Charlotte Pride Has Canceled All In-Person Festivities Due To Coronavirus Concerns

April 28, 2020

Brittney Melton,

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte Pride has announced that all in-person events, including the largest annual parade in Charlotte, that were originally scheduled for July and August of 2020 are cancelled.

“Our very first priority is the safety and health of our community and our events’ attendees, volunteers, sponsors, and other partners,” Daniel Valdez, president of the Charlotte Pride Board of Directors said. “We must do everything we can to prevent knowingly exposing our already vulnerable community to the uncertainties and risks of COVID-19. The most responsible decision in the face of the continued uncertainty over the pandemic’s trajectory is to cancel large-scale, public mass gatherings like our annual festival and parade. We know this decision will hit our community hard, as it did for our board, staff, and volunteers. In-person events may be cancelled, but we know that Pride itself can never be silenced. We’re optimistic for our future programs and already planning for virtual and, once we’re able, in-person events later in the summer and fall, as well as our 2021 festival and parade.”

Charlotte Pride & Charlotte Black Pride have announced the cancellation of all in-person Pride events originally scheduled for July and August 2020. Read the full announcement: https://t.co/MT7WUbOqoz pic.twitter.com/f6CaDI8HAy

— Charlotte Pride (@cltpride) April 28, 2020

The decision was not made for both Charlotte Pride and Charlotte Black Pride out of collective concern for the safety, health, and wellness of our local community.

The cancellation affects the events of both Charlotte Black Pride and Charlotte Pride, including:

Charlotte Black Pride’s full week of activities originally scheduled for July 12-19, 2020, including its annual Charlotte Black Pride Expo on Saturday, July 18, 2020, and the annual Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade originally scheduled for Aug. 1-2, 2020, including its full slate of other community activities July 24-Aug. 2, 2020.

“Charlotte’s annual Pride events are the highlight of the local LGBTQ community each year,” Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said. “The Charlotte Pride Festival & Parade is also one of the city’s largest annual events. The absence of this year’s Pride events is not only a loss for our local LGBTQ community, but also a loss for our entire city and its social and economic well-being. This was a tough decision by organizers, but a responsible one. I appreciate and applaud Charlotte Pride and Charlotte Black Pride for their concern for our city, and I look forward to celebrating with our local LGBTQ community again in 2021.”

Charlotte Pride intends to host the 2021 Charlotte Pride Festival & Parade on Aug. 21-22, 2021. Charlotte Black Pride will plan to host the 2021 Charlotte Black Pride Week July 11-18, 2021.

In 2019, the Charlotte Pride Festival & Parade attracted more than 200,000 visitors over the course of its weekend event, including 23,000 out-of-town visitors generating more than 10,000 hotel rooms, a total economic impact of $8.05 million, direct visitor spending of $4.79 million, and $284,000 in Mecklenburg County tax revenue.

In lieu of in-person Pride events this summer, both Charlotte Pride and Charlotte Black Pride are looking toward a variety of digital and online events, including webinars, livestreams, and special celebrations and showcases of local LGBTQ artists, entertainers, activists, community nonprofits, and business owners.

In the fall, Charlotte Pride will present its rescheduled Reel Out Charlotte, The Queen City’s Annual LGBTQ Film Festival, Oct. 24-Nov. 1, 2020, at Camp North End. Organizers say to expect beefed up community engagement and entertainment activities at the event.

You can find more details about virtual and other upcoming programs from Charlotte Pride at https://charlottepride.org/virtual/ and from Charlotte Black Pride by following them at https://www.facebook.com/CLTBlackPride/.