When is Minneapolis Pride?
Twin Cities Pride is one of the largest free Pride festivals in the United States and the biggest in the Midwest. The festival takes place annually in Loring Park in downtown Minneapolis, the historic heart of the city's LGBTQ+ community.
2026 Dates
- Youth Night: Friday, June 26 — 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Loring Park (ages 10–20, free)
- Festival: Saturday, June 27 & Sunday, June 28 at Loring Park
- Ashley Rukes GLBT Pride Parade: Sunday, June 28 — 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
The Parade
The Ashley Rukes GLBT Pride Parade — named after the late transgender activist and former festival director Ashley Ann Rukes — is the signature event. The parade begins at 3rd Avenue & Hennepin Avenue and travels south along Hennepin Avenue through downtown Minneapolis, ending at Spruce Place near the Loring Park festival grounds. Over 200,000 viewers line the route each year.
The Festival
The free, two-day festival at Loring Park features four live entertainment stages, 650+ vendors, a beer garden, food court, and community resource area. Entertainment headliners are typically announced by May each year.
Other Pride Events
- St. Paul Pride Festival: June 13–14, 2026 at Dual Citizen Brewing Company — a smaller, grassroots community event with a neighborhood feel
- MNPOC Pride (Minnesota People of Color LGBTQ+ Pride): August 12–16, 2026 — a five-day festival celebrating LGBTQ+ people of color, founded in 1999
History
Twin Cities Pride traces back to 1972 when roughly 100 people gathered on Nicollet Mall to commemorate the Stonewall riots. The festival has grown steadily over five decades — from 100 attendees in 1972 to 500,000+ across the full festival weekend today. The Pride parade became the Ashley Rukes GLBT Pride Parade in 2000. In 1993, the organizing committee became one of the first in the country to formally include bisexual and transgender in its name.
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