Celebrate with Fayetteville PrideFest Weekend

Fayetteville Pride Weekend begins Friday, June 26, with the event joining the Cool Spring Downtown District’s CommUNITY 4th Friday celebration. The free downtown celebration runs from 6 to 10 p.m. and will bring vendors, artists, performers, musicians and a karaoke trolley to the streets around Hay and Person.

Saturday’s PrideFest continues the fun from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Crown Expo Center, 1960 Coliseum Drive, with entertainment, vendors, community organizations and expanded programming for attendees of all ages.

Fayetteville Pride President Krystal Maddox’s connection to the festival stretches back to its earliest years. “I have attended and been part of every Fayetteville Pride festival, from the very first one in the park on Green Street, to the years in Festival Park, and last year’s event at the Crown Expo Center,” Maddox wrote in the event guide. “In fact, it was this very festival that first inspired me to get involved and join Fayetteville Pride.”

“This year, we are coming in stronger than ever and have raised the bar considerably,” Maddox added. “We will have something for everyone.”

That includes an expanded children’s area, the return of the Teen Only Lounge and a new VIP section, as well as a vendor showcase featuring nonprofit organizations, local craft artists, retail vendors, government agencies and houses of faith. The vendor showcase runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Pride stage will keep the energy moving throughout the afternoon, beginning with DJ Midnight Moon and continuing with female impersonators and live performers. Ariel Nicole Knight Addams, Morgan Richards, Aris Valentine and Ebony Addams are scheduled to appear, alongside Lady Mae, Tatianna Mathews, Narcissus, Sol Luna, Lola Carmichael and Diamond Twist.

Hip-hop artist Riko With A K will take the stage at 4 p.m. Riko, whose music moves across rap, dance, pop and R&B, became a fan favorite on Season 4 of “Chasing: Atlanta.” His album “Top Talk” debuted at No. 2 on the iTunes Hip-Hop chart.

This year’s festival will also introduce a Fayetteville Pride scholarship, an initiative intended to invest in LGBTQ+ people and allies in the community. Sean Clark, Fayetteville Pride’s vice president and festival director, said organizers have expanded and enhanced the memorial area, creating “a more meaningful space to honor and remember those in our community who are no longer with us.”

For Clark, those additions reflect the deeper purpose of the weekend. “PrideFest has always been more than a festival,” he wrote. “It is also a reminder of the work, courage and commitment it has taken over the years to create and protect spaces like this.”

As Fayetteville Pride looks back on local LGBTQ+  history, the weekend offers a chance to celebrate the people who built that foundation — and the community carrying it forward.

For more details, visit their website at https://fayettevillepride.org/pridefest-2026.