Pride Month is here, and it’s time to put on your dancing shoes! Over the coming weeks, there’s a veritable rainbow of Pride-themed events taking place in NYC, from art exhibits and open mics to drag shows, brunches, and dance parties galore.
The even better news for anyone staying at Arlo SoHo? A lot of these Pride events are taking place right here downtown. As you count down to the official NYC Pride March on June 29, take a look at these other events where you can celebrate love and show your SoHo Pride.
A Museum Dedicated to LGBTQIA+ Art
Located a short, 10-minute walk away from Arlo Soho on Wooster Street is the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, the world’s only museum dedicated to LGBTQIA+ art. The museum’s vision it to be a home for queer art, artists, scholars, activists and allies, and to foster ongoing discussions about art and queerness. Founders Charles Leslie and Fritz Lohman began by exhibiting gay art in their SoHo loft in 1969 and have supported queer artists ever since, establishing the museum in 2016. The current exhibitions are Young Joon Kwak: RESISTERHOOD and
ficciones patógenas, a group show examining how land and bodies exist as sistes of resistance and transformation.
Pride Events at the Whitney
One of the city’s finest museums, the Whitney Museum of American Art, located in the Meatpacking District, holds many works by LGBTQ+ artists in its permanent collection, and often hosts tours and talks that help visitors explore the works in more depth. During Pride Month, good opportunities to do likewise include Free Friday Nights, when admission is free for all visitors between 5–10pm (tickets are still required, and best acquired in advance.) On Sunday, June 8, from 11am–3pm, the Whitney is inviting visitors to contribute to the Community Pride Mural, which you’ll find in the Floor 3 Artspace. And to explore more of the Whitney’s neighborhood, and its significance in the history of Pride, the museum is hosting Queer History Walks on select Fridays at 6pm and Sundays at 4pm throughout June. It’s free to register, but note that museum admission is not included with a ticket.
An Exhibit at a Queer Bookstore
Inside the LGBT Community Center on West 13th Street, you’ll find the bright, welcoming space known as the Bureau of General Services—Queer Division (or BGSQD). This sex-positive and inclusive bookstore and event space hosts regular readings, screenings, book discussions, and workshops. During Pride 2025, this is where you can catch My Romantic Ideal, a queer photography exhibition that explores the intersections of intimacy, desire, and identity in a challenging and hostile contemporary landscape.
Arlo SoHo’s NYC Pride Rooftop Extravaganza
When it comes to SoHo Pride celebrations, you don’t have to go far if you’re a guest at Arlo SoHo. On Sunday, June 29, the hotel is throwing an epic NYC Pride Rooftop Extravaganza from 2pm–8pm. Depending what time your Pride Sunday kicks off, this could be your pregame, your after-party, or your main event to close out Pride Month. Either way, you’ll enjoy an afternoon of knockout views, high-energy music, dancing, drag performances, and beats by DJ Hope 808. The event is also showcasing the hotel’s Pride cocktail, the Watermelon Fizz, with proceeds being donated to The Trevor Project. Come to the party in your NYC Pride volunteer shirt and receive 20% off your bill at the bar.
After-Parties Along the Parade Route
Whether you’re attending the official NYC Pride March on June 29 or not, the parade route in Greenwich Village is dotted with plenty of incredible queer bars perfect for your after-party celebrations. In fact, most of them host live (and v. lively!) entertainment on the regular, so you don’t have to wait until the end of the month to get your Pride grooves on. Bars located close to the Pride March route include: Pieces, Henrietta Hudson’s, Playhouse, The Monster, and The Cubbyhole. Playhouse has drag shows all week, dance parties, karaoke nights, and open deck sessions for DJs of all skill sets; it’s open 7 days a week until late. The Monster and its famous mirrored staircase is the place to go if you’re into piano bars but also crave the dancefloor. The Green Lips Disco is just one of their regular party nights that draws a crowd.
Gay & Sober Cruise
Being sober doesn’t mean you can’t kick on and enjoy Pride after-parties. On June 29, at 7:30pm, NYC Pride’s official sober party sets sail from The Piers at Hudson River Park for an alcohol-free but still-wild dance party on the river. Take in the sunset, sail past the Statue of Liberty, and let loose on the dancefloor. All LGBTQIA people in recovery, living a sober lifestyle, and allies are welcome. Tickets are available here.
As you start planning your NYC Pride itinerary for 2025, keep these galleries, museums, and party places in mind—and rest assured that if you need a welcoming place to stay close to all the action, Arlo SoHo has you covered. Arlo Hotels lives the values of Pride year-round, and you can see the full lineup of Arlo Pride events across NYC here.
