Provincetown's Pride Festival, Rally keep town's gay culture and history alive

This year’s Provincetown Pride celebration, to be held June 2-4 at venues throughout town, offers “something for everyone,” said Stephan Hengst, executive director of the Provincetown Business Guild.

As the event’s sponsoring organization, the Guild has put together a schedule that pops with both new events and old favorites. Hengst, in his second year at the helm of the festivities, stressed that most of all, the Pride event offers a welcoming space for people to gather and “connect in an inclusive environment” that includes celebration as well as a nod to the history of gay culture and activism as it has unfolded in Provincetown.

Why Pride matters

This is the Guild’s sixth annual scheduled Pride event, but Hengst stressed that the concept is far from new.

“Pride has taken many forms over the years,” he said. “Pride events have been happening here for more than 50 years.”

Those include the first officially organized LGBTQ+ (march) that took place on Commercial Street in 1970, he said, commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York. Similar events continued in the 1980s, calling attention to social and political issues that have affected Provincetown’s gay community.

“Provincetown continues to evolve,” he said. “Providing opportunities for the LGBTQ+ community to gather and to connect is a huge part of why events like Pride matter.”

Through such events, “we can ensure that our voices are heard,” and that we’re never “complacent in our rights.”

And, he added, people are encouraged to be more active in their own communities.

History, celebration combine in Pride events

As part of Pride’s “soft” opening on June 1, the welcome mat will be out at the newly opened Provincetown Pride Center (115 Bradford St.).

The gray clapboard house, located across from Town Hall, once held the Guild offices back in the 1980s, when the organization first began marketing Provincetown as a welcoming gay mecca. Added to the new office space is a gathering spot that will house exhibits and information highlighting events important to gay history and culture. The opening show (through June 30), “Flag in the Map,” showcases photos depicting the history of the Rainbow Flag, including its “creation and travels around the world,” as an affirmation of and inspiration for LGBTQ people everywhere, according to Hengst.

Here are some of the events happening during Provincetown Pride.

A complete Provincetown Pride schedule, with times and locations, is available online at ptown.org/ but here are a few highlights.

Friday includes a mix of events at locations around town, such as a “Pride Queen” Debut Party (5 p.m., Brass Key, 67 Bradford St.), a fashion show with looks designed by local makers (5 to 7 p.m., Mary Heaton Vorse House, 466 Commercial St.), and a Boston-to-Provincetown boat cruise (leaves Long Wharf in Boston, 5:30 p.m., register at ptown.org/)

At Saturday’s centerpiece Pride Festival and Rally, (Town Hall, 260 Commercial St.), festivities begin at 1 p.m., and organizers are planning for a big event, after last year’s expected attendance of 300 to 500 turned into a crowd of more than 2,000. The gathering, according to organizers, honors “the spirit of Stonewall, (offering) a significant moment ... (to) support and strengthen the LGBTQ movement on a local and global scale.” At 4 p.m., community and business leaders will join entertainers, activists and local citizens to express support for Provincetown’s legacy of queer activism over many decades.

The rally concludes with an informal parade to the west end of town for a Tea Dance at the Boatslip (161 Commercial St.)

Provincetown comedian, actor and improv artist Austin Tyler introduces three up-and-coming comedians at a Queer Comedy Showcase fundraiser on Saturday night. Sureni Weerasekera, Jared Goldstein and Maddie Wiener perform from 8-9:30 p.m. at town hall, with tickets starting at $25.

Theater fans can enjoy a Saturday “Tennessee Williams Science Fiction and Fantasy” gala performance (4 to 6 p.m., Harbor Hotel, 698 Commercial St.), previewing the town’s annual fall Tennessee Williams festival.

Sunday fun includes the family-friendly Feet Over Front Street 5K run/walk down the length of Commercial Street to the west end (8:30 to 10 a.m.), offering a nod to the street’s original historical name of Front Street. The Guild has also partnered with local environmental and marine organizations to launch Camp Provincetown, a series of outdoor events that will connect visitors to the natural world through an LGBTQ+ lens. A program schedule can be found at ptown.org/

Another newbie will be Sunday’s “Babes & Bois” event (2 to 5 p.m., Porch Bar, 9 Carver St.) that follows on June’s Strawberry full moon with a “Celebration for the Queer and Sapphically-inclined,” featuring cocktails, music and tarot card readings.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Provincetown Pride 2023: fashion show, comedy, parade, more June 2-4