By Brady McGill

As we head into the end of 2025, we have much to be thankful for and much work left to do for the future. We just wrapped up the Las Vegas PRIDE Parade and Festival, and we have so many things to celebrate (and lots of lessons to help us grow, too). For the first time in our history, we experienced heavy rains during the Las Vegas PRIDE Parade, and we had to cancel the event. We saw a great deal of celebration and positive energy from all our participants, despite our shared disappointment. Big thanks to our friends at The Phoenix Bar, Mayor Shelley Berkley, and our Grand Marshals, Lauren Weedman, Jimmy Emmerson, and The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, for all their help, love, and support at our very successful afterparty!

Our first Las Vegas PRIDE Rainbow Rave at AREA15 and our new two-weekend format, was a hit, and we have big plans for the future. We also had the chance to finally host our Festival at the Desert Breeze Events Center (a facility that was planned for many, many years and finally opened in 2025). We are thrilled to grow in this event space and plan to expand our offerings as we head into 2026 planning.

Brady McGill

As always, thanks to our all-volunteer Board of Directors, our incredibly talented team, including Program Director Megan Sanchez, Creative Director Jake Naylor, and Community Engagement Director Jim McCoy, for all their help in making PRIDE happen. We also welcome our 2026 Mr. Las Vegas PRIDE, Meliton, as he begins his reign, and all of our thanks to our now former Mr., Derek Guerrero.

As we reflect and plan ahead, please be kind to your fellow LGBTQIA+ family and do everything you can to support queer businesses, causes, candidates, and issues. Join us at our year-round events series, and set your calendars for October 2026 for another Las Vegas PRIDE Celebration!

This article was originally published in the 2025 Holiday Issue of Las Vegas PRIDE Magazine, and can be read in its original format here.