Union County Pride will return to Monroe Sept. 19, continuing a celebration that began just four years ago. The 2026 Union County Pride Festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at El Tapatio Salon, 209 E. Myers St. in Monroe. Admission to the daytime festival is free.
The festival will include a marketplace, food court, community organizations and live entertainment. This year’s event also features several designated spaces, including a health zone, community zone and a kids’ zone sponsored by the Campaign for Southern Equality.
Oso Chanel will serve as emcee, with DJ Vanna Vanity and performers including Nova Stella, Lolita Chanel, Leonasia Chanel, Vicki Vanity, Nacho Novio, Quetzali Rose and Bess Behavior among those scheduled to take the stage.
The celebration continues Saturday night with an adult after-party at El Tapatio Salon beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets are required for the evening event.
Union County Pride’s roots date to 2022, when organizers set out to create the county’s first Pride celebration. President Cristal Robinson told Spectrum News at the time that the goal was not only to provide something fun for LGBTQ+ families, but to increase visibility and remind residents that LGBTQ+ people are part of Union County. “A lot of people think that they have to move off after graduating high school,” Robinson said in 2022.
The organization has continued its work despite controversy surrounding LGBTQ+ events in the county. In March 2025, Union County commissioners approved restrictions on events deemed “obscene” or “sexualized” in county-run parks, prompting concerns that the policy could target Pride events. Robinson, a civil rights attorney, pushed back against suggestions that the ordinance meant Pride was banned and said the organization’s events would continue as planned.
Four years after that first celebration, Union County Pride continues its mission of supporting LGBTQ+ youth and young adults, promoting accepting businesses and organizations and building connections among LGBTQ+ residents and allies.
For more details, visit Union County Pride’s website at https://unioncountypride.org/ and check out their social media at https://www.instagram.com/unioncountypridefest/.
This story is brought to you by Rosedale Health and Wellness and Dudley’s Place.
