Press Release: Annapolis Celebrates Pride Month with Parade and Festival on Saturday, Oct. 18

City of Annapolis
PRESS RELEASE

Office of Mayor Gavin Buckley
160 Duke of Gloucester Street
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

For Immediate Release: Mitchelle Stephenson, 410-972-7724 or [email protected]

Annapolis Celebrates Pride with
Parade and Festival on Saturday, Oct. 18

ANNAPOLIS, MD (October 5, 2025) - The rescheduled fifth annual Annapolis Pride Parade and Festival will take place in downtown Annapolis on Saturday, October 18. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Calvert and Bladen Streets (parade entrants will line up along St. John's Street).

PARADE ROUTE: The parade will travel along Calvert Street to Northwest Street to Church Circle. From there, the parade will continue on West Street to the conclusion at Amos Garrett Blvd. The Festival will take place at Maryland Hall and in the Bates Athletic Complex until approximately 4 p.m. For real-time traffic alerts, text PRIDE25 to 38276.

ROAD CLOSURES: St. John's Street, Bloomsbury Square Street (next to the garage) and Calvert Street (between Bladen Avenue and St. John's Street) will be closed (local traffic only) from 3 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday with no on-street parking. There will be rolling road closures along the parade route. Please follow Annapolis Police direction.

PARKING: Paid parking is available at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium ($15 per vehicle- card only). A free shuttle will run a route to Bladen Avenue at Calvert Street in the morning and to and from the festival in the afternoon. Paid parking is also available at City garages including Hillman (150 Duke of Gloucester - closest to start of parade), Park Place (1 Park Place - closest paid parking to Festival), Gotts (45 Calvert Street) and Knighton (1A Colonial Ave.). The State Garage (Calvert Street at St. Johns) is free on weekends. Information about additional garage and surface lot parking is available at: www.AnnapolisParking.com.

The Annapolis Pride Parade and Festival is typically held in June which is recognized worldwide as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Pride Month (LGBTQ+ Pride Month). The parade in June was postponed due to inclement weather.

"As Annapolis Pride marks its fifth year, we celebrate not just how much it has grown, but what it stands for: love, dignity, and the right to be seen," said Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley. "In a time when hate still finds a voice, Annapolis chooses to raise ours in love and solidarity. We are proud to stand with our LGBTQ+ neighbors and all people of goodwill, not just during Pride, but every day."

ABOUT PRIDE: Founded in May 2018, Annapolis Pride is a grassroots, volunteer organization focused on creating a safe and welcoming environment for the LGBTQ+ community in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County. For more information about the parade and festival, and to learn about other Pride events happening in the City, visit: https://annapolispride.org .

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