Pride Month 2022 in Rochester

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) – For the first time, Monroe County held a Pride flag-raising ceremony outside the County Office Building Thursday, kicking off a series of Pride events county-wide.

County Executive Adam Bello was in attendance as well as assembly member Harry Bronson and members of the LGBTQI+ community.

"It’s a historical moment for us. 50 Years of Pride in Rochester. It’s a time to celebrate the history. We’ve made great strides in our rights and equality but it’s also a moment to reflect that we don’t have all those rights quite yet," said Sam Brett, co-chair of Roc Pride Collective.

The lineup for Rochester’s LGBTQ+ Pride Festival includes drag shows, a parade, and a performance from Danielle Ponder.

Pride Fest returns to Cobbs Hill Park on Saturday, July 16 following two years of pandemic cancelations. The festival starts with a parade at 1 p.m. that will go down Park Avenue. The rest of the events will be at Cobbs Hill Park from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets for the festival can be purchased here.

There will also be a Pride picnic on Sunday, July 10 at Genesee Valley Park’s Roundhouse area, from 12 to 6 p.m. The event will feature live music, dancing, and a raffle. You can buy tickets for the picnic online or in person at Equal Grounds Coffee House.

This year marks 50 years since the first Pride event in Rochester, said ROC Pride Collective, a community-based coalition that organized the festival and picnic. The coalition includes members of Rochester’s LGBTQ+ community and representatives from local non-profits.

Performances at the festival include internationally acclaimed singer Danielle Ponder of Rochester, Miss Gay Rochester, Mr. and Miss Gay Pride Rochester, and a Latin drag show set.

ROC Pride Collective named Michael Gamilla and Carolyn Zook as marshals for Pride Fest, an honor for people who have helped to better the lives of LGBTQ+ people in Rochester.

Gamilla received the honor for serving as the program director for the Rochester LGBTQ+ Film Festival for nearly two decades. Zook received the honor for working at The Avenue Pub, a staple of Rochester’s LGBTQ+ community, for 35 years.

You can buy tickets online and learn more about the festival here. You can buy tickets for the picnic at Equal Grounds Coffee House or online here.

Pride events countywide presented by Trillium Health and the ROC Pride Collective throughout the month of July:
• July 10 – 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. – Monroe County’s 50th annual Pride Picnic at Genesee Valley Park
• July 16 – 1 p.m. – ESL Federal Credit Union ROC Pride Parade on Park Avenue
• July 16 – 1 to 8 p.m. – ESL Federal Credit Union ROC Pride Fest at Cobbs Hill Park