NYC Pride March 2019: Parade route and street closures

NYC Pride is here! And this year—the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising—is a big one for New York’s LGBTQ community: The city is hosting WorldPride, a massive, monthlong celebration of the LGTBQ community around the globe. Millions of visitors are expected to descend upon NYC for the festivities, which include an opening ceremony, concerts, a massive street festival, and conferences.

But even with all of those new events (and plenty of historic sites and new LGBT memorials to visit if you’re in town for Pride, as well as local festivals like the Dyke March), the biggest shebang is still the Pride March, happening on Sunday, June 30. Approximately 2 million people attend the event in a regular year, but the WorldPride celebration all but guarantees that this year’s will be a huge blowout.

This year, the march will start close to Madison Square Park and end at 23rd Street and Seventh Avenue. The theme for the larger WorldPride festivities is “Millions of Moments of Pride,” and the Grand Marshals for the march are the cast of FX’s Pose; UK Black Pride founder Phyll Opoku-Gyimah; Navy veteran and transgender flag creator Monica Helms; the Gay Liberation Front, which formed in the aftermath of Stonewall; and the Trevor Project, which provides crisis counseling for LGBTQ youth.

So what do you need to know if you want to attend? Read on.

What time is the Pride March?

The march begins at noon on Sunday, June 30; it will wrap up sometime in the evening.

What route will the march follow?

This year, the march will follow a U-shaped route, starting at 26th Street and Fifth Avenue, heading south on Fifth, turning west just north of Washington Square Park, and finally heading up Seventh Avenue—past landmarks like the Stonewall Inn—before dispersing at 23rd Street.

The organizers have provided a handy map that illustrates where it’ll begin, end, and points of interest—like street crossings and landmarks—along the way.

The Grandstand—an area reserved for VIPs and those who’ve paid for special passes—will be located at the General Worth Monument in Madison Square Park; accessible seating will be available near the New York City AIDS Memorial across from the former St. Vincent’s Hospital.

Which streets will be closed for NYC Pride March?

The NYPD has unveiled a map that shows the parade route, street closures, and pedestrian crossings on the day of the march:

The full list of closed streets is below, and includes PrideFest, which happens on Fourth Avenue between Union Square and Astor Place:

Formation (Manhattan Portion)

• 5th Avenue between 33rd Street and 25th Street
• 33rd Street between 6th Avenue and Park Avenue
• 32nd Street between 6th Avenue and Park Avenue
• 31st Street between 6th Avenue and Park Avenue South
• 30th Street between 6th Avenue and Park Avenue South
• 29th Street between 7th Avenue and Park Avenue South
• 28th Street between 6th Avenue and Park Avenue South
• 27th Street between 6th Avenue and Park Avenue South
• 26th Street between 6th Avenue and Park Avenue South

Route

• 5th Avenue between 25th Street and 8th Street
• 8th Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
• Greenwich Avenue between 6th Avenue and Christopher Street
• Christopher Street between Greenwich Avenue and 7th Avenue South
• 7th Avenue South between Christopher Street and Greenwich Avenue
• 7th Avenue between Greenwich Avenue and 23rd Street

Dispersal

• 7th Avenue between 23rd Street and 29th Street
• 25th Street between 9th Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 26th Street between 8th Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 27th Street between 8th Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 28th Street between 8th Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 29th Street between 9th Avenue and 6th Avenue

Festival

• 4th Avenue between 9th Street and 14th Street
• 13th Street between Broadway and 3rd Avenue
• 12th Street between Broadway and 3rd Avenue
• 10th Street between Broadway and 3rd Avenue
• 11th Street between 4th Avenue and 3rd Avenue
• Broadway between 46th Street and 50th Street
• 53rd Street between 8th Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 52nd Street between 8th Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 51st Street between 8th Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 50th Street between 8th Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 49th Street between 8th Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 48th Street between 8th Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 47th Street between 8th Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 46th Street between 8th Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 45th Street between 8th Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 44th Street between 8th Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 43rd Street between 8th Avenue and 6th Avenue

Miscellaneous

• 25th Street between 6th Avenue and Park Avenue South
• 24th Street between 8th Avenue and Park Avenue South
• 15th Street between 7th Avenue and Union Square West
• 11th Street between Greenwich Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 9th Street between 6th Avenue and University Place
• Greenwich Avenue between 7th Avenue and Christopher Street
• Christopher Street between Greenwich Avenue and 6th Avenue

How to get to the NYC Pride March

The subway, as always, will be the best way to get to the march considering the street closures. To get to the starting point, take the 4/5/6/N/Q/R/W to 14th Street-Union Square; if you want to watch at the end off point, taking the 2/3, the A/C/E, or the L to 14th Street will be your best bet.

This weekend, the MTA will change the L train’s schedule—which has been disrupted to facilitate Canarsie Tunnel repairs—to accommodate Pride crowds, with trains running on a normal (as in, pre-L train shutdown) weekend schedule. There will also be increased service on the 1 and C trains, and the W will run between Queens and lower Manhattan on Sunday. Bus service—in particular the M14—will be affected as well by street closures and other Pride events. Check out the MTA’s guide to Pride weekend for the full rundown.

The Port Authority announced that it will not suspend service to the World Trade Center PATH station this weekend to accommodate Pride riders; you can check out schedules on the PATH website.

And alas, these Pride Train signs are not MTA-sanctioned, but provide a good reminder nonetheless:

What if I want to watch from the comfort of my own home?

ABC7 will broadcast and livestream the march beginning at noon on Sunday—here’s everything you need to know.

What else do I need to know?

It’ll be in the low 80s and sunny on Sunday—be sure to hydrate and wear sunscreen.