This Sunday, the Northern Kentucky Pride festival returns for its 17th year with a full day of events, including the annual NKY Pride Parade.
This year’s celebration will be especially meaningful as the parade honors Katie Meyer, a longtime community advocate who helped shape the region both for LGBTQ+ individuals and for everyone across the area, as the 2026 Grand Marshal. Meyer passed away in April after a two-year battle with colon cancer, and her children and family will walk in the parade in her honor.
“Katie played a pivotal role in making NKY Pride what it is today, and her legacy continues to be felt through the parade, the festival and the community built around them,” said Dr. Bonnie Meyer, President of the NKY Pride Center. “She believed deeply in creating spaces where LGBTQ+ people could feel safe, welcomed and celebrated, and honoring her as this year’s Grand Marshal keeps her right where she belongs: at the heart of Pride, surrounded by her family, her community and the city she loved.”
The parade kicks off at noon, starting at Sixth Street and Madison Avenue in Covington and ending in MainStrasse Village. The parade will include more than 50 organizations, with awards for the best parade floats presented at 2:30 p.m. The NKY Pride Center (230 W. Pike St.) will serve as an official watch spot for the parade, including stations for the parade emcee and judges.
After the parade, the annual NKY PrideFest will take place in Goebel Park from noon to 5 p.m. This year’s PrideFest will feature live entertainment hosted by Molly Mormen throughout the day, as well as 150 local artisans and community organizations providing fun for all ages.
Following the parade, attendees who are 21+ can attend the Tea Dance at 4 p.m. on the Braxton Brewing Company rooftop, the official afterparty at Hotel Covington at 7 p.m., or the after-after-party at Galaxie at 10 p.m.
For more information, visit the official NKY Pride Center website.
