20 ideas for your Pride Month celebration
June is quickly approaching, which means it’s time to start planning a festive Pride Month celebration. Dedicated to honoring LGBTQ+ pride, history, and culture, this month-long commemoration is the perfect time to host a get-together with members of the queer community and allies alike. Whether you’re planning to march front and center at a Pride parade, attend a public festival or concert, or host a few friends at your home, these Pride party ideas will add joy to anyone’s June.
From gathering guests for a pre-parade brunch before hitting the streets of Manhattan, to getting away for an intimate yet meaningful trip with your nearest and dearest, Pride is about expressing yourself and celebrating love, whatever that means to you and your crew. Wherever your festivities take place, make this Pride one to remember with these Pride party and event ideas, for everything from fun drinks to colorful invitations to unique party themes and more. And for those who can’t make it there in person, send them love with a thoughtful Pride card delivered instantly via email, text, or link.
Table of Contents
1. Choose a party theme
If you’re planning to host a Pride party at your home, guests will be in for a great time no matter what, but incorporating a specific party theme can make things even more unique. A distinct theme can inform other aspects of your planning as well, such as the menu, decorations, and even outfit choices.
Make it a pink pony party and encourage guests to don their glitteriest cowboy boots and get ready for a pride-filled hoedown. Set a rainbow theme and let everyone know the dress code calls for their most vibrant ’fits possible (temporary hair dye encouraged!). Throw things back to some of the earliest Pride Month origins with a ’70s theme and groove to all the great divas and disco beats. Incorporate one of these Pride theme ideas or come up with your own to bring all the little details of your party to life.
2. Decorate your space
Whether you’re planning a full-on rainbow-themed extravaganza or a laid-back affair, deck out your apartment, house, backyard, or event space with these Pride party decoration ideas to brighten up any get-together. You can’t go wrong with any amount of rainbow décor, like a balloon arch, garlands, colorful streamers, or even a rainbow piñata. Add in disco balls, unicorns, pops of pink and purple, shimmering metallics, and anything else that sparks joy. For a festive touch, make a cute welcome sign covered in rainbow balloons to hang at your door or entranceway to display your pride for the neighborhood and let everyone know where the celebrations are.
3. Send Pride party invitations
Let everyone know all the details of your party with on-theme Pride party invitations you can share with guests however you like—via email, text, or a shareable link you can post on social media or directly in any group chat. Customize one of our festive design templates to make it your own, and add helpful Blocks to your event page to share whatever information you like. Add a Details Block with directions, parking instructions, or a dress code, include a Schedule Block to let everyone know the timing plans for the day, and share a fun album of Pride-related pictures in a Photo Gallery Block.
4. Prepare fun snacks
The best Pride party menu is bursting with both flavor and color. Incorporate these Pride party food ideas for appetizers and sweet treats to keep guests well-fed while injecting even more excitement into the day. For some savory appetizers, prep some stuffed mini or bell pepper bites in a range of colors and topped with goat cheese, or set out a crudité platter full of pepper, cucumber, and carrot slices in every color, together with a delicious dip—like this parmesan herb recipe.
On the sweet side, Funfetti sugar cookies are always a hit. Bowls of rainbow-colored popcorn will also be a guaranteed crowd pleaser (and photo op) that guests can munch on throughout the party.
5. Bake a rainbow cake
For a real Pride party showstopper, bake a rainbow layered cake, like this recipe by Eat the Love. Or make it a surprise explosion of sprinkles or treats, like this candy-filled dream from The Kitchn. If baking isn’t really your thing, pick up a premade cake or some cupcakes from your local bakery (bonus points for supporting any LGBTQ+ businesses!). Gather guests’ dietary restrictions or preferences as you plan the menu by enabling Guest Questions with your Paperless Post invitation, and make sure you provide sufficient food options for any vegan or gluten-free partygoers as well.
6. Offer signature cocktails
Don’t forget the drinks! Provide a lively bar to bring the party to life and keep everyone refreshed, complete with bottles of rosé, pitchers of fruity red sangria, and even some multicolored Jell-O shots (in either individual colors or all together in one shot, like this impressive recipe from My Mini Adventurer). Come up with a few fun signature Pride-themed cocktails to prep for your guests as well, like this colorful and sweet Taste the Rainbow recipe from Tipsy Bartender, or a Pride Punch mocktail.
7. Make a Pride party playlist
Get everyone out on the dance floor—or just provide some background vibes for the gathering—with a Pride party playlist full of all your favorite hits. Include jams from your favorite LGBTQ+ artists and iconic upbeat anthems that get you into the spirit of the day. Share a Links Block along with your invitation to provide a link to a collaborative playlist that guests can add their favorite song to, or ask guests to send their song recommendations on your Comment Wall or in an open-ended Guest Question with your invitation.
8. Sing karaoke
Speaking of tunes, what better way to enjoy Pride than by belting out your favorite songs together with your favorite people? Set up a karaoke stage or performance area at your Pride party and break out the mic when it’s time to amp up the energy. Make it a specific theme, like “Pop divas only,” “’90s throwbacks,” or “Broadway ballads,” and cheer each other on as you take turns owning the stage. Send a sign-up sheet in a Links Block with your invitation, or open up the Comment Wall for calling song dibs.
9. Set up a photo booth
Make it easy for guests to cherish fond memories from your Pride party—by photographing them! Set up a DIY photo booth in your party space, either with an instant-print camera, disposables, or just a phone in selfie mode. Hang a festive backdrop against a wall: think shimmery fabrics, colorful sheets, or hanging rainbow streamers. Make sure everyone gets plenty of time to pose for photos to their heart’s content, and share the memories on social media to show off your pride for the world to see.
10. Give out party favors
Sending guests home with personalized individual goodie bags or party favors is a thoughtful Pride party idea that will make all your friends feel special and loved. Decorate individual bags with glitter, name tags, colorful ribbons, and stickers. Fill them up with things like temporary tattoos, beaded bracelets, candy, miniature rainbow flags, and any other fun trinkets you want to share.
11. Play Pride-themed party games
Inject a little friendly competition into your Pride celebration by making it a game night. Whether you and your friends are fans of classic board games or you’re up for organizing a Pride-themed trivia tournament complete with historical facts and prizes, let the games begin with this fun Pride party activity idea. Get everyone up on their feet with some Pride-themed performance games like a round of Charades centered around well-known LGBTQ+ icons and public figures, or try your hand at hosting your own drag queen bingo bash.
12. Enjoy a drag show
While you’re at it, invite everyone to enjoy a lively drag show, either hosted at your home or at an already planned performance that you invite friends to attend, such as a bar or drag brunch with bottomless mimosas flowing. If you’re bringing everyone out to an event, you can also host a Pride pregame at your place to get everyone into the party spirit. Don’t forget: always bring plenty of cash to tip your hardworking queens!
13. DIY arts and crafts
Channel your crafty vibes with some hands-on activities to make your Pride even more colorful. Gather all your arts and crafts supplies and invite guests to come over and decorate posters to bring to a public parade or march, or make festive accessories to rock at any Pride celebration, like beaded bracelets or flower crowns. Or ask guests to bring their own plain white shirts (or hats, socks, sweatpants, or whatever they want!) and provide plenty of paint colors to decorate or even tie-dye their tees and other items.
14. Plan a Pride pool party
It is June, after all. And if you’re the friend in the group lucky enough to have the perfect pool for summer hangouts (or you know of one that you can rent for the day), plan your Pride festivities around a lively summer pool party. Make sure guests know to bring their bathing suits, towels, and sunscreen, which you can communicate in a Details Block on your aquatic-themed invitation.
15. Host a Pride brunch
Brunch is always a crowd-pleasing Pride party idea—whether you bring a group out to your favorite restaurant to fuel up before hitting the streets to celebrate, or invite everyone to your place and serve up stacks of delicious pancakes, tasty breakfast sandwiches, or a decadently prepared cheese and charcuterie board to graze on. An early afternoon meal with, of course, plenty of bubbly drinks, will make for a truly satiating and special Pride event.
16. Organize a Pride block party
Get the whole neighborhood celebrating with a block party this Pride Month. See if your neighbors or local community board are interested in helping you organize this Pride event idea, or hang up flyers around the area advertising a fun day of music, sun, and honoring the community. Share a link for your Paperless Post invitation on a public message board, and communicate that anyone who wants to celebrate Pride is welcome to stop by—friends, families, neighbors—the more, the merrier!
17. Host a family fun Pride picnic
Make it a celebration for the whole family. Invite friends and neighbors to attend an afternoon outdoor Pride event in a local park (or your backyard) and let them know it’s a kid-friendly gathering in your invitation wording. Grill up some burgers and hot dogs, bring bags of chips and a few dips, and ask guests to BYOB to ensure there are plenty of beers, seltzers, wine, sodas, and juices to go around. Plan some activities and field day games for your Pride picnic, like a relay race or a three-legged race, and provide rainbow-themed face painting for the kids—and young-at-heart adults–to enjoy.
18. Make it a movie night
Host a viewing party at home and settle in for a cozy screening of film favorites like “Call Me By Your Name,” “Brokeback Mountain,” “Fire Island,” “The Birdcage,” or any other movie you and your friends love. A relaxed movie night is a great Pride event idea for a more low-key celebration that’s still on-theme and honors the spirit of the month. With good friends, a few delivery pizzas, and a bottle or wine or two, you’ll be all set for a cinematic evening.
19. Plan a weekend getaway
If a large-scale celebration surrounded by crowds isn’t feeling like the right Pride pick for you this year, consider hosting a mini Pride trip! Find a weekend in June that works best, gather your close circle of friends, and organize a weekend getaway to a cabin, lake, winery, or wherever you and your group want to celebrate Pride, your way. Bring along your own decorations, pump the playlist over a speaker as you dive into a warm lake, and toss a few rainbow sprinkles on those late-night s’mores.
20. Raise charitable donations
If you’re looking for a Pride party idea that goes the extra mile, have your event make an impact. Ask guests to donate a few dollars at the door, or put a tip jar out at your bar with informational signage stating where the funds raised will be going. Find a local LGBTQ+ charity in your area to support, or research specific causes and organizations nationwide. You can also share a link for guests to donate within a Gifts Block on your invitation, along with information on the cause they’ll be supporting.
Celebrate your way with Paperless Post
Whether you’re dancing in the streets decked out in rainbow attire or hosting friends at your apartment for an elegant dinner party, Paperless Post makes it easy to plan it all, from unique Pride event ideas to helpful guest management features. Send invitations instantly, track RSVPs in real-time, and message guests individually or as a group with any event updates or reminders. From vibrant summer Pride parties to cozy holiday soirées to milestone birthday bashes, Paperless Post is here to help elevate all your festivities, any time of year.
Bring friends together for a fun night of bonding—from wine tastings to watch parties and more.
