Show off your Pride in Charlotte with these events, food and drink specials and more
While the Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade is set for Aug. 17-18, the LGBTQ+ community is getting the party started with June celebrations recognizing Pride Month.
Along with backing Charlotte area businesses that support the LGBTQ+ community, you can visit bars, breweries hosting Pride events, indulge in a specialty doughnut or pancake created for the occasion at area restaurants and more.
If you’re looking for ways to celebrate Pride, check out these Charlotte-area options:
Velvet Taco’s Tie-dye Rainbow Taco
Location: 1601 E Woodlawn Rd, Charlotte, NC 28209
Location: 2170 Hawkins St, Charlotte, NC 28203
When: Last week of May
Cost: $6.25 per taco
Velvet Taco is making use of its its themed Weekly Taco Feature to offer the Pride Brunch Burger taco, featuring fan-favorite ingredients inspired by each letter in LGBTQ+ and a special charity partnership with Lambda Legal. The organization is dedicated to protecting the civil rights of the LGBTQ+ community.
The Pride Brunch Burger blends lemon chile aioli, green onion, bacon, tater tots, queso blanco, medium egg and candied pepitas on a rainbow waffle tortilla.
Billy Sunday drink specials + drag show
Location: Optimist Hall, 1115 N Brevard St Stall #6, Charlotte, NC 28206
When: Throughout June, with the drag show June 1 at 8 p.m.
Cost: Drinks are $14; the show is free, but tips are appreciated
Billy Sunday Charlotte’s “Drink the Rainbow: A Pride Cocktail Aventure,” offers six colorful drinks and a punchcard, so you can try them all throughout the month and turn your card back in for a prize. Each cocktail sold will mean a $1 donation for The Plus Collective, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg LGBTQ+ Community Fund.
Options include:
Flaming Hottie (red) with Hornitos Plata, raspberry, watermelon, orange liqueur and lime
Eggplant Emoji (purple) with Ketel One, rose vermouth, wine, blackberry, strawberry, raspberry and orange juice
Otterly Delicious (green) with Astral blanco, Ilegal mezcal, green chartreuse, pineapple, cucumber and lime
Bear Season (orange) with Maker’s 46, orange juice, ginger, strawberry-infused Capelletti and peach jam
Indi-Go Girl! (blue) with Bacardi Blue, curaco, orgeat, lime and tiki bitters
Twinky Twinky, Little Star (yellow) with Deep Eddy, pineapple, coconut, chocolate and lemon
The bar is also hosting a Pride Month drag show with DKO Entertainment and Onya Nerves. The music for the 21+ event starts at 8 p.m., and the drag show starts at 9 p.m.
Birdsong Brewing Co.’s Better in Color
Location: 1016 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28206
When: Throughout June
Cost: Varies
Birdsong Brewing Co.’s Better In Color, a limited-edition blonde ale infused with citrus, will be exclusively available in Birdsong’s taproom this June. A portion of the proceeds from taproom sales during June will be donated to Time Out Youth, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to helping LGBTQ+ youth.
Ruby Sunshine’s Pride Mimosa Flights
Location: 332 W Bland St, Charlotte, NC 28203
Location: 12330 Johnston Rd, Charlotte, NC 28277
When: Throughout June
Cost: $20
Ruby Sunshine is offering Pride Mimosa Flights so you can toast to inclusiveness. The restaurant will donate $1 from each flight sold to PFLAG, an organization of LGBTQ+ people, parents, families and allies.
Pins Mechanical
Location: 307 W Tremont Ave, Charlotte, NC 28203
When: Throughout June
Cost: $13 for a Lisa Frank or $11 for an alcohol-free version; Glitterbomb is shots are $8.
Pins Mechanical is offering featured drinks for Pride Month — the Lisa Frank and Glitterbomb shots. Pins will be donating a portion of the Pride Featured Drink sales and Pride Merch sales to Out & Equal, a global nonprofit organization working exclusively on LGBTQ+ workplace equality.
Snooze A.M. Eatery’s Pride Pancakes
Location: 1331 Central Ave Suite 100, Charlotte, NC 28205
Location: 2041 South Blvd Suite 106, Charlotte, NC 28203
Location: 4425 Sharon Rd S170, Charlotte, NC 28211
When: Throughout June
Cost: $6.95+
Snooze A.M. Eatery is celebrating Pride Month with Pride Pancakes, filled with white chocolate chips and rainbow sprinkles, topped with sweet cream drizzle, whipped mascarpone and extra sprinkles. Each Pride cake sold will bring a 25 cent donation to The Trevor Project, with a minimum $25,000 donation to support its efforts to end suicide among LGBTQ+ young people.
Brunch & Boozy: Day Party!
Location: Sports One Charlotte, 521 North College Street Charlotte, NC 28202
When: June 1, noon-7 p.m.
Cost: Free with RSVP or $40+ for upgraded options
Lez Party is hosting a Brunch & Boozy party to kick off Pride Month with Sports One, offering $5 mimosas and $35 champagne. If you select one of the upgraded ticket options, you’ll also get a guaranteed seat, a beverage and more.
Charlotte Pride Festival community auditions
Location: Divine Barrel Brewing, 3701 N. Davidson St., Suite #203, Charlotte, NC 28205
When: June 1, noon-3 p.m.
Cost: Free
Ten performers and bands will audition for three main stage spots at the Charlotte Pride Festival, and two VIP tickets to the big event will be given away as a door prize at the auditions.
LGBTQ+ Singles Mixer
Location: Frothy Beard Brewing, 1200 South Graham Street Charlotte, NC 28203
When: June 13, 7-10 p.m.
Cost: $17.85
Meet LGBTQ+ singles when you play a fun icebreaker, sip the cocktail from your favorite decade and snack. If you want to be in the running to win a prize, you can dress up to represent your favorite decade.
The Salty Donut’s Pride items
Location: 1515 S Tryon St #105, Charlotte, NC 28203
When: June 17-23
Cost: $3.50 for doughnut holes, $4.40 per doughnut and $6.20 for a latte.
The Salty will be celebrating Pride with three specialty items, with proceeds in Charlotte benefiting Equality NC.
The specials include:
Funfetti Disco Glitter Donut, filled with sugar cookie custard and topped with vanilla bean glaze, homemade rainbow cookies, rainbow sprinkles and edible disco glitter
Rainbow Donut Holes, 6 per order) made with 24 hr brioche donut holes, vanilla bean glaze and rainbow sprinkles
Blue Majik Vanilla Bean Latte ($6.20) with blue majik and homemade vanilla
Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade
Location: Uptown Charlotte, with a VIP experience at Mint Museum Uptown, 500 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
When: Aug. 17-18, from noon-8 p.m. on Saturday and noon-6 p.m. on Sunday
Cost: Free, but VIP passes starting at $115+ are available for ages 21+.
See the annual Charlotte Pride Parade and celebrate with a two-day festival that includes performances from Baby Tate, Bob the Drag Queen and Slayyyter. VIP tickets include food and beverages, swag, exclusive entertainment and meet-and-greets from main stage entertainers. This year, there will also be a gender-inclusive Charlotte Pride Drag Pageant.
Are we missing an event? Let us know at charlottefive@charlottefive.com.
