Things to Do in NYC: June 2024 Highlights
Celebrating pride in the city where the commemorative month began
The June 2024 Blankman List includes a wide range of events happening in New York City for every day of the month. In this free highlights article, I focus in on one part of June in NYC: Pride—a month for honoring people who are LGBTQIA+. After all, it’s local history; pride month commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in NYC.
The citywide culmination of Pride is the June 30 march down 5th Avenue, but you have my full sympathy if cramming your way into the sidelines of a packed Manhattan parade isn’t your thing. (Though the events below includes a few similar options if it is!)
Pride is bigger than a parade. It is a chance to recognize and honor that people are not all cut from the same cloth. And I say this as someone who is a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. Sexual orientation and gender identity are complex, inheritable traits (see e.g., Polderman et al., 2018, Roselli, 2018), and it pains me to see people mocked or ostracized for the courage to look, behave, and dress in a way that matches how they feel and hurts no one.
Of course, one does not have to look or dress unusual to belong to the LGBTQIA+ community, and it is this invisibility, this occasionally silent suffering, that is especially worth taking a moment to commemorate. So for one month, I offer a variety of events to honor people along all the colors of the rainbow.
Disclaimer: Before going anywhere, please confirm the date, time, location, cost, and description using the listed website. Any event is at risk of being rescheduled, relocated, sold out, at capacity, or canceled. Costs are rounded to the nearest dollar and may change. I try to vet quality and describe accurately, but I may misjudge. All views are my own.
Exercise Your Rights
Whether you’re looking to run or swim competitively or simply cheer on from the sidelines, many sports and athletic organizations throughout the city set aside an event in celebration of pride month. I’m especially psyched for the Brooklyn Cyclones rainbow jerseys.
Wednesday, June 5: Walking Tour: LGBTQ History in Greenwich Village
Walking tour of historic sites associated with the Stonewall Riots and early LGBTQIA+ activism and community; 6–7:30 pm
$25 general / $20 student
Meet at Christopher Park
38-64 Christopher St (West Village, Manhattan)
Thursday, June 6: Brooklyn Cyclones Pride Night
Minor league baseball game against the visiting Aberdeen IronBirds, with pride caps and pride jerseys available first-come, first-served; 7 pm
$28
Maimonides Park
1904 Surf Ave (Coney Island, Brooklyn)
Saturday, June 8: Brooklyn Pride LGBTQIA+ 5K Run/Walk
5-kilometer/3.1-mile fun run/walk through Prospect Park; 10 am–12 pm
$35–$40 (price depends on date of purchase)
Meet at Bartel-Pritchard Lot
Prospect Park Southwest (South Slope, Brooklyn)
Saturday, June 22: Pride Swim Manhattan
1.5-mile/2.5-kilometer open water swim race for all experience levels; 9:30 am
$200
Hudson River, past West Village
Pier 26 at Hudson River Park (Tribeca, Manhattan)
Queer Artists
Commemorating members of the LGBTQIA+ community can be as simple as engaging with their art. Of special note this June are the objects that belonged to Stephen Sondheim, the legendary (and gay) musical theater composer who passed away in 2021 and whose collection is on display before being sold at auction.
Wednesday, June 12: treya lam: Otherland - Our Queer Earth
70-minute performance of song, movement, poetry, and other arts on the theme of building “queer liberatory futures”; 7 pm (6 pm doors)
$20, plus two drink or one food item minimum
The Public Theater
425 Lafayette St (Astor Place, Manhattan)
Friday, June 14–Monday, June 17: The Collection of Stephen Sondheim
Exhibition of memorabilia and objects from Stephen Sondheim’s homes, in advance of auction on Jun 18; 12–5 pm
Free
Doyle Auctioneers & Appraisers New York
175 E 87th St (Upper East Side, Manhattan)
Saturday, June 15: Pomme
French folk rock singer (Pomme Instagram); 7:30 pm (6:30 pm doors)
$35
Webster Hall
125 E 11th St (East Village, Manhattan)
Tuesday, June 25–Saturday, June 29: Woolf Works - American Ballet Theater
Ballet triptych based on three novels by modernist author Virginia Woolf; start times at 2 & 7:30 pm
$33–$243
Metropolitan Opera House
30 Lincoln Center Plaza (Lincoln Square, Manhattan)
The T of LGBT
It’s impossible for me to ignore the deeply misguided social and political discourse that I sometimes hear specifically around being transgender. There are plenty of events year-round that tell the stories and elevate the voices of people who are transgender and gender nonconforming. June is the perfect month to make time to hear them.
Thursday, June 13: Bristol Fashion Film Screening
Screening of Bristol Fashion, a 2022 drama film about a young transgender woman escaping from a troubled home, featuring the filmmaker and cast members; 5:30–9 pm
Free
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center
208 W 13th St (Meatpacking District, Manhattan)
Friday, June 21–Sunday, June 23: She He Me
The first Arab transgender play, following the true stories of three Arab characters who challenge gender norms; 2 pm; Jun 21–23; part of Criminal Queerness Festival
Pay-what-you-wish, ranging from $15–$120
Perelman Performing Arts Center
251 Fulton St (Financial District, Manhattan)
Sunday, June 23: Melissa Ferrick with Gracie and Rachel
Folk-rock concert featuring singer-songwriter (and gender nonconforming) Melissa Ferrick; 7:30 pm (6 pm doors)
$25–$35 entry (full food and drink menu available)
City Winery NYC
25 11th Ave (Chelsea, Manhattan)
Through Saturday, June 29: Leah Devun: Resemblance
Exhibition of photographs featuring artist Leah DeVun, her son, and her transgender partner; hours depend on day but are generally 11 am–6 pm
Free
Mrs. Gallery
60-40 56th Dr (Maspeth, Queens)
Queer Film and Literature
Monday, June 3: The Other Olympians
Book talk on the subject of early trans athletes and Olympic bureaucrats, with author Michael Waters; 7–8 pm
Free (entry only) / $33 (includes book)
The Invisible Dog Art Center
51 Bergen St (Cobble Hill, Brooklyn)
Wednesday, June 5: All You Need Is...Love? Book Club with Genay
Discussion on Truly, Madly, Deeply, queer rom-com book by Lambda Literary Award winner Alexandria Bellefleur
$5 (RSVP required; includes $5 store credit)
McNally Jackson Downtown Brooklyn
445 Gold St, City Point BKLYN (Prospect Heights, Brooklyn)
Thursday, June 6; Tuesday, June 11 & Saturday, June 15: Shorts: It’s Complicated
Screening of LGBTQIA+-themed short films; time depends on day; part of the Tribeca Film Festival
$19–$32, depending on start time (passes for multiple film festival screenings start at $110)
AMC 19th St East 6
890 Broadway (Flatiron District, Manhattan)
Friday, June 7: But I’m a Cheerleader
Screening of a 1999 teen romantic comedy taking place at a conversion therapy camp; 10:30 pm
$21
Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan
28 Liberty St (Financial District, Manhattan)
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Dance and Celebrate
NYC is a premiere world destination to glitter and be gay. With its star-studded, blocks-wide festivities, a lot of the celebration around pride involves parades, parties, and dancing. The appeal of NYC runs deeper though; the city also offers plenty of more subdued safe spaces for people who like to dance, too.
Every Sunday: Pride Salsa
Class on learning to New York Style on 2 salsa, in a safe space for queer folx and allies; 3 pm beginner class, 5 pm advanced beginner class
$20
Houghton Hall Arts Community
22 E 30th St (Koreatown, Manhattan)
Wednesday, June 26: Queer Swing Dance Class
Drop-in introduction to swing dance class in a queer-friendly environment; 6–8 pm
Pay what you can
Brooklyn Pride Center Bed-Stuy
1360 Fulton St (Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn)
Friday, June 28: Horse Meat Disco NYC Pride
All-night pride-themed rave hosted by the British DJ collective Horse Meat Disco; 10 pm–5 am
$119
Knockdown Center
52-19 Flushing Ave (Maspeth, Queens)
Sunday, June 30: Annual NYC Pride March
Annual parade celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community; 11 am
Free
Begins on 25th St & 5th Ave, crosses through the Stonewall National Monument
Route will be posted on NYC Pride website (West Village, Manhattan)
Celebrate with Food
Does your ideal celebration of pride simply involve a colorful cocktail or a cleverly-named dish? This city can deliver on that, too! Plenty of bars, restaurants, and food-centered spaces commemorate the month in one way or another.
Sunday, June 2: Beyoncé + Rihanna Drag Brunch
Brunch with drag performances set to music by Beyoncé and Rihanna; seatings at 11:45 am & 2:30 pm
$20 entry (dishes range from $8–$32, plus tips for the performers)
Stella 34 Trattoria & Bar (inside Macy’s)
151 W 34th St (Midtown South, Manhattan)
Thursday, June 6: Queer Happy Hour
Bar happy hour serving Nigerian food and pride-themed drinks; 7 pm–2 am
Free entry (reservation required)
Acoustik Garden Lounge
1515 Atlantic Ave (Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn)
Saturday, June 22: Stone Street Historic District Pride Fest
Packed block party along the Stone Street Historic District featuring bars and restaurants selling pride-themed food and drinks; 12 pm
Free entry; restaurants range in price
Stone Street Historic District
30 Stone St (Financial District, Manhattan)
Saturday, June 29: Pride Joyride Tasting
5-course queer-themed menu with wine pairing prepared by chef David Goldman; 7–10 pm
$195
The Brooklyn Point Chef’s Table
138 Willoughby St (Downtown Brooklyn)