Philly to host historic National Coming Out Parade at OURfest

Last year, Philly Pride 365: A Program of Galaei hosted the city’s first OURfest. Now in 2024, the National Coming Out Parade and Festival/Resource Fair will be back with a fresh schedule of events and activations.

OURfest will open with the annual parade, which happens to be the first National Coming Out Parade in the United States. The promenade-esque event is dedicated and inspired by the prideful holiday and will take place on Saturday, Oct. 12 from 4 to 6 p.m.

As a release notes, the parade will feature a mix of curated and designed floats, community organizations, and live performances that spotlight the “vibrancy of the  LGBTQIA+ community in Philadelphia, the suburbs and across America.” The occasion will also feature themed sections to showcase youth and families, sports and recreation, professional leaders, pioneers and grand marshals, arts and culture, drag artists, and other groups.

The following day on Sunday, Oct.13, in honor of National Coming Out Day/Weekend, the OURfest: National Coming Out Festival will be in full swing from noon to 7 p.m. The festival’s footprint will take over the Gayborhood from 13th and Walnut down to 13th and Pine, Locust to 12th, and to 12th and Pine. Other select roads will also be closed around the area.

The occasion will feature 200+ grassroots organizations, CBO’s, nonprofits, artists and makers, entertainers, restaurants and bars, food trucks, vendors, speeches, family fun and small businesses on site. As the release notes, this year’s resource fair and street festival will additionally feature art and music from the community, a sober space, a decompression zone, live music, and even a Kiki Alley where visitors can head to the Legends Beer Garden on Chancellor Street to join in on a dance/celebration pop-up highlighting the rich culture and history of the Philadelphia ballroom community.

This year Philly Pride 365’s production of OURfest is themed as “OURfest – OUR Future.”

“These legislative attacks on the community’s freedoms and right to love whom we love while devastating are the perfect opportunity for us as a community to unite to bring visibility to our community, our plight, and our demand for a just, equitable world for all LGBTQ+,” said Galaei Executive Director and Community Organizer Tyrell Brown (they/them) in a statement. “OURfest – OUR Future”, goes beyond a theme and is a call to action for unity around causes that are impacting our LGBTQIA+ community.”

They continued, “One of our most important tools to push back against hate and division is our ability to unite in love and celebrate our diversity. National Coming Out Day and LGBTQ History month are crucial opportunities for our communities to join together in celebration and reflection, to find  family and togetherness, to have access to resources, and to share the love, art and joy that are hallmarks of our community.”

To learn more about the OURfest National Coming Out Parade and Festival/Resource Fair, visit phillypride365.org