Pittsburgh Pride 2024 kicks off at Allegheny Commons Park

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pride 2024 began on Friday.

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Friday kicked off one of the busiest summer weekends with more than 30 local and national performances set to hit the stage, and surprise guests. Organizers told Channel 11 News in 2023, Pittsburgh Pride weekend welcomed an estimated 200,000 guests to Allegheny Commons Park on the North Side and in 2024. Organizers say they anticipate another successful year but shared that it was not without challenges.

“So we’ve been here [Allegheny Commons Park], but we were going to move to Point State Park, unfortunately, we weren’t able to have access to that location,” explained Pittsburgh Pride Co-Founder Dena Stanley.

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Stanley told Channel 11 News that after their success in 2023, they wanted to relocate the pride festivities to a more prominent location Downtown at Point State Park but were ultimately unable to make that location work after they said they faced multiple “roadblocks.”

“The DCNR came back at the end of April and told us that all of our contractors, that they knew about in January, had to get these licenses that they were required, and would take eight weeks to obtain,” Stanley explained.

Stanley said they submitted their application to use the state park in January but weren’t notified of the additional requirements until April. Just weeks before the big weekend, Stanley said her organization was also asked to hire additional officers.

“They denied us by way of that, it was disgusting,” Stanley said. “Thank goodness we were able to secure this venue in time because it would have been all the state’s fault.’

We reached out to the state which denied those claims and provided us with this statement:

“DCNR has not denied access to Point State Park to Pittsburgh Pride. The Department attempted to work with the organizers of Pittsburgh Pride to help them apply for the proper permitting. Still, at this time, Pittsburgh Pride has not submitted a completed application. The Department has made multiple attempts to contact event organizers, but they have not been responsive.”

Stanley told us the show must go on.

In addition to the performances, Stanley told Channel 11 News, that they wanted to ensure that the festival was safe for all ages and that anyone could participate and feel seen. While the Pride festivities are an opportunity to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, it is also a time to reflect and take action to ensure the future rights of the community are protected.

Now the three-day event will be celebrated in multiple communities: with Friday and Saturday’s concerts held on the north side at the Allegheny Commons Park.

On Saturday, the annual parade will occur in downtown’s heart. The line-up will begin at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Liberty and 11 Street and end at Point State Park.

Then, festivities will conclude on Sunday in Bloomfield at Trace Brewing for a block party.

“This weekend, [guests] should expect a packed, full of fun and love and family-friendly event,” said Stanley.

For more information about Pittsburgh Pride, including a full schedule and map, visit pittsburghpride.com.

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