With festivals, theatrical performances and other gatherings on tap, Montgomery County residents will find plenty of ways to celebrate Pride Month, starting Tuesday when County Executive Marc Elrich and County Council Vice President Evan Glass attend a flag-raising ceremony in Rockville.
The county officials will be joined by other council members and LBGTQ+ community leaders, according to a press release from Glass. The event begins at 11 a.m. outside of the Executive Office Building on Veterans Memorial Plaza, 101 Monroe St., Rockville.
Pride Month, which takes place in June, is a time when LGBTQ+ communities come together to celebrate their identities. Here’s a list of other Pride events scheduled to be held this month in the county:
Pride Month Proclamation
7:30 p.m. Monday
City Hall
31 South Summit Ave., Gaithersburg
Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman and the City Council will officially declare June as Pride Month during their meeting. Gaithersburg High School’s Pride Alliance, an organization for LGBTQ+ students and their allies, is expected to accept the city’s proclamation. This event is open to the public in person, on YouTube, or via Zoom.
Parks Playhouse: PRIDE in the Park: An LGBTQ Comedy Show
6 to 9 p.m. Thursday
Fairview Urban Park
8900 Fairview Road, Silver Spring
Improbable Comedy, a local group aiming to give the mic to historically underrepresented comedians, will showcase local queer comics at Fairview Urban Park. Local vendors will offer food and beverage for purchase, and guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and picnic blankets for viewing. The free event is intended for mature audiences ages 17 and older.
Head Over Heels
8 p.m. Friday; more dates through June 26
Arts Barn
311 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg
The Arts Barn’s production of Head Over Heels, a jukebox musical, follows a royal family as well as others as they explore their identities. The story includes music from The Go-Go’s, an all-female rock band from the 1980s. The production takes place in partnership with Damascus Theatre.
Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $24 for adults and $20 for students ages 15 to 21.
Pride Family Day at Glen Echo Park
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday
Glen Echo Park
7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo
Glen Echo Park presents its second annual Pride Family Day in collaboration with Montgomery County Council Vice President Evan Glass. Families can enjoy an interactive chalk maze, arts and craft activities, carousel tickets and a variety of art galleries throughout the park.
The event is free, although tickets booked in advance are required to attend the Glen Echo Park Aquarium.
Takoma Pride: Just Say Gay!
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday
Main Street, Takoma Park
Takoma Park residents will celebrate the LGBTQ+ community at Takoma Pride Day, with this year’s theme as “Just Say Gay!” Visitors are encouraged to take selfies at the Takoma Park Farmers Market on Laurel Avenue and share their photos on social media with the hashtag “#JUSTSAYGAYTKPK!”
The free event includes free tattoos, pins, stickers and pronoun buttons, as well as a station to make Pride Bracelets. There will be a Drag Queen Storytime and face painting for kids of all ages.
MoCo Pride Youth Picnic
Noon to 3 p.m. June 25
Woodside Urban Park
8800 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring
MoCo Pride Youth, MCPS’s LGBTQ+ student affinity group, is hosting a free picnic for LGBTQ+ youth and allies. The event includes food and is an opportunity to socialize with other LGBTQ+ youth.
Skywatching Program — Telescope Fun
7:30 to 9:30 p.m. June 25
Observatory Park
100 DeSellum Ave., Gaithersburg
The American Astronomical Society for Sexual-Orientation and Gender Minorities in Astronomy will join Observatory Park to highlight contributions that LGBTQ+ scientists have made to STEM fields. The free program will teach visitors how to use the museum’s Dobsonian telescope, and visitors can also bring their own telescopes to observe the stars. Registration is required.
Pride in the Plaza
Noon to 8 p.m. June 26
1 Veterans Place, Silver Spring
Montgomery County’s second annual Pride in the Plaza, an LGBTQ+ pride festival, features food, music, Drag Queen Story Hour and a fair focusing on LGBTQ+ resources and vendors. The county will provide HIV and other health screenings free of charge in honor of National HIV Testing Day on June 27.
Montgomery County will partner with LGBTQ+ organizations in the week leading up to the free festival to provide events for residents of all ages, with a full list here. The county created a “Passport to Pride” to encourage residents to attend multiple events — those who get their passports stamped at three or more Pride in the Plaza events will be entered to win one of 10 grand prizes.
Rockville Pride
2 to 4 p.m. Sunday
Rockville Town Square
200 E. Middle Lane, Rockville
Rockville’s Human Rights Commission will celebrate the sixth annual Rockville Pride with live performances, face painting, crafts and more. The event is free.
Christine Zhu of Gaithersburg, a rising junior at the University of Maryland who is studying journalism and Spanish, is the Bethesda Beat summer intern.