Pennsylvania’s largest rainbow pride flag just got even bigger

Last year, the biggest pride flag in Pennsylvania, a 400-foot-long rainbow flag, was unfurled at Philly’s Pride Festival. This year, organizers are taking the record higher by another 200 feet.

As reported by PhillyVoice, a 600-foot banner called the “Progress Pride Flag” will be unveiled May 30 — the first day of Pride Festival weekend.

The flag, on display throughout the weekend, will travel from the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art to Philly’s Gayborhood. Volunteers can sign up to hold sections of the flag as it stops at historic sites like Independence Mall throughout the city.

The record-setting flag is a custom design by artist Daniel Quasar. In addition to the traditional rainbow, the flag has white, pink, and blue stripes for the trans community. A black stripe honors those who lost their lives to AIDS, and red represents both AIDS awareness and the search for a cure. A brown stripe, along with the black one, honors LGBTQ+ communities of color.

Pride weekend is May 30 to June 1. The celebration will kick off May 30 with the flag reveal and raising.

On May 31, the festival will feature a night of music, food, and live performances at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and conclude June 1 with the Philly Pride March & Festival. The march starts at 10:30 a.m. at Sixth and Walnut Streets and ends in the Gayborhood.

When the march reaches the Gayborhood, the festival will begin, running from noon to 7 p.m., from Walnut to Pine streets and from Quince to Juniper Streets, with other select roads closed around the festival footprint.

The festival will feature over 200 small businesses and organizations, performers, entertainers, artists, vendors, local bars, food trucks, community organizations, stages, and more.

Last year’s pride march and festival drew an estimated 110,000 people to the Gayborhood, according to the Philadelphia Gay News. The attendance marked a significant increase from the 65,000 visitors who flooded Center City in 2023.

“Pride provides a boost to small businesses, especially our nightlife community, who do more than just entertain — they are often on the front lines of advocacy and are often pushed to the margins even within our own community,” Arun Prabhakaran, president of the Urban Affairs Coalition, which manages Philly Pride, said in a statement. “In truth, I believe that this is partly due to the efforts of so many in the community who work tirelessly to make Philadelphia a vibrant, safer, and affirming place for our LGBTQ+ siblings.”

This year’s pride event will commemorate the 50th anniversary of an executive order signed by former Pa. Gov. Milton Shapp, which banned workplace discrimination against state LGBTQ employees.