Durham’s Pride festival will return this fall with three days of events designed to highlight LGBTQ+ visibility across the city. Pride: Durham, NC 2025 is scheduled for Friday, September 26 through Sunday, September 28, and is organized by the LGBTQ Center of Durham.
This year’s theme, “We Are the Rainbow: Together in Support for Our Coalitions, Environments, and Futures,” emphasizes accessibility, advocacy, public health, natural resources like the Eno River, and the celebration of LGBTQ+ youth and families. The theme ties each part of the weekend together, underscoring the importance of community while recognizing the past, present and future of Pride in Durham.
The weekend opens on Friday, September 26, with the Justice Concert and Rally at CCB Plaza beginning at 5 p.m. The kickoff event will bring the community together downtown for an evening of music, spoken word and speakers, setting the stage for the weekend ahead.
On Saturday, September 27, the Community Parade and March begins at 12 p.m. on Duke University’s East Campus, followed by the Health & Wellness Kickback from 2–5 p.m. at the same location. The afternoon fair will provide free resources from community organizations, wellness providers and nonprofits. Entertainment and space for connection will round out the day, making health and well-being central to Saturday’s programming.
The celebration concludes on Sunday, September 28, at Durham Central Park, where a food truck and vendor market will take place from 12 to 4 p.m. The market will highlight LGBTQ+ artisans and local makers with booths featuring crafts, goods and services. Food trucks will provide meals and refreshments, transforming the park into a gathering place for families, allies, and supporters to enjoy the final day of Pride together.
Durham Pride’s roots span more than four decades. In 1981, 125 people gathered at Little River to protest a homophobic attack, marking one of the earliest organized LGBTQ+ demonstrations in North Carolina. Five years later, the first statewide NC Pride March took place at Duke University in 1986 and went on to travel to cities across the state for the next 14 years. In 2000, the march returned to Durham permanently and shifted to the fall. Since 2018, the LGBTQ Center of Durham has organized the festival, expanding it into a multi-day event that builds on the legacy of those early protests.
With events in downtown Durham, Duke University’s East Campus, and Durham Central Park, Pride: Durham, NC 2025 will unite thousands of residents, organizations, and allies for three days of celebration, visibility, and connection.