Charlotte Pride Funding
You can become a Friend of Pride! Our Friends are monthly givers who help us sustain our big annual event and focus on creating unique year-round events and activities for our community. Learn more about donating.
To learn more about sponsorship, please email sponsors@charlottepride.org
Charlotte Pride is funded by businesses, organizations, and individuals who believe in the mission of Charlotte Pride. If you want to support, see the previous questions about how to support or sponsor Charlotte Pride.
The vast majority of proceeds and sponsorship go to the operation and staging of our annual major events. All additional funds raised by Charlotte Pride allow the organization to invest in improving the annual festival and parade, year-round programming, and organizational operations like staff and office space.
Miscellaneous Questions
To learn how to advertise in the Charlotte Pride magazine, email media@charlottepride.org
If you are interested in planning an event with Charlotte Pride, please email info@charlottepride.org
We have a small team, so we may not be able to plan the event with you, but we are happy to receive suggestions or discuss possibilities.
We welcome feedback! Please send suggestions, comments, or concerns to info@charlottepride.org.
Great question! There are two answers. The simple answer is scheduling. Several large events already take place Uptown in late May, June, and July, and hosting in August enables us to better plan and coordinate with our partners. The more important answer is that Pride is year-round! There’s never a bad time to celebrate our community!
2026 FESTIVAL & PARADE INFO
2026 FESTIVAL VENDOR FAQS & RESOURCES
PRIDE SEASON
2026 General
The 2026 Charlotte Pride Festival & Parade is Saturday, Aug. 15 – Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026.
Charlotte Pride Week, which includes a variety of celebratory Pride events all around the city, hosted by local businesses and organizations, runs Friday, Aug. 9 – Friday, Aug. 14.
The Charlotte Pride Festival will be in and around First Ward Park. The Parade occurs in Uptown Charlotte, along Tryon Street.
Volunteer applications will drop in the summer, as the event gets closer!
There are no admission or ticket costs to attend the festival and parade. Some portions of the event, like the VIP Experience, or related events/fundraisers may have ticketed entry. There are costs associated with registering a parade entry or festival exhibit space.
Application links are rolling out in January 2026. Check back to this page for updates.
We strive to make all of our events accessible to everyone regardless of ability. At the festival and parade, ASL interpreters will be on-site for all events with performers, all areas will be wheelchair/mobility friendly, and we will work to ensure additional accessibilities. More accessibility information will be provided soon.
The Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade Weekend is hosted in Uptown, which has a variety of parking and transit options throughout. You can click here for more info on Uptown parking and here for information on Charlotte’s public transit options.
We discourage bringing your furry friends to Charlotte Pride events as our events are outdoors in the heat. Additional details will be included on individual events if they are animal-friendly. Service animals are always welcome. Charlotte Pride is not liable for the health and safety of any service animals at the festival.
CHARLOTTE PRIDE'S
SAFETY COMMITMENT
Stay Hydrated: The single-most common calls we have for medical assistance each year are people who are experiencing dehydration or heat exhaustion. When you visit our event, be sure to stay hydrated. Drink lots of water, wear sunscreen, and take breaks in the shade.
Use the Buddy System: When you visit our event, be sure to bring your friends or family. The event is best experienced in a group, and when you have friends or family with you they can keep watch over you and you them!
“See Something, Say Something”: If you see something suspicious or out of place, immediately say something to the nearest law enforcement officer or event staffer.
Know Your Surroundings: As with any large-scale event, be aware of your surroundings. Keep track of your friends and family. Identify exit areas. Be mindful.
DO NOT ENGAGE WITH PROTESTORS
Charlotte Pride’s board, staff, and event volunteers have your safety and wellness as our top priority.
Our Team is Trained: Charlotte Pride event staff undergo intensive first-aid and emergency preparedness training.
We Have a Plan: The Charlotte Pride Board of Directors, staff, and event staff have a plan for crisis and emergency preparedness.
Charlotte Pride Coordinates with Public Safety Agencies: Charlotte Pride has met with and coordinated our crisis and emergency plans with all local public safety agencies.
Local Public Safety Agencies are Prepared: Charlotte Pride is confident in our trust of local public safety agencies and their plans to keep our event safe and celebratory.
We are following CDC and local health guidelines: While COVID is no longer considered a national emergency, we encourage attendees to take precautions that suit their comfort level.
We will change our plans if necessary: If CDC or local health guidelines change, we immediately change our precautions to come into line with those guidelines.
More information: https://covid-19.mecknc.gov/
- Charlotte pride is in regular communication with Mecklenburg County Public Health, which will be present at the festival & parade to provide prevention and awareness materials regarding monkeypox, as well as information on how to obtain vaccines.
- We are following CDC and local health guidelines: Attending the Charlotte Pride Festival & Parade will not put you at an increase risk of contracting Monkeypox.
- Monkeypox is NOT a “gay disease”: Monkeypox is spread by close skin-to-skin contact. Though it is true that most documented transmissions have occurred in the LGBTQ community, this viral infection can be spread to any person. Like all viruses, monkeypox knows no race, color, sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity.
- Monkeypox is spread by close, personal, and often skin-to-skin contact: Including direct contact with monkeypox rash, scabs, or bodily fluids, as well as touching objects, including fabrics (clothing, bedding, towels, etc.) that have been used by someone with monkeypox.
- Contact with monkeypox can occur during:
- Oral, anal, and vaginal sex or touching the genitals of a person with monkeypox
- Hugging, massaging, and kissing
- Prolonged face-to-face contact
- Touching fabrics and objects during sex that were used by a person with monkeypox and have not been disinfected, such as bedding, towels, fetish gear, and sex toys
- Watch for signs and symptoms of monkeypox:
- You may have any combination of flu-like symptoms and skin rash:
- Fever and/or chills
- Headache, muscle ache, or backache
- Swollen lymph nodes (tender spots near the neck, jaw, armpits, or groin)
- Exhaustion
- A rash of bumps in or on any part of your body, including genitals.
- The rash can be as small as one or two bumps or cover the entire body.
- The bumps may look like warts, pimples, blisters, sores, or scabs.
- The bumps may be painful or itchy and will change size and shape before scabbing over and healing.
- You may have any combination of flu-like symptoms and skin rash:
DO NOT ATTEND THIS EVENT IF YOU ARE NOT WELL OR HAVE SYMPTOMS
More information can be found HERE.
Charlotte Pride reserves the right to refuse service, make adjustments to the schedule, amenities, pricing, sales timeline, and Terms & Conditions.
Must be 21+ to consume alcohol. It is illegal to consume alcohol if you’re under 21 years of age. Please show your state or government issued photo ID to the bartender if you plan to have an alcoholic beverage. Overconsumption of alcohol and/or inappropriate behavior will be grounds for expulsion from the VIP Lounge and/or Charlotte Pride Festival. Charlotte Pride reserves the right to refuse service.