Pride, Folsom, Carnival or bust! GayCities readers said these LGBTQ+ events are worth the travel
For some, it's about the destination, but for others, it's about the moment.
Mark
For some travelers, a trip is about the destination, but for the vast majority of explorers, it’s about the moment.
The year is filled with can’t-miss queer events, from flamboyant and extravagant shows of pageantry and parades to crowded street corners of handsome men. But what makes these weekend-long excursions worth it?
As part of this year’s Best of GayCities, we asked our readers to share what LGBTQ+ events are worth traveling for, and received an influx of impassioned responses about Pride events, holiday get-togethers, and gay festivals.
But at the end of the day, the reasoning was the same: The people.
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“Any of the over-the-top, super-large prides from NYC to Amsterdam to Sao Paulo and especially Taiwan. They’re just so giant, larger than some countries!”
– Sean Howell, Best of GayCities editorial board
Below, the top 4 types of LGBTQ+ events that are worth traveling for — and what makes them worth the trip.
Pride events
By far and away, GayCities readers agreed that Pride events are worth traveling for. That said, the common denominator was not programming, pop star-packed lineups, or even weather — it was the communities that these types of celebrations bring together.
While one voter declared New York City‘s Pride was “the best in the world,” another espoused love for Montreal: “The people are very friend.”
Across the pond, the “amazing” Pride festivities in Amsterdam got a shoutout as a “fantastic place to meet men and have a good time.” Similarly, São Paulo, which set the Guinness World Record for biggest parade in 2006, was saluted for its size. “I love the men in Brazil, and the event is huge and it’s just totally liberating being around so many other LGBTQ+ people,” one reader told us.
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Holidays
If you’re not traveling for Pride, there’s a decent chance you’re jet setting for the holigays, and our survey showed that. From long Labor Day weekends to Halloween events like Provincetown‘s Spooky Bear, it seems that LGBTQ+ travelers are in no short supply of occasions to venture out.
That said, the most effusive recommendation we heard was for New Year’s Eve in Puerto Vallarta. “It’s like a gay cruise on land — you see the same people and crowds at beach and at night in bars and clubs,” one reader told us.
Gay festivals
Outside of Pride Month and calendar-dictated celebrations, the LGBTQ+ community has established several annual traditions that are certainly worth the airfare, according to our readers.
Puerto Vallarta’s Bear Week, which typically takes place in January or February, was so well-regarded, one user wrote it into our survey in all capital letters — and with several exclamation points.
In the springtime, there’s Carnival in Brazil, when the streets of Rio de Janeiro transform into colorful (and loud) block parties.
Of course, the summer also gives us a selection of extra-sensual celebrations, like Folsom and Dore Alley in San Francisco, Berlin‘s Folsom Europe, and International Mr. Leather in Chicago. “The weather is usually on point and it brings in people from all over the world,” one reader told us in regards to the latter. “It’s always Memorial Day Weekend in the U.S., so less need to take a ton of PTO in addition to the holiday.”
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Gay cruises
As far as LGBTQ+ travel experiences go, there’s nothing quite like embarking on a gay cruise.
Between parties, sun decks, speedos, and sunscreen, there’s an camaraderie that forms between passengers across generations, economic backgrounds, and colors of the rainbow as the ship becomes a world of its own for those few days: “You meet a lot of good people,” one reader told us.
Bonus: It’s a great way to pack several countries into one vacation and get a solid tan.
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