Montgomery County’s Pride Month Events
D.C.'s neighboring Maryland suburbs will host several family-friendly activities in June to celebrate Pride Month.
For the sixth consecutive year, Montgomery County, Maryland, will host several events during June to celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month.
On Sunday, June 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Takoma Park Streetery on Laurel Avenue, Takoma Park will celebrate its annual Pride celebration, starting with a Kids Pride Parade, which kicks off from the Takoma Park-Silver Spring Food Co-op, at 201 Ethan Allen Avenue at 10 a.m.
The next four hours will feature activities such as face painting, a Pride Photo Board at the Laurel Avenue Clocktower, a “Chalk the Block” event where visitors are encouraged to share messages of Pride and LGBTQ support on the sidewalk along part of Laurel Avenue.
Local drag performer Tara Hoot will host a Drag Queen Story Time event from noon to 2 p.m. Community organizations will have tables offering information on their services and food vendors will be set up in the area.
On Monday, June 10, Montgomery County Councilmember Glass, along with County Executive Marc Elrich and other leaders, will host a Pride flag-raising ceremony in Rockville at the county’s Executive Office Building at 9 a.m.
On Saturday, June 15, the first-ever Poolesville Pride Fest will take place at Locals Farm Market, 19929 Fisher Avenue, from 4 to 9 p.m. Attendees will enjoy locally sourced food and drinks, see the work of local LGBTQ artists and vendors, and attend a performing arts talent show.
On Thursday, June 20, at 6 p.m., Glass, who in 2019 became the first out LGBTQ person to sit on the Montgomery County Council, will throw out the first pitch at the Bethesda Big Train Collegiate Baseball team’s fourth annual Pride Night celebration, at Shirley Povich Field in Rockville. Proceeds from the event will benefit the MoCo Pride Center.
Two days later, historic Glen Echo Park will host Montgomery County’s fourth annual Pride Family Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the park’s Bumper Car Pavilion.
The day will feature a number of activities, including rides on the park’s Dentzel Carousel, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was the site of a Civil Rights Era sit-in to protest the park’s then-policy of enforcing racial segregation.
Other events include arts and crafts workshops, live musical performances, and family photo opportunities. Attendees can also buy discounted tickets to the park’s award-winning children’s theaters and aquarium, and can enjoy the park’s playground, picnic area, and art galleries.
Montgomery County’s Pride festivities conclude on Sunday, June 30, with “Pride in the Plaza,” an annual event that runs from noon to 8 p.m. at the Silver Spring Veterans Plaza. It features various educational, artistic, and celebratory activities, including live concert performances and “drag duels,” a Drag Story Hour, a Pride Ball, and tabling and booths promoting local businesses and nonprofits that serve the LGBTQ community.
Noting the ongoing backlash against LGBTQ rights and visibility being carried out by some state legislatures, as well as increases in anti-LGBTQ violence, Glass noted in a statement that celebrating Pride is an essential part of embracing the county’s full spectrum of diversity.
“Now is the time to come together and uplift our community,” Glass said. “This is a time for celebration, reflection and unity… As we continue our struggle for greater civil rights and liberties, Pride Month is a time to not only reflect on our progress but to focus on the work ahead.”
For more information on Montgomery County’s Pride Month celebrations, visit montgomerycountypride.org. Attendees may RSVP for Pride events at www.bit.ly/mocopride2024.
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