CINCINNATI — Hundreds of members of the region’s LBGTQ+ community and their allies are heading downtown on Saturday for the 50th Cincinnati Pride celebration.

The events kick off at 11 a.m. with the annual parade, starting near the corner of Seventh and Plum Streets. Thousands of people will line city streets as a festive collection of floats, entertainers and community groups make the roughly hour-long trek down Vine Street and through The Banks.

The show culminates at Sawyer Point and Yeatman's Cove, home of the all-day Pride festival.

From noon until 9 p.m., the family-friendly event will feature performances on three different stages. Food and beverages will be available for purchase, and a host of vendors plan to have booths set up.

Planning to attend the event? Spectrum News 1 has put together a list of performers, vendors and everything else you need to know to help you celebrate in style.

Parade route

The Cincinnati Parade starts at the corner of Seventh Street and Central Avenue and follows Seventh Street to the intersection at Vine Street. After turning right onto Vine Street, the route heads south past Fountain Square before moving toward The Banks. 

Near the riverfront, the parade turns left onto Freedom Way, heads through The Banks and then goes right onto Joe Nuxhall Way in front of Great American Ball Park. The route turns left onto Mehring Way before ending at the festival grounds.

Organizers reminded parade viewers not to congregate near the parade's entrance into the park to avoid congestion.

This a high-level view of the parade route for Cincinnati Pride 2023. (Google Maps)

Entertainment schedule

Cincinnati Pride plans to have three separate stages operating throughout the festival: Main Stage, Tunnel Stage and Red Gate Stage.

Starting at 12:10 p.m., guests can enjoy a mix of live music, dance music from DJs, dance performances and even a story time by the group The Cincinnati Sisters.

There are also plans for four different sets of drag performers between 2:30 p.m. and 4:45 p.m.

Action shifts solely to the Main Stage around 5:20 p.m. for the headline concert. It features four artists: Mila Jam, Thelma Houston, Slayyyter and VINCINT. The last performer starts at 8 p.m.

Activity zones

There are five separate zones planned throughout the festival grounds.

In the Art Zone, attendees can work with artists James Reynolds to create their own unique Cincinnati Pride magnet. The cost is $5. Guests must RSVP in advance. The area is open from noon to 6 p.m.

There are also family and teen zones, with specialized entertainment geared to those audiences. The family area includes climbable blow-up attractions, carnival-style rides, face painting, even a rock-climbing wall.

Cincinnati Pride and GLSEN are partnering to create a space for teens and young people to gather and celebrate their identities or what organizers call “allie-ship.” The space will have several activities and offer free snacks.

The festival also has a designated Sober Zone, so people who want to take part in the festivities have an alcohol-free space to do so. Mixologists will be on site to provide a variety of delicious non-alcoholic cocktails while drag artists perform and DJ Bard provides music.

There’s also a VIP area. For $100 per person, guests get things like complimentary parking, private bathrooms and access to three separate bars. Tickets come with one free drink. They also get a 20% discount on Cincinnati Pride merchandise.

Vendors

Throughout the park, there will be dozens of booths set up offering a mix of products and services. There are a number of retailers, crafts people, nonprofits and community groups taking part.

The Cincinnati Pride website lists nearly 50 food providers, serving dishes ranging from ice cream and soft pretzels to heartier items such as BBQ and mac and cheese.

Alcohol sales end at 8 p.m.

Road closures

To accommodate the parade, several downtown streets will close for part of the day on Saturday. They’ll remain closed until about 3 p.m.

Closing at 8 a.m.:

• Seventh Street exit ramp from southbound Interstate 75
• Seventh Street ramp from Gest Street
• Eastbound W. Eighth Street at Linn Street
• Central Avenue between Sixth and Ninth streets
• Plum Street between Ninth and George streets

Closing at 10:30 a.m.:

• Seventh Street between Central Avenue and Walnut Street
• Elm Street between Sixth Street and Garfield Place
• Race Street between Garfield Place and Sixth Street
• Fifth Street between Race Street and Walnut Street
• Sixth Street between Walnut and Race streets
• Vine Street/Rosa Parks Street, north of Theodore M. Berry Way
• Fourth Street between Walnut and Race streets
• Third Street between Walnut and Race streets
• Freedom Way between Elm Street and Joe Nuxhall Way
• Walnut Street, south of Second Street. (Cincinnati Police will allow local access)
• Joe Nuxhall Way, south of Second Street
• Mehring Way between Central Avenue and E. Pete Rose Way
• E. Pete Rose Way between Broadway and Johnny Bench Way
• Johnny Bench Way

Getting around downtown

Coming from outside the city? The major highways into downtown are I-71, I-74 and I-75. Routes 27, 32 and 50 are also major arteries in the city.

There are a number of parking garages, surface lots and some street parking available near the riverfront and throughout downtown.

Cincinnati Pride organizers recommend using the free Cincinnati Connector streetcar to shuffle around the city. It has 18 stops ranging from northern Over-the-Rhine near Rhinegeist Brewery to The Banks. If you’re heading to the Pride Festival, stop at Station No. 1 and then walk east on Pete Rose Way toward the park.

If you are staying in downtown Cincinnati or across the bridge in Newport, Ky., you can walk to Sawyer Point and Yeatman's Cove in less than 20 minutes. Metro bus routes 1 or 85 and get off at Nuxhall Way at Mehring Way. For those in Northern Kentucky, the TANK Southbank Shuttle drops off at the Taylor-Southgate and E. Pete Rose Way.

Festival safety tips and rules

• There are no coolers allowed.
• All city and park rules are going to be enforced throughout the event.
• Have fun, but not too much fun. Pace yourself, organizers warned.
• Stay hydrated. As of Thursday, the forecast called for a partly cloudy day with temperatures reaching up to 86 degrees on Saturday.
• Do not leave your drink unattended.
• Leave your pets at home.
• Keep the park clean; use the trash and recycling receptacles in the park.
• Make sure to park legally.
• Stay aware of your surroundings when walking around.

Organizers also stressed that people remain mindful of the potential for protesters around the parade route and festival area. They advised not to engage them and to continue marching and celebrating.