Jersey City Pride to feature festival, march, and entertainment

Jersey City is celebrating Pride throughout the final weekend of August, with a slew of events on deck.

Kicking things off on Friday, August 25, there will be two events: The sixth annual Fringe Fest Equality Rocks Spectacular celebration will take place at Hudson Hound at 8 Erie Street beginning at 7 p.m., while the Laugh Tour Comedy Club — at 555 Washington Boulevard — will host a Pride-themed show at 9:45 p.m.

On Saturday, August 26, the Pride Equality March will begin at 12 p.m. and last until 1:30PM at City Hall at 280 Grove Street. The route indicates the march will proceed from Grove Street to the Grove PATH Plaza and then up Newark Avenue to Erie and Jersey. 

“The march is the kick-off to the festival and is our moment as a community to show our diversity and strength, and that of our allies,” Jersey City Pride’s website states. “While we have made much progress and enjoy the benefits of living in a progressive city, many still suffer worldwide from homophobia and sexual orientation discrimination. More and more we are seeing rights being stripped away from women, from families, and from children. Members of our community at large are being targeted and are suffering hate crimes because of their race or religious beliefs. We will be marching for equality for all, so come on out and show your Pride and demonstrate that we truly are stronger together.”

Following the march will be the Pride Festival, which is set to take place from 1 to 9 p.m. at Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza, which will be held between Grove Street and Jersey Avenue, as well as at the Grove PATH Plaza. According to the website, there will be four entertainment stages at this event.

There will be vendors at the event, as well, and there is a family-friendly area for parents and kids to enjoy. This includes a video gaming truck, which can accommodate up to 44 people, and outdoor games such as Giant Jenga, Corn Hole, Connect Four, and more. 

“New this year will be lounge areas by the concert stage run by Gringo’s and Left Bank Burger Bar, where you can eat, drink and enjoy the shows and DJs,” the website states “Expect lots of entertainment, dancing, and many Instagramable moments to share with your friends and family. We encourage you to put on your best Pride gear and come on out and celebrate Pride like only Jersey City knows how to do.”

Dancing Tony’s, which is described as a lineup of “local talent” with many diverse artists and performers, will be sprinkled throughout the festival. The lineup is as follows:

1:00     She

1:30     Gotham

2:00    JuJu Gay

2:40     CharlE

3:00     Paisley Honey

3:40     Clover Honey

4:00     Devin Peacock

4:20     Chill Brown

5:00     Jennifer Love

5:20     Evan Laurence

5:40     Last Minet

6:20     Mary Shelley

7:10      Plastiq Passion

8:00     MZZTR

Porta, a pizza restaurant, will also be hosting a rooftop party at their location on 135 Newark Avenue. There is no cover charge and there will be a show featuring showgirls Vicky Vee & Christine Dior between 2 and 5 p.m. They will also be hosting a pop-up bar during the actual festival. 

Lillian Bustle of JC Burlesque and DJ Skittlezhere will host a “Dragstravaganza” at the Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza Small Stage between 2 and 8 p.m. There will also be a comedy show starting at 6:30PM at Dorrian’s on 555 Washington Boulevard. 

There will be two different after-parties following the Pride Festival. The first is at Six26 on 128 Christopher Columbus Drive from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. There will be drag shows, dancers and dancing, giveaways, drink specials, and more. Entry is free. 

The second after-party, Pride After Dark, which starts at 10 p.m. and ends at 2 a.m., will be at Porta, with music by DJ Tall Speedy and performances by Stella Luna, Kimmy Sumony, Alisha Day, Adi Owenn, and Showgirl Slaylani. There will be drink specials, giveaways, and more, as well, and again, there is no cover fee. 

To end the weekend, there will be a recovery brunch on Sunday, August 27, at Six26 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., which will also be a fundraiser and awareness-boosting event for Whole Spectrum Autism, which is an organization focused on promoting autism acceptance. The event will be hosted by Kimmy Sumony, with special performances by guest stars A’nylah the Doll and Crystal Envy, and there will be different drink specials, brunch specials, and music. There is a $20 fee to enter, to donate to the fund. Tickets can be purchased here and the menu can be found here.