We had an incredible time in Washington, D.C. celebrating Pride this year! Not only was it DC Pride, but 2025 marked World Pride, bringing with it weeks of events, community magic, and global queer joy. We flew in just for the main weekend, and wow—did it deliver!
Our hotel was right on the parade route, which made for the perfect view from our window. The only hiccup? The parade kicked off at 2 PM, overlapping with the main festival and live performances—so we had to split our time. We didn’t catch the entire parade, but we had artists we were dying to see on the main stage, and priorities are priorities!
The parade itself was what you’d expect from a big city Pride—colorful, energetic, and beautifully diverse. But because it was World Pride, it also featured delegations from Pride organizations across the U.S. and around the globe. We were especially moved to see a small delegation from Iran, knowing how dangerous it is to be queer there. It was a powerful reminder of why Pride still matters.
Even though the festival was free, we treated ourselves to VIP passes on Saturday—and let us tell you, it was worth every penny. As we get older (and wiser?), avoiding massive crowds feels like self-care. The VIP area had a prime viewing spot right next to the stage, its own bathrooms and bars, and included wine, beer, and appetizers. Sure, it was still bustling, but compared to the main crowd, it felt like luxury.
The talent lineup this year was fire. Cynthia Erivo headlined Saturday night, with Doechii closing out the festival on Sunday. We also saw David Archuleta, CeCe Peniston, Kristine W, and Khalid, with some fierce drag performances by Tatianna and Pangina Heals—although sadly Pangina didn’t get to perform due to delays. She did pop out to greet the crowd, which was sweet, but we were definitely bummed (we’re big fans!).
Doechii’s Sunday night set was electric. The crowd was living, and we soaked it all in while sipping wine at the La Crema mobile tasting room—because yes, we missed out on Sunday VIP, but wine fixes everything.
Earlier that day, we booked a fabulous drag brunch featuring Alyssa Edwards, Utica, and Mercedes Iman Diamond, alongside Sasha Cassadine, Crimsyn, and Jula Starr. The venue—a restaurant inside a hotel—wasn’t the best setup, with guests scattered across multiple rooms. But eventually, everyone gathered on the makeshift dance floors and turned it into a full-on party. We even got to meet Alyssa Edwards before the show, and she was so sweet!
Outside the official events, we had some amazing moments catching up with friends who used to live in DC. They took us on a tour of the local queer scene, showing us their favorite bars and hangouts. The whole weekend felt like a reunion, a celebration, and a big queer love fest all in one.
We left D.C. totally recharged and inspired—and already dreaming about World Pride in Amsterdam next year. You know that’s going to be next-level fabulous!
