South Carolina will close out Pride Month with two celebrations that offer very different, but equally vibrant ways to gather: Upstate Colors of Pride March & Festival in Greenville and SC Black Pride in the Park in Columbia.
Both take place Saturday, June 27, bringing LGBTQ+ people, families, allies and visitors together for a day built around visibility, entertainment and connection.
In downtown Greenville, Upstate Pride’s Colors of Pride March & Festival begins with an Interfaith Service at 10:15 a.m., followed by the Colors of Pride March from 11 a.m. to noon. The festival runs from noon to 5 p.m. at Graham Plaza on South Main Street.
The annual celebration will include food, music, speakers, board recognitions and drag performances, creating a downtown gathering where attendees can celebrate Pride while connecting with organizations and people doing year-round work across the Upstate.
The day also offers couples a chance to make Pride especially personal. Through “Tie the Knot at Pride,” couples can register to marry, renew their vows or celebrate their commitment during a community ceremony. An Upstate Pride partner will sponsor two marriage licenses, adding another layer of celebration to a day already centered on love, visibility and belonging.
The official Upstate Pride After Party will keep the energy going late into the night. Hosted by Paris Lefaris and presented with Bella Noche Entertainment, the 21+ event runs from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. at 702 Easley Bridge Road. Kenya Pleaser, known from “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” will headline the show, with performances also planned from Gigi Van Trapphaus, Ervena Chloe and Devin Davenport. DJ Fuego will provide the music, and a separate meet-and-greet opportunity will include Kenya Pleaser and Mhi’ya Iman Le’Paige (also known as the “Queen of Flips”).
Meanwhile in Columbia, SC Black Pride will celebrate its 20th anniversary with Pride in the Park, a free event from 3 to 9 p.m. at Maxcy Gregg Park. Organizers describe the anniversary as an opportunity to “honor diversity and the powerful connections between families, friends and allies.”
Framed as the grand finale of Pride Month, the event centers on this year’s theme, “Homecoming: Pride, Power & Purpose.” Attendees can expect “a delicious feast, fun-filled games, exciting prizes and captivating live performances” throughout the afternoon and evening.
The anniversary weekend begins Friday night with a free Welcome Reception and Homecoming DJ Battle at The Big Apple, where DJ Kwick and DJ Aiko will go head-to-head with R&B, hip-hop, house, ballroom, classics and current hits. The event is designed as both a kickoff and a reunion, welcoming people returning to Columbia for Black Pride Week as well as first-time attendees.
Pride in the Park will also feature a meet-and-greet with Terrell Carter, the actor, singer and author known for his work in “Beauty in Black.” Later that evening, Carter will host SC Black Pride’s All-White Party at The Big Apple, bringing the anniversary celebration into the night with music, fashion and a crowd ready to honor two decades of Black Pride in South Carolina.
The weekend also includes a Scholarship Brunch hosted by T.A.S., where SC Black Pride will recognize scholarship recipients and rising leaders. Organizers promise “inspiring moments, recognition and powerful storytelling” alongside the brunch. “This isn’t just brunch,” they wrote. “It’s a celebration of legacy, achievement and the future of our community.”
Whether attendees are marching through downtown Greenville, dancing late into the night or gathering in Columbia for a 20th-anniversary homecoming, both celebrations offer a joyful way to end Pride Month: surrounded by community, rooted in love and ready for what comes next.
More information on Greenville Pride is available at https://upstatepridesc.org/colors-of-pride-festival. Additional details on SC Black Pride in Columbia can be found at https://www.scblackpride.org/.
