Orlando Celebrates Pride with Dozens of Events

Tuesday, Oct 10, 2023 0

Pride celebrations, theme parks and food and wine events make autumn a must-experience season in Orlando

From Pride celebrations to Halloween thrills and culinary experiences, travellers to Orlando will find a host of special events all season long.

This October, Central Florida will continue its tradition of gathering around National Coming Out With Pride Day in alignment with October’s National Gay and Lesbian History Month by hosting the 19^th annual Come Out With Pride Festival on Saturday, Oct. 21^st. Widely known as the biggest LGBTQ+ celebration in the Southeast, this year’s Come Out With Pride Festival will feature two stages of live entertainment, The Most Colourful Parade, a Pride marketplace, V.I.P. experiences, three food courts with over 40 vendors, family and youth zones, an all-new trans-pride march and a fireworks finale that will light up the night sky.

Dozens of additional partnering events will begin as early as Oct. 10 to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community throughout Orlando neighbourhoods, like Thornton Park, Mills 50 and Ivanhoe Village. To learn more about these events and the Come Out With Pride Festival, visit www.VisitOrlando.com/LGBTQ or the Visit Orlando calendar of events.

Come Out With Pride Celebrations in Orlando

From live entertainment and performances to mingling mixers and pride-worthy brunches, here are some of the most anticipated LGBTQ+ events coming to Orlando during Come Out With Pride.

Todrick Hall’s Velvet Rage Tour (Oct. 10) – This Pre-Pride Celebration will present Todrick Hall at the House of Blues Orlando in Disney Springs. The event is 18+.
Zebra Youth Strikes for Stripes Fundraiser (Oct. 15) – Zebra Youth presents their inaugural Strikes For Stripes bowling fundraiser at Aloma Bowl in Winter Park. Family and friends can bring their A-game and compete for fabulous prizes while supporting the future of LGBTQ+ youth.
Baga Chipz at Hamburger Mary’s (Oct. 17 – 18) – RuPaul’s Drag Race Season One fan favorite, Baga Chipz, will be performing at Hamburger Mary’s in Downtown Orlando on Tuesday, Oct. 17 and Wednesday, Oct. 18, at 6:30 p.m.
2023 Stronger Together Concert (Oct. 18) – Visitors and residents can celebrate the legacy of queer southern trailblazers with the Stronger Together Concert, a collaborative community effort in partnership with LGBTQ+ organizations across the city. Free to attend, this event will be held at First United Methodist Church of Orlando in Downtown Orlando at 6:30 p.m.
Watermark’s Movies Out Loud (Oct. 19) – Join Real Radio 104.1’s Sabrina Ambra and drag entertainer Trixie Deluxxe at Savoy in Ivanhoe Village Mainstreet District as they critique “Death Becomes Her,” the classic movie starring Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis.
Final Stop: Florida – Familia en el Sur (Oct. 20) – The Trans Queer Liberation Movement is closing its “Familia en el Sur” tour at the historical LGBTQ+ center in the Mills 50 District. This movement spurs an initiative to connect with Queer and Trans Latine/Latinx folks with a night of family, fun, entertainment, games and food.
“Please Say Gay” Pride Kick-off Party (Oct. 20) – Prepare for a community mini-block party in Thorton Park filled with bites, drinks and performances by local LGBTQ+ talents.
Ready, Set, Pride Mixer (Oct. 20) – Mix and mingle, embrace love and celebrate Orlando Pride with Artisan’s Table from 6 to 10 p.m.
Orlando Pride After Party (Oct. 21) – After the festival’s fireworks finale, attendees can keep the celebration going in Downtown at The Abbey Orlando or dance with friends at the Iron Cow.
Come Out With Pride: Sand Volleyball Tournament (Oct. 22) – The inaugural charity fundraising sand volleyball tournament will take place at Festival Park, featuring two skill divisions. All proceeds will benefit the Come Out With Pride and the Central Florida Softball League organizations.
AC Sky Bar Drag Brunch (Oct. 22) – Enjoy views of Orlando at the AC Marriott in Downtown Orlando at the post-Come Out With Pride Drag Brunch. The meal includes a choice of one entre from our prix fix brunch menu, continental breakfast buffet and unlimited mimosas or Bloody Mary’s.
Hers Brunch Orlando Pride Takeover (Oct. 22) – Join Artisan’s Table for the biggest all-girls pride brunch to touchdown in Orlando from noon to 6 p.m. Attendees must be 21+ to enter.

Support LGBTQ+ Owned Businesses This Month and All Year Long

While in Orlando, visitors can support local LGBTQ+ businesses throughout the destination.

Popular (and delicious) eateries include The Glass Knife – known for their beautiful, handcrafted pastries and scratch-made savory dishes; Se7en Bites – a MICHELIN Recommended restaurant serving Southern comfort dishes; and Hungry Pants – a “plant curious” restaurant serving up comfort food made with clean, high-quality ingredients.
Meanwhile, Out Of The Closet thrift store in Winter Park, Maffrey’s gift store in Ivanhoe Village and Lacastro men’s clothing store on Mills 50 are just some of the LGBTQ+ owned stores in Orlando.

October Events

Travellers have many more activities to choose from during their visit, including live nightlife entertainment, haunting Halloween adventures, theme park events and so much more.

EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival presented by CORKCICLE , where guests can savor exciting and unexpected flavours from around the globe as they circle the iconic World Showcase now through Nov. 18. This delicious celebration features over 25 global Marketplaces, including a menu of new flavours and sips, live entertainment, family activities and more. The festival welcomes back two booths from the 2022 season: “Hawaii,” featuring the tropical flavors of the Pacific paradise; and “The Noodle Exchange,” offering savory ramen and noodles bowl. Guests are encouraged to pre-purchase tickets and make park reservations in advance.
Universal Orlando Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida (now through Nov. 4) returns with 10 new, movie-quality haunted houses featuring everything from cinematic greats to original abominations, including the all-new Stranger Things 4 and The Last of Us houses; five scare zones filled with creatures lunging from the shadows; and two live shows.
Howl-O-Scream (select nights, through Oct. 31) will return after its “inaugural fear” to terrorise guests at SeaWorld Orlando with fright-inducing haunted houses and scare zones, thrilling nighttime coaster rides and experiences, an interactive bar and an electrifying live show.
Central Florida Veg Fest Presented by Vegetarians of Central Florida (Oct. 28), the family- and dog-friendly vegan event held at Orlando Festival Park near downtown Orlando, returns for its 18th year. The event will feature a day of educational exhibits and activities from a diverse cross-section of vegan cuisines and lifestyles, including new products and ideas from over 200 vendors and 100 contributors to a wide variety of food preparation demos.