Local LGBTQ+ advocacy nonprofit Project Pride SRQ will host the 2026 Gulfcoast Pride Festival & Street Party on Oct. 24 from 4-11 p.m. in Sarasota’s Rosemary District.
The expanded footprint will include Pride Plaza and Overton Square, with a new Community Stage near the vendor marketplace. The community festival will feature local vendors, community resource organizations, food available for purchase, live entertainment on the main Pride Plaza stage and the new Community Stage, a Pup Pride Pit Stop, and a dedicated Family Zone led by the Sarasota City YMCA and ALSO Youth. Big Waters Land Trust will present “Rooted in Pride,” connecting native plants with joy, courage, belonging and resilience, and FAB Arts will bring its 0-99 exhibit to the event
as well.
“While June may be better known for being Pride Month, October is LGBT History Month," said Project Pride SRQ executive director Justyn Hunter-Ceruti. "This is a wonderful time for our LGBTQ+ community members, allies, and the wider community to come together and celebrate how far we’ve come even as further progress still certainly needs to be made.”
Local entertainers to be featured will include Azara Ballet, The Sarasota Players, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, and local drag queens. Hosting the afternoon festivities and introducing some of the featured talent will be Adriana Sparkle. During the “Carry Pride Forward” event, Project Pride SRQ will announce its inaugural Gulfcoast Pride honoree as well as bring back last year’s popular, interactive Pride Arch Installation.
From 8-11 p.m., SRQ Beats will produce the DJ-led Pride Street Party in Pride Plaza (the parking area at the Project Pride SRQ headquarters on Central Avenue).
“This event provides the perfect opportunity to showcase the Sarasota-Manatee region as an inclusive community, with partners and allies who appreciate the diversity of its citizens," Hunter-Ceruti said. "We invite everyone to join us for an unforgettable day of entertainment, food, laughter and community.”
Gulfcoast Pride is presented by Project Pride SRQ, with Gulf Coast Community Foundation serving as Lead Community Partner.
“Gulfcoast Pride reflects the kind of community we’re working to build: one where belonging isn’t something you have to earn, where people can show up fully as themselves, and where our differences make us stronger,” Gulf Coast VP Erin Minor said. “We’re proud to stand alongside Project Pride SRQ because strong communities are built when all people feel valued and know they have a place here.”
For more information, visit ppsrq.org for more information.
Submitted by Sharon Kunkel
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Here's what to expect at Sarasota's 2026 Gulfcoast Pride event
