Flashy Afterhours Pride Edition with DJs Isaac Escalante and Nina Flowers at Flash, 645 Florida Ave. NW, starting at 3:30 a.m. and going until well after sunup. (6/12)

Kinetic Pride: DiscoVERS with DJ Alexis Tucci at Sax, 734 11 St. NW, at 10 p.m. (6/12)

Non-Affiliated Events

Here are select highlights of the many additional Pride-themed events set for the coming week. (Unlike the Pride Partner events, these parties do not contribute a portion of the proceeds to the Capital Pride Alliance.)

Pride Kick Off Ladies Tea Dance, sponsored by Republic Restoratives, which will be giving out a swag bag of their products, plus happy hour drink specials, and the sounds of DJ Tezrah at Crazy Aunt Helen’s, 713 8th St. SE, from 3 to 5 p.m. (6/4)

Freddie’s Follies Drag Show: Pride Month Edition at Freddie’s Beach Bar, 555 South 23rd St., Arlington, 9 p.m. (6/4)

Bent: Pride Month Kickoff, an extravaganza hosted by Jaxknife and Vagenesis and featuring performances by Sweet Pickles, KC B. Yoncé, We The Kingz aka Blaq Dinamyte, Molasses, and Ricky Rosé, Kotic Couture, and PWRPUFF, with DJs Tezrah and Lemz, and visuals by ProjectileObjects, at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW, 10 p.m. (6/4)

And You Can Dance: Pre-Pride Celebration, hosted by the Highwaymen TNT and featuring DJ SayWhat?!?, all-you-can drink wristbands, and jello-shooters at Uproar, 639 Florida Ave. NW, 9:30 p.m. (6/4)

Vroom Vroom, billed as “a Rooftop Tea Dance, by Dykes, for Dykes,” featuring DJ Clamazon at DC9, 1940 9th St. NW, at 3 p.m. (6/5)

Uncut Gemz w/Lemz and Friends, a Pride edition of the queer-centric “open-stage” and all-genres show “Domingø’s Got Talent,” described as “a tribute show to queer muses and trans icons” hosted by Domingø with special guest host Vagenesis and music after the show by DJs Lemz and The Barber Streisand, at DC9, at 6:30 p.m. (6/5)

Sunday Pride Kick-Off at Kiki, at 915 U St. NW, featuring a Drag Show & Wet T-Shirt Contest with Pirouette, Katrina Colby, and Crystal Edge, and DJ Derrick at 4 p.m., followed by dancing to music by DJ Phillip, 6:30 p.m. (6/5)

Monday Night Showtunes: Pride Edition, the long-standing popular tradition continues at JR.’s, 1519 17th St. NW, with music by Landon Cox and featuring a performance by Citrine, at 8 p.m. (6/6)

Queen of the Hall Drag Competition, the first-ever competition at Hook Hall, 3400 Georgia Ave. NW, hosted by Crystal Edge, with Anja Dick, Indiana Bones, Katrina Colby, Cake, and Desiree Dik serving as performers as well as judges for nine queens competing for $350 cash, $1,000 in bookings, custom stylings, the sash, and the cachet, and where each drink earns audience members a vote. Starts at 7 p.m. (6/7)

A Kiki/Dirty Goose Staff Drag Show held at Kiki with music by DJ Alex L♡ve, and $2 off rail and draft, at 7 p.m. (6/8)

Queer AF Comedy Show, presented by Double EE Comedy at Red Bear Brewing, 209 M St. NE, and featuring stand-up sets from Gray West, Eric Barbalance, Patrice Deveaux, Michael Furr, Lucia Bonino, Payton Warner, and headliner Rose Vineshank, at 7 p.m. (6/9)

Pride Month Queer Trivia, hosted by “the Mistresses,” this is an “all things nerdy and LGBTQ+” game, with players encouraged to wear their gayest attire for a “healthy dose of gay competition” at The Dew Drop Inn, 2801 8th St. NE, at 7 p.m. (6/9)

Sleaze: Fride Edition, coined a “Fride Weekend Cluckoff” featuring performances by Dabatha Christie, Molasses, and Jane Saw, and music by DJs Lemz and Keenan Orr at DC9, at 9 p.m. (6/9)

Queeridescent Pride featuring a Go Go for the Gold viewing party at 8 p.m. and RuPaul’s Drag Race viewing party, hosted by Rigatoni, at 8:30 p.m. DJ Phil Reese from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and Matt Bailer from 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. At Trade Bar, 1410 14th St. NW. Doors open at 5 p.m. (6/10)

The Midnight Movie: Rocky Horror Picture Show screening featuring live shadow cast from the Sonic Transducers at Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW, at midnight (6/10 & 6/11)

Booty Rex Queer Pride Party, with DJs C.rush, Wannabe, Natty Boom, Mothershiester, Bent, Junebullet, and Kristy La Rat, special guests MCs Zombie and Ricky Rosé, and dancers Ricky Rosé + Bumper Live Drumming by Asha “Boomclak” Santee at the Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW, 8 p.m. (6/10)

Capital Pride Parade Afterparty, featuring DJ Jacq Jill, from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Queermatica Drag Show starts at 10 p.m., hosted by Pussy Noir, and featuring Citrine, Venus Valhalla, and Ricky Rosé. DJ Kris Sutton. At Trade Bar, 1410 14th St. NW. Doors open at 2 p.m. (6/11)

Pride Parade Afterparty, starting at 6 p.m., with music by bACk2BacK at Number Nine, 1435 P St. NW. Open at 2 p.m. (6/11)

Spectrum Drag Show: DC Pride Edition featuring India Larelle Houston, Chicki Parm, Ricky Rosé, and Laronica Vegas, with host Desiree Dik, plus games, prizes, shots, and dancing at Red Bear, at 9 p.m. (6/11)

Mixtape Pride Party, the insanely popular monthly party is now an annual affair, with music by DJs Matt Bailer, Keenan Orr, Tezrah, and Lemz at the 9:30 Club, at 9 p.m. (6/11)

Candela! Pride. This edition of the international/Latin night at Uproar features performances from North Carolina’s Gaga L’Draga, the Miss Mundo Latina USA Milenna Saint Cartier, and Mr. Latin Soul DC Universo USA Alberto Pineda Carrillo (Charlie Vega Sinclair), as well as dancing to music by DJ Milko, 8 p.m. (6/11)

DistrktC Pride, an indoor/outdoor event with DJ Ed Wood spinning in and DJ Ana Paula spinning out at Karma, 2221 Adams Pl. NE, at 10 p.m. (6/11)

The Bear Cave: Pride Edition, presented by 495 Bears at the Green Lantern, 1335 Green Ct. NW, and featuring “insane drink specials” with “retro to electro beats” by DJ Popperz, at 9 p.m. (6/11)

 LOBO! Pride 2022, this “furry and kink-friendly” party is especially popular with puppies and their handlers. DJ Jake Maxwell. Astro Beer Hall, 1306 G St. NW, at 9 p.m. (6/11)

As You Aren’t Mixer, dubbed “An Alter Ego Party to Celebrate the You(s) in Your Head” or, alternatively, “a night to celebrate the sides we don’t always see,” with music by DJ MIM, at As You Are Bar, 500 8th St. SE, at 9 p.m. (6/11)

Prism, Hunny Drag Show, hosted by JaxKnife and featuring Hennessy, Rico Pico, and Dabatha Christie. Music by Wessthedj, at 9:30 p.m. at Trade Bar, 1410 14th St. NW. Doors open at 2 p.m. (6/12)

Pride Festival After Tea, starting at 6 p.m., with music by Khelan Bhatia at Number Nine, 1435 P St. NW. Open at 2 p.m. (6/12)

Kiki Sundays, this monthly event at Wunder Garten, 1101 1st St. NE, is touted as “D.C.’s Hottest Drag Garden Party,” with pop culture trivia, bingo, and more hosted by Katrina Colby and Crystal Edge, and beats by DJ Tezrah, 6 p.m. (6/12)

For more information on Capital Pride’s Official Parties and Featured Partner Events, visit www.capitalpride.org.