Mention Brooklyn Pride to anyone who’s attended the borough’s official festivities in the past, and you’re likely to get something along the lines of “cute” or, less charitably, “boring.” But for the last few years, Brooklyn Pride has begun to creep up on the big Gay Pride extravaganzas, with official and unofficial events appealing to the borough’s gay nightlife-loving demographic. This year’s official opening and closing parties are produced by the folks behind the long-running mixed-queer shindig Hot Rabbit, and events not officially affiliated with Brooklyn Pride—such as a queer edition of Target First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum, and a gigantic dance blowout at Verboten—have also upped the cool factor. Of course, there’s still plenty of family fun to be had: The nighttime Pride Parade and preceding festival are definitely Park Slope parent-approved. But this year, the party will rage on well after the kids are snug in their beds.
RECOMMENDED: Full Gay Pride in NYC coverage