at Christopher Park), of the proto march that took place a month after the Stonewall riots, when 500 people came together for a Gay Power demonstration. Meanwhile, Stonewall 50, the umbrella name for this year’s NYC Pride events, kicks off June 28 with Rally 2019, a commemoration (free, from 6 to 9 p.m.
For its official Closing Ceremony on June 30, WorldPride will commandeer Times Square, New Year’s Eve-style, for a free concert from Melissa Etheridge - all are welcome, but be sure to pre-register. Whoopi Goldberg will emcee the WorldPride Opening Ceremony two days later, with a splashy fund-raiser at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, headlined by Cyndi Lauper along with Billy Porter and Ciara.
Expect an extra 3 million tourists for the festivities, which officially kick off June 24 with a Garden Party Tasting Event at Pier 97, hosted by the LGBT Community Center, offering bites from 20 local restaurants, including queer-helmed faves like Vic’s in Noho, and Brooklyn’s MeMe’s Diner. The city is hosting WorldPride 2019 - the first US edition of the global celebration of LGBTQ rights - and also honoring the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, which gave birth to the gay rights movement from the streets of Greenwich Village. This is no ordinary Pride month in New York.