Pride Festival of Central PA, alternatively called PrideFest of Central PA, is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

which hosts a three-day annual

gay pride LGBT pride (also known as gay pride or simply pride) is the promotion of the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people as a social group. Pride, as opposed to s ...

event that takes place in

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

History

The first pride event in Central Pennsylvania took place in Linglestown, Pennsylvania in the late 1980's. From there it was moved to

Ski Roundtop The Roundtop Mountain Resort is a resort located in Pennsylvania. During the winter months the resort offers skiing, snowboarding, and snowtubing. During the spring, summer, and fall, Roundtop offers zip lines, a ropes course, OGO Balls, and y ...

and

Harrisburg Area Community College , mottoeng = Knowledge Restores Truth , established = 1964, accredited in 1967 , type = Public, Community College , president = John J. "Ski" Sygielski, Ed.D. , city = Harrisburg , state = PA , country = USA , undergrad = 19,000 , admin ...

before eventually finding a long term home in Riverfront Park in 1992, when it was also formed as a non-profit. The festival now features musical acts,

drag queens A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part o ...

, and attracts thousands of attendees. In 2018, it became the first Pride to ever take place on a US State Capitol when it was held at Soldier's Grove,

Pennsylvania State Capitol The Pennsylvania State Capitol is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Pennsylvania located in downtown Harrisburg which was designed by architect Joseph Miller Huston in 1902 and completed in 1906 in a Beaux-Arts style with decorative ...

. In 2020 and 2021, the Festival was cancelled due to concerns regarding the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

Currently

On July 30, 2022, it is anticipated that the Central PA Pride Festival will return. 3 days of events will include: Voice United - a pre-Pride concert presented by The Central PA Womyn's Chorus, Harrisburg Gay Men's Chorus, and MCC of the Spirit Choir, on Friday night before Festival. Pride Festival - held in Harrisburg on the last Saturday in July. Entertainment includes bands, drag shows, Family Zone, vendors, and food. Spirits United - Sunday church services celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. LGBT events in Pennsylvania Pride parades in the United States Culture of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania {{HarrisburgPA-stub