Pride flags flying atop Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Virginia – Photo: TJ Flavell.
Even though the bulk of the D.C.-area Pride celebrations has passed, the nearby suburbs of Alexandria and Arlington aren’t finished, with two events scheduled for Sunday, June 27 and Monday, June 28.
On Sunday, The Garden ALX, Alexandria Makers Market, and Safe Space NOVA will be hosting “Growing Pride at The Garden,” a family-friendly Pride event featuring 15 local LGBTQ “makers” offering various crafts, art, and other goods available for sale.
“I define a maker as anybody who has an original idea and makes it into a product,” says Alyssa Kovach, founder of Alexandria Makers Market. “I represent the people that are usually working from home. They don’t usually have a storefront, but it will be, to give an analogy, like a holiday market, a pop-up, and so they’ll have the things that they make. There is a huge range of products, from stained glass to jewelry to T-shirts to bags and more.”
In addition to serving as an open market to showcase the work of makers, the event will feature yoga activities, courtesy of YogaSix and abellaYoga; live music; kid-friendly crafting activities, led by Kids Create Alexandria; a rock-climbing experience, courtesy of Sport Rock climbing gym; and a bevy of food trucks offering various fare. Admission is technically free, but attendees are encouraged to donate at least $5, with proceeds going to benefit Safe Space NOVA, a Northern Virginia organization serving LGBTQ youth.
“We’re really hoping this is just like a really fun family event,” explains Kovach. “The Garden and I were the ones that kind of put out heads together and said, ‘Who do we want to have involved?’ And so our first step was contacting Safe Space NOVA. We wanted them involved, and thought they could give us some guidance in terms of like what would be really a fun and successful event. So we’re glad to have them on board, and we’ll be accepting donations and trying to kind of drum up some money for them.”
On Monday, June 28, marking the anniversary of the Stonewall Inn uprising, Go Gay DC will host a free-to-attend Pride Month social at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington.
“This is an opportunity to mingle and to celebrate pride in a fabulous environment and basically a chance to connect with the community,” says Go Gay DC leader TJ Flavell, who is the chief organizer. “It’s come as you are, but you should definitely feel free to express yourself and feel free to come decked out in ‘Prideful’ attire.”
As with Go Gay DC’s regularly held happy hours at Freddie’s, which occur each month, organizers will be collecting cans of food or nonperishable food items for the Arlington Food Assistance Center, which is the county’s chief food bank, serving over 2,300 local families each week.
Those wishing to dine at Freddie’s following the social can reserve a table by calling the restaurant at (703) 685-0555, or can choose to purchase food at the bar. For a full menu, visit www.freddiesbeachbar.com/menu.
As people begin emerging from their homes as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, Go Gay DC will begin resuming its monthly socials and happy hours, beginning with its “First Friday Social” at Commentary, in Arlington’s Ballston neighborhood, on July 2 from 7-9 p.m. There will also be a “First Tuesday Social” on July 6 from 7-9 p.m. at Hi-Tide Lounge in Alexandria.
“These ongoing social events bring a wide-range of fascinating people together for professional networking and friendship. As past president of three local community organizations, hosting these socials is a way to continue to make a positive impact for the social good,” says Flavell.
“Growing Pride at the Garden” is on Sunday, June 27, from 2-7 p.m. at The Garden ALX, 5380 Eisenhower Ave., Suite C, Alexandria, Virginia. Attendees are asked to pre-register. To register, or for more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.
Go Gay DC’s Pride Month Social, Stonewall Edition, is on Monday, June 28, from 6-9 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar, 555 23rd St. S., Arlington, Virginia. Attendees are asked to register beforehand to get an accurate head count. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.
The Capital Pride Alliance and WorldPride DC organizers hosted a "wrap-up party" on September 30 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center to unveil the WorldPride 2025 Impact Report, highlighting the celebration's economic and cultural reach.
The event, featuring food, drinks, and live performances, celebrated WorldPride’s success while giving LGBTQ community members a chance to reflect on the experience and the lessons learned from hosting a large-scale festival in D.C., helping build an infrastructure the city can use for future events.
The FBI has arrested a Texas man for allegedly threatening to carry out a mass shooting at a local Pride event.
Joshua Cole, of Anson, Texas, allegedly posted a Facebook comment earlier this month criticizing the Abilene Pride Alliance for banning weapons and certain bags at its annual indoor festival, held September 20 at the Abilene Convention Center on the same day as the group's Pride parade.
The original poster argued the group could not legally stop people from carrying guns into a city-owned building and shared a screenshot of the event flyer listing the venue and restrictions.
Harvard University has drawn criticism from conservatives after announcing that Tufts professor Kareem Khubchandani -- who performs and occasionally lectures in drag as "LaWhore Vagistan" -- will serve as a visiting associate professor in its Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality department.
The visiting professorship was established through an endowment from members of the Harvard Gender & Sexuality Caucus, the university's LGBTQ alumni group. It was created to bring in scholars focused on issues related to sexual minorities and sexuality.
Khubchandani is scheduled to teach two courses during the 2025-2026 academic year: "Queer Ethnography," in the fall semester, and "RuPaulitics: Drag, Race, and Desire" in the spring semester, focusing on the cultural influence of the show RuPaul's Drag Race.
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