In June 2011, residents enjoyed North Jersey’s first Pride Picnic in Maplewood’s Memorial Park.
Now, just three years later, event organizer North Jersey Pride has extended the picnic to “a full week of celebratory and consciousness-raising events leading up to the Pride Festival.”
The fun starts on Monday, June 2, with a flag raising on the steps of Maplewood Town Hall followed by kickoff cocktails at Coda in Maplewood Village.
On Trans-Equality Tuesday, June 3, S. Bear Bergman “asks the questions trans people are constantly asked—then turns them inside out and upside down” at the Burgdorff Cultural Center in Maplewood.
On Wednesday, June 4, North Jersey Pride celebrates Anti-Bullying Day with assemblies at Jefferson School and a seminar on “How to Talk to the Creature in Your Car: A Survival Guide for Parents of Teenagers” at St. George’s Episcopal Church.
Thursday, June 5, brings Movie Night in Montclair with a special screening of 2013 Sundance film “Concussion” at Montclair’s Bow-Tie Claridge Cinema.
Friday, June 6, features a Slam Dance for Teens. And Saturday, June 7, brings two events: the Pride Run in South Orange and the Dance for Equality at the Club at Orange Lawn.
Finally, the Pride Festival arrives on Sunday, June 8, from noon to 7 p.m. in Maplewood’s Memorial Park. It’s a day featuring door-to-door live music, a Rainbow Kids Zone, local artisans, merchant vendors, and the Pride Festival’s “famous” Five-Star Food Court.
Find out more about each event, locations, times, tickets and more here.
