June 23-24, 2023
The 19th annual NWA Pride Parade and Festival Weekend, the largest LGBTQ+ Pride celebration in Arkansas, returns to Fayetteville for another year of festivities on Friday, June 23 and Saturday, June 24, 2023!
The 2023 edition of the iconic NWA Pride festival is rolling out new details frequently, but based on previous years and what we know so far, expect a weekend full of fun and love! You can preview the schedule for NWA Pride below, which we'll continue to update as information becomes available.
In 2022, NWA Pride celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Miss Gay Arkansas and Miss Gay America pageants, heavily rooted in Arkansas’ Queer history. Norman Jones, and his stage personality Norma Kristie, served as Grand Marshal. Jones has touched the lives of thousands of LGBTQ+ Arkansans and countless others across the country as Miss Gay Arkansas 1972, Miss Gay America 1973, and as owner of one of the largest and longest-running LGBTQ+ nightclubs in Arkansas and the south.
Northwest Arkansas Pride | 2023 Schedule of Events:
Trans March & Rally
Friday, June 23, 2023 / 6:00pm lineup; 7:00pm start
Fayetteville Town Center Plaza, Fayetteville, AR
This 3rd annual event will kick off the evening's TransFest at the Fayetteville Town Center! The NWA Trans March will line up beginning at 6:00pm, marching at 7:00pm. The NWA Trans March Rally will follow immediately, at 7:30pm on the Fayetteville Town Center Plaza. The NWA Trans March is open to all with no pre-registration required. Anyone who supports Arkansas children, particularly trans and gender non-conforming youth, is invited to join.
TransFest
Friday, June 23, 2023 / 8:00pm
Fayetteville Town Center, Fayetteville, AR
Following the Trans March and Rally on the Fayetteville Town Center Plaza, move indoors for TransFest, a new event debuting at NWA Pride 2023!
NWA Pride Festival
Saturday, June 24, 2023 / 11:00am - 4:30pm
Dickson Street & West Avenue, Fayetteville, AR
Gather in the large parking lot located at the intersection of West Avenue and Dickson Street in downtown Fayetteville for a full slate of NWA Pride activities, all day long! View the full schedule graphic at the bottom of this page.
NWA Pride Youth Zone
Saturday, June 24, 2023 / 11:00am - 4:30pm
Fayetteville Town Center, Fayetteville, AR
The Youth Zone will host areas for different age groups to celebrate NWA Pride at the Fayetteville Town Center. Activities will include family-friendly arts and crafts, storybook readings, an LGBTQ-supportive resource fair, and a Teen Zone with DJs, musical acts, and drag performers.
19th Annual NWA Pride Parade
Saturday, June 24, 2023 / 5:00pm
Dickson Street, Fayetteville, AR
The longest-running tradition in the history of NWA Pride, the annual NWA Pride Parade, is the centerpiece of the festival weekend! This year's parade will be rolling down Dickson Street for its 19th year beginning at 5:00pm. Every year, the parade is a raucous and rowdy celebration of love and being yourself, with joy erupting from every square inch of Dickson.
Glitterville
Saturday, June 24, 2023 / 9:00pm doors; 11:30pm show
George's Majestic Lounge, Fayetteville, AR
Glitterville is the official afterparty of NWA Pride and a guaranteed sell-out, so grab your tickets ASAP! Daya Betty of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 14 fame will headline Glitterville 2023 alongside Arkansas entertainers Taylor Madison Monroe and Ella Rosa.
Tickets are on sale now! Click here to purchase.
Find more NWA Pride events taking place in Fayetteville, Arkansas - both official and unofficial - by visiting this list or exploring our event calendar!
Official parade and festival details, event schedules, maps, and additional information for NWA Pride Parade & Festival Weekend can be viewed below:
For those traveling into town to celebrate Pride with us, The Graduate Hotel at 70 N. East Ave. in downtown Fayetteville is offering special room rates as the official hotel of Northwest Arkansas Pride.
Experience Fayetteville is proud to support NWA Pride as sponsors and we fully promote acceptance and equality for residents and visitors alike. We hope you will join us at NWA Pride and continue to celebrate one of the most colorful displays of diversity and inclusion in Arkansas!
Follow the Facebook event or visit nwapride.org for updates. You can learn more about NWA Equality, the organizers of NWA Pride, at nwaequality.org.
