The Stonewall Pride Parade and Street Festival carry a legendary namesake after New York’s Stonewall Inn, the site of the June 1969 riots. The mere name Stonewall holds a tremendous weight of advocacy, pride and resilience. The Stonewall name is recognized as the launch of the modern queer civil rights movement not only in America but across the globe. Stonewall Pride Parade and Street Festival embodies that historical reference and has honored the riots with a celebration of pride and resilience for the past 25 years.
“We are very proud of our role of helping to build the largest LGBTQ+ event in Broward County,” a passionate Jeff Sterling, CEO of HOTspots Happening Out mentioned. “It was in 2014 that we were asked by the City to help save the event from financial ruin and mismanagement, which consistently held it back from success since its inception. Back then, there were a mere 14,000 people, primarily from Broward county, in attendance.”
Since then with the partnerships of the businesses along the Drive, the City of Wilton Manors, and HOTspots Happening Out, has grown the event to include over 50,000 attendees from within Florida and nationally. Stonewall Pride Parade and Street Festival has generated $20 million in new economic activity for Broward County, which established the foundation for a successful event to continue into the future, an endeavor that HOTspots Happening Out is committed to.
The longstanding Associate Publisher of HOTspots Magazine and Vice President of HOTspots Happening Out, Scott Holland reminisced, “From national and international celebrities and local South Florida heroes to major LGBTQ+ events, the covers HOTspots Magazine and the pages within have told the story of queer South Florida for decades.”
Today the diverse non-profit includes the largest social media, print and television LGBTQ+ presence in Florida with over sixty unique safe space events a year for our community including Stonewall Pride, PrideFête and Taste of the Island. HOTspots has developed an expanding community presence including Happening Out Television Network. Happening Out is pivotal to Stonewall Pride Parade and Street Festival success by helping to bring it to a national level with televised marketing of the parade.
The media platform is historic in its own right. Happening Out launched the first LGBTQ+ television talk show in American history, Queer News Tonight is the first and only daily evening LGBTQ+ news show in the world. They also established the first daily woman-led program with popular South Florida personality FayWhat?! on The FayWhat?! Show along with programs for the trans community, LGBTQ+ youth, BIPOC, faith and so much more.
The 25th Stonewall Pride Parade and Street Festival Weekend will be yet another one for the books, overflowing with countless parties and exciting events on the “Iconic LGBTQ+ Strip,” Wilton Drive. The Festival will feature as many as 9 diverse entertainment stages and its highly anticipated Night Glow Parade, broadcasted nationally.
“I’m from West Hollywood [and] when I moved to South Florida, Stonewall Pride became my favorite LGBTQ+ event,” the popular deejay and event host, Eric Restivo commented with excitement. “The festival, the stages, the diversity, and the love was something that helped make me feel right at home. And how can you not love a night parade down Wilton Drive. 2024 was amazing!”
Mark Your Calendar and Save the Date – Saturday, June 14, 2025 (3pm-11pm). Don’t Wait, purchase your early bird tickets today at www.StonewallPride.lgbt.
VIP options will be available and you can register for booths and parade entry. To become a sponsor email sponsorships@HOTspots.lgbt.