Pride Vermont

Burlington's Pride parade and festival is Vermont's main Pride. The first Pride parade in Vermont was held in June 1983, and 2026 was billed as the 44th annual celebration. Since 2012 it has taken place in September, when the college students who fill Burlington in the fall are back in town.

The parade sets off at noon from South Winooski Avenue and goes up Church and Pearl Streets. A free afternoon festival follows at Battery Park on the lake, with food, local vendors, DJs and drag.

The organiser has changed. The Pride Center of Vermont, which used to run the parade, paused operations in October 2025 because of a funding shortfall. Part of that shortfall was the loss of a federal HIV grant worth about a quarter of its yearly revenue. Rather than let the parade lapse, a coalition under the Pride Vermont name took over: Burly Bear, Out in the 802, Queer VT and the City of Burlington. The 2026 parade went ahead on Sunday 13 September, and no crowd count was published. The 2027 dates hadn't been announced when we checked.