Pride Month is a time to celebrate how far we’ve come for LGBTQ+ rights, promote continued support for the LGBTQ+ community, and honor those who have fought and suffered in the battle for equality. You can find Pride events all around the world throughout the month of June. Whether you’re at a conference, small meet-up, or city-wide celebration, you are sure to form connections with diverse and accepting individuals and learn of motivational queer and trans stories. It’s an experience that you’ll never want to end.
However, when the events do run out there’s no reason you have to wait an entire year to celebrate Pride again. Throwing a Pride party with your friends can be even more personal and meaningful than attending a pre-planned event, and it’s simple to put together. Here are
5 tips to help you throw the most unforgettable Pride party
1. Rock the Rainbow
Creating a vision for the venue is the first step in any party planning endeavor. For Pride events, the color scheme is a no-brainer. Rainbows have been a symbol for LGBTQ+ folks since the 70’s and they also make for spectacular party decorations.
To get the aesthetic across, make sure all the colors of the rainbow are arranged in the correct order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. The following are décor ideas that can easily express the rainbow:
- Balloons
- Tassel garlands
- Paper lanterns
- String LED lights or a revolving disco ball light
- Rainbow flags
- Table covers
In addition to decorations, the rainbow theme can be applied to the invitations, food and drinks, and dress code.
2. Embrace Extravagance
This is not your normal social gathering. It is a celebration of love and equality! Therefore, you need to step up your party game with something extra. Here are just a few ideas on how to do so:
- Dress-up—Pride is all about expressing your true self and dressing up is one of the simplest ways to do so. You could flaunt novelty gay pride clothing or you could invite guests to dress in drag and have a costume
- Photobooths— Photobooths are not only entertaining for guests to interact with, but also essential for documenting the festivities and immortalizing the memories. You can rent a professional photo booth, but they can be expensive. To stay within budget, create DIY photo station by setting up a backdrop and leaving props and a Polaroid camera on a side table.
- Goodie bags—Fill up goodie bags with Pride themed pins, stickers, and candy to thank your guests helping you have a fabulous time.
3. Keep the Bites Light
You’ll want to keep the food small to encourage mingling and dancing. Chips and popcorn are surprisingly effective at bringing guests together. They’re so addictive that people won’t be able to walk away, making the snack table an area of congregation. They’re also small enough to allow for conversation in between bites.
Fruit spreads are a must for multiple reasons:
- They fit perfectly into the rainbow theme (strawberries or watermelons, cantaloupe, pineapple, honey dew or kiwi, blueberries, grapes).
- They are easy to pick up with toothpicks.
- They’re healthy and delicious!
Small appetizers like mini sliders and kebabs are also great options to satisfy your guests. Anything that doesn’t require plates or utensils is a plus because it makes cleanup a breeze.
4. Get Creative with the Cocktails
Let your guests mix up their own cocktail creations by setting up a DIY drink bar. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Liquor—Vodka and rum are common crowd-pleasers.
- Mixers—These can also double as décor if you arrange them into a rainbow at the beverage bar. Lemonade is always a great option since they can come in many different colorful flavors and always taste amazing.
- Fresh fruits—like raspberries, blackberries, and slices of orange, lemon, lime, and grapefruit.
- Herbs–Like mint, thyme, rosemary
- Ice
- Tools—cups, shakers, drink stirrers, muddler, jigger.
- Recipe cards (optional).
5. Prepare a Playlist
Music makes a huge impact on the energy of a party. Check out the Pride playlists on Spotify which feature empowering lyrics and sweet beats. There are several different vibes to choose from with playlists like “Fierce,” “Latin Pride,” “Transcend,” and “Pride Classics.” If none of the premade playlists fit your musical preferences, you can create your own and invite your guests to add their favorite songs too.
Pride Responsibly
Now you’re all set to throw a phenomenal Pride party! All that’s left is to invite your friends and have an unforgettable time. It’s also important to remember that although June is designated as Pride month, attention to the LGBTQ+ rights movement should not end when the parties do.
