Pasco Pride Festival Fills Downtown New Port Richey Bars and Shops Today

The Pasco Pride Festival takes over downtown New Port Richey today, Saturday, September 26, running from 1 to 7 p.m. across roughly a dozen businesses and venues within walking distance of each other. Instead of one outdoor park space, the free festival is spread indoors through local bars, shops and eateries, the same format organizers used last year and are repeating by popular demand.

The dispersed setup lets each participating business decide who's welcome on its own property, a detail organizers say matters when protesters show up. It also keeps attendees out of the Florida heat for six hours of programming that includes live performances, dozens of vendor tables, a family fun fest area and a low-stimulation zone for anyone who needs a quieter break from the crowds.

Food trucks are on hand too, with priority given to LGBTQ+-owned businesses based in Pasco County. Local nonprofits will have tables set up throughout the festival footprint. The event is grassroots-funded and costs nothing to attend.

Why the format changed

Pasco Pride shifted away from a single-site outdoor event last year, and it stuck. Richey Suncoast Theatre has become a focal point of the festival, hosting drag performances inside its historic walls while other downtown spots run their own slice of the day, from live music to vendor pop-ups. Business owners get a say in how their space is used, which organizers say has made the event feel safer for staff and attendees alike without shutting anyone out of downtown.

The approach has also held up despite a leaner sponsorship year. Organizers leaned on volunteers instead, and the volunteer sign-up sheet reportedly filled up early. The festival returns this year on the same weekend, again spread across the same kind of mixed venues: bars, shops, a theater, and open-air vendor spots woven through downtown's walkable core.

Downtown New Port Richey has a full slate of activity this weekend beyond Pride. The Cotee River Bike Fest organization is holding its annual Battle of the Bands competition the same day, meaning parking and foot traffic downtown will likely be tighter than a typical Saturday. Anyone heading down for the festival should plan to walk between venues rather than drive from stop to stop.

Organizers have said they intend to keep building out the downtown model in future years, adding more venue partnerships as the festival grows. No word yet on whether next year's event stays on the same September weekend or expands to more businesses, but this year's lineup gives a sense of where things are headed: more doors open, more spaces shared, and the party moving from block to block instead of staying in one park.

Want more on what's happening around Pasco County this weekend and beyond? Visit us at pascocommunity.com, follow along on Facebook, and join the conversation in our Community Forum. For more local happenings and things to do, check out our events coverage and community stories.

Header photo: Ryan Watern1 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)