The Best Events for Families During NYC Pride 2019

Everyone knows the big march, the rainbow-littered parties, the blissful chaos that is Pride. But the community’s about more than just revelry. More and more, parents and caretakers want to take their place in the celebration, with their children and family members beside them; and more and more, that place is front and center. WorldPride 2019 proves it with plenty for families to do and see, from the silly to the sacred to the sublime. Here are the 8 best family-friendly LGBTQ+ activities during WorldPride in New York City.

Flag-making at Manhattan Children's Museum

Stop by the museum any day from June 7 through June 30 to let the kids help paint this year’s Pride flag—the biggest yet—and fill it with brightly colored, hand-crafted objects. The idea is to give children a hands-on experience with something that’s usually high above their heads and out of reach. The meaning’s not just easier to grasp, it’s something they help make.

Beyond the flag, CMOM offers five floors of discovery and fun. While you’re here, you’ll want to explore them all. Art, Artists, & You, is an interactive exhibit that encourages families to explore and express their own identities through hands-on art, is perfect for Pride celebrants.

Courtesy of Four Freedoms Park Conservancy

Stepping up with Pride at Four Freedoms Park

The four-acre park surrounding Roosevelt Island’s memorial to Franklin D. Roosevelt will get loud and proud with its festivities this year, when the sprawling staircase leading up to the FDR monument will be transformed into a 12x100 foot LGBTQ+ Pride flag, the largest in New York City. And on June 15, the park will offer free admission to an unveiling ceremony at which the flag will debut.

Spread out for a food-truck picnic on the lawn (or bring your own), and settle in for two sessions of Drag Queen Story Hour, during which drag queens will read children’s books that feature diversity and inclusion. VideoOut, a nationwide digital platform designed to amplify LGBTQ+ voices, will also be on site to record coming out stories from those willing to share them for the organization’s online library. Don’t forget to snap a family photo in front of the flag on those steps.

Pride Family Movie Night

Who doesn’t love an outdoor movie? Thanks to a partnership with the Hudson River Park Trust, it’s become a Pride tradition for families of all forms to gather on sprawling green lawns with views of the Hudson and enjoy a movie under open skies. This year, on June 21, the featured film will be Coco, Disney/Pixar’s visually stunning tale of an aspiring young musician who travels across the bridge of flowers into the magical realm of his ancestors to reclaim his family’s history of love and music. If that doesn’t delight you, the evening’s host, drag legend Miss Richfield 1981, surely will.

The film begins to roll at 6:30 PM, but come early for field games and live entertainment. Want an upgrade? Go VIP. $50 gets your family a blanket, a pillow, and a gift bag. Or, for the ultimate experience, donate $750 and get actual couch seating along with a gift bag and pillows. All proceeds benefit Heritage of Pride, NYC Pride, and other LGBTQIA+ organizations. Don’t forget the popcorn.

Family Festival Kidding Around Family Pride Picnic

The city’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center is joining art world nonprofit The High Line to present this summer family celebration on June 29. Kids and their families are invited to get competitive and spend some quality time kidding around with carnival-style games, face painting, and live music.

While you’re there, explore the gorgeous gardens and serendipitously sprinkled art of the High Line, NYC’s park built atop a historic, elevated freight line. Current commissions include “Brick House,” a sixteen-foot-tall bronze bust of a Black woman. The picnic includes refreshments, so the organizers request that those intending to attend pre-register through Eventbrite.

Youth Pride in Central Park

Pop headliner Ava Max hits the SummerStage with her 2018 top 40 summer bop “Sweet but Psycho” in Central Park on June 29. Even better, she’ll be joined for this special Youth Pride event by teen DJ sensation DJ Nhandi and 15-year-old rapper Deetranada, all representing—and entertaining—our next generation d queers and allies. There’ll be plenty of games and interactive experiences (Instagram-ready giant ball pit, anyone?) for multi-tasking teens to enjoy along with the music.

Youth Pride is best for older kids—a safe space in which they can feel comfortable, let loose, make some friends, and get a glimpse of how it feels to spend time in the city that never sleeps. Everyone under the age of 21 gets free admission to Youth Pride; adults have to pay a $10 fee.