Capital Pride is this weekend. Here’s where to catch the parade and festival

Residents and businesses around town are gearing up for Capital Pride 2019, with pride decorations already brightening up commercial corridors like 17th Street NW in Dupont Circle, the District’s historic gayborhood. This Saturday, Dupont and neighboring Logan Circle will host the Capital Pride Parade from about 4:30 p.m to 8 p.m. The annual event starts at P and 21st streets NW, proceeds for 1.5 miles, and ends at R and 14th streets NW.

More than 200 organizations are expected to participate in the parade, and thousands of people attend each year. (The Capital Pride Alliance notes that bags are subject to search, thus attendees should consider not taking any to the event.) The parade route is as follows:

Capital Pride Alliance

Walking or taking Metro is generally the best way to get to the parade. At either end of the route are the Dupont Circle Metro station, served by the Red Line, and the U Street–African American Civil War Memorial Metro station, served by the Green and Yellow lines. There will be music and entertainment on both sides of the parade time, including a block party, lasting until 10 p.m., on 15th Street NW from P to Church streets NW. It will feature food and drink.

Among the parade’s Grand Marshals this year are longtime D.C. transgender activist Earline Budd and two members of the cast of “Pose,” an FX show produced in part by Ryan Murphy.

Capital Pride Alliance

On Sunday, the Capital Pride Festival will take place from roughly 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. along Pennsylvania Avenue NW, from 7th to 3rd streets NW. Three-hundred organizations are set to participate in the festival, which will also feature food courts, an hours-long concert, and a “sunset dance party.” The nearest Metro stop is Archives, which is served by the Green Line.