SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
2026 Charlotte Pride Festival & Parade
A NEW BEGINNING
Building on 25 years of Charlotte Pride and a dozen festivals in the heart of Uptown, we took a leap of faith and built something new in 2025.
Looking to reimagine our festival and parade weekend, we went in search of more space, more festival ambience, and the potential for greater community inclusion. Ultimately, we found it in a file drawer.
Or, at least, we found some really cool sketches, maps, and notes — the kind with hand-drawn arrows and colorcoded elements and a clear indication of collaboration, conversation, and dreams of a brighter, better version of what had been curated over a couple of decades.
These once excitedly laid plans had been tucked away during the pandemic, but when our 2022 festival set attendance records and space seemed to get tighter and tighter as we grew within our Tryon Street festival footprint, we wondered what a new version of Charlotte Pride’s annual celebration could look like. We brainstormed and strategized, and then we pulled those plans, neatly folded and hidden away, out again. Thus began one of our biggest undertakings in many years.
We met new community and private partners, got the blessing of city departments that support our annual event, talked to sponsors who were excited, and began to build a brand-new festival. The festival footprint changed and evolved, and we navigated myriad challenges – from logistical to safety to external uncertainties brought by the changing political and fundraising landscapes.
Fortunately, many of our corporate, municipal, and nonprofit sponsors and supporters stood by us, believing in the new vision and in the value that a Charlotte Pride weekend adds to our city, our county, and to individuals’ lives, enabling us to produce not only another festival, but a larger, more vibrant and inclusive one.
In our new park-centered festival venue, more local vendors joined the expanded festival zone, while our indoor arts shone in UNCC’s Dubois Center. Festival guests danced or sat in the grassy lawn across from the park, enjoying artists and entertainers while soaking in the vibe and the skyline view, lit up in rainbows at night.
We do not take it for granted that Pride exists and that our festival returns every year. We know that, in order to remain visible, we need our allies, individual donors, and the holistic embrace and support of our community – its citizens, leaders, nonprofit change-makers and service providers, religious communities, small businesses, and corporate sponsors.
With a new festival venue now established, we’re poised to build on and improve what we created, making it even more vibrant and impactful. We hope you’ll join us as we envision and plan a 2026 Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade that will celebrate and make visible the unique lives, contributions, stories, and talents of LGBTQ people in Charlotte and the Carolinas.
Meredith Thompson Managing Director Charlotte Pride she/her meredith@charlottepride.org
MORE THAN A CELEBRATION
Charlotte Pride is among the largest LGBTQ+ Pride organizations in the Southeast. Each year, our Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade celebrates LGBTQ+ visibility while empowering and energizing us for year-round work. Your support of this prominent, public event fuels impactful programs like our Charlotte Pride Scholarship and Internship Program, an annual job fair, and Reel Out Charlotte, the Queen City’s Annual LGBTQ Film Festival.
Corporate, nonprofit, and community embrace of our festival and parade weekend has made it the region’s largest celebration of its kind, giving us support to continue to the work of our mission: to create programs and activities to enrich, empower, strengthen, and make visible the unique lives and experiences of LGBTQ people in Charlotte and the Carolinas.
IN THE HEART OF CHARLOTTE
August 15-16, 2026
We’ll return to First Ward Park on the traditional (third) weekend in August, with the parade kicking off on Tryon Street in Uptown that Sunday, August 16th.
FESTIVAL & PARADE
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Youth & Family Zone
Games and activities for kids and families. Under 21, alcohol and tobacco-free
Flourish
Indoor, interactive art features, choral music, visual art, spoken word
VIP Experience
Air-conditioned, upgraded festival opportunity with food, drink, and entertainment
Festival Zone
A variety of exhibitors and attractions, including a Neighborhood Market, a health fair, and a food court
Festival Stages
Dozens of hours of entertainment on the Charlotte Pride Main Stage and the Charlotte Black Pride Stage
Parade
Charlotte’s largest annual parade, honoring a 40+ year legacy of Pride.
BE VISIBLE
Join us as we build on the foundation we laid with our 2025 inaugural festival in First Ward!
Don’t let the Parade pass you by.
25 YEARS & COUNTING
Founded in 2000, Charlotte Pride held our first festival in Marshall Park in 2001. As the festival grew, we moved the event to the streets of Uptown in 2011.
Last year, to accommodate its growth and the changing needs of our community, we relocated the festival to the more expansive First Ward Park and surrounding streets, adding more exhibitors and more space to spread out and enjoy.
DEMOGRAPHICS
OUR IMPACT & REACH
The Charlotte Pride Festival & Parade continues to attract out-of-town visitors, and with it, a significant economic impact.
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
A GUIDE TO PRIDE
At each Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade sponsorship level, your company and brand will enjoy great reach and exposure. However your team would like to show your Pride during our Charlotte Pride Weekend, we have a package for you.
Are you looking for a colorful presence in Sunday’s giant Charlotte Pride Parade?
Hoping to engage with guests both Saturday and Sunday through a Festival Zone activation space?
How about a larger Festival Zone exhibit presence to engage with more folks?
Want to make a deeper impact? Show your support through highly visible branding of Festival areas and attractions or the Parade
Sustaining / Visionary / Uplifting
Maximum reach & visibility
Major Branding opportunities Maximum Festival and Parade perks
Leadership
Expanded festival presence
Premium Parade presence Expanded Festival activation options
Visibility
Both Festival & Parade participation
Be a part of the Parade AND, host a Festival space
Equality
Two-day festival engagement
Host a Festival space
Empowerment / Creativity
Parade participation
Join our large Charlotte Pride Parade!
FESTIVAL & PARADE SPONSORSHIP LEVELS SUSTAINING $ 50,000
A sustaining sponsorship level ensures high-value branding and name recognition at Charlotte’s largest annual event.
Enjoy special naming rights to the festival’s Main Stage or Parade, garnering repeated impressions through paid and earned media prior to the event.
Sustaining
Sponsor Benefits
• Main Stage or Parade branding rights
• 10x40 ft Festival Zone space
• Premium Parade placement
• Logo with link on Charlotte Pride website
• Logo on Main Stage displays and in Charlotte Pride Mobile App
• Sponsor recognition in Charlotte Pride Magazine
• 15 VIP passes
• Two-page ad in annual Charlotte Pride Magazine
• 8 social media mentions
• Main Stage or Parade sponsorship recognition with logo
• Logo & Sustaining Sponsor recognition included in Festival & Parade-related email newsletters
• Logo prominently featured on staff T-shirts
• Opportunities to display corporate banners at Festival
• Opportunity to contribute branded items to VIP gift bag
• 2 customized Charlotte Pride LGBTQ Institute trainings
FESTIVAL & PARADE SPONSORSHIP LEVELS
VISIONARY
$ 30,000
Your presence at one of the largest events in the Southeast won’t be overlooked with this high-tier sponsorship level.
Visionary Sponsors have unique opportunities to leverage their presence and brand with special naming rights for the VIP Experience, Neighborhood Market, or Youth & Family Zone. A large Festival Zone space gives you the freedom to get creative with your on-theground interactions.
Visionary Sponsor Benefits
• Neighborhood Market, VIP Experience, or Youth & Family Zone branding rights (subject to availability)
• 10x30 ft Festival Zone space
• Premium Parade placement
• Logo with link on Charlotte Pride website
• Logo on Main Stage displays and in Charlotte Pride Mobile App
• Sponsor recognition in Charlotte Pride Magazine
• 10 VIP passes
• Full-page ad in annual Charlotte Pride Magazine
• 6 social media mentions
• Logo & Visionary Sponsor recognition included in Festival & Parade-related email newsletters
• Logo prominently featured on staff T-shirts
• Opportunities to display corporate banners within your branded Festival Zone activation
• Opportunity to contribute branded item to VIP gift bag
• 1 customized Charlotte Pride LGBTQ Institute training
FESTIVAL & PARADE
SPONSORSHIP LEVELS
UPLIFTING
20,000
Uplift one of our beloved Festival activations with special significance to Charlotte Pride, our community and our Festival attendees by branding it with your name.
As an Uplifting Sponsor, you can make possible our indoor arts activation called Flourish, the Charlotte Black Pride Stage, our Health Fair, or our Food Court (one of the most visited spaces of our festival). Each of these activations fosters community, provides access to resources, or offers space for underrepresented local performers and artists who are often part of our LGBTQ or ally community.
Uplifting Sponsor Benefits
• Flourish, Health Fair, Food Court, or Charlotte Black Pride Stage branding rights (subject to availability)
• 10x20 ft Festival Zone space
• Premium Parade placement
• Logo with link on Charlotte Pride website
• Logo placed on Main Stage displays and in Charlotte Pride Mobile App
• Sponsor recognition in Charlotte Pride Magazine
• 8 VIP passes
• Full-page ad in annual Charlotte Pride Magazine
• 5 social media mentions
• Logo & Uplifting Sponsor recognition included in Festival & Parade-related email newsletters
• Logo included on staff T-shirts
• Opportunity to display corporate banners within your branded Festival Zone activation
• Opportunity to contribute branded item to VIP gift bag
• 50% off any desired Charlotte Pride LGBTQ Institute Training
FESTIVAL & PARADE SPONSORSHIP LEVELS LEADERSHIP
$
15,000
A high-tier sponsorship level that offers significant opportunity for businesses ready to invest at a larger level in the LGBTQ community and market.
This sponsor level ensures your organization is given the opportunity to show a significant presence at the Festival and Parade. Leadership Sponsors can take advantage of naming rights for our newly enhanced Charlotte Pride Mobile App, which is used extensively by Festival- and Parade-goers over the course of the weekend and in the weeks leading up to it.
Leadership Sponsor Benefits
• Charlotte Pride Mobile App branding rights (subject to availability)
• Up to 10x20 ft Festival Zone space
• Premium Parade placement
• Logo with link on Charlotte Pride website
• Logo on Main Stage displays and in Charlotte Pride Mobile App
• Sponsor recognition in Charlotte Pride Magazine
• 8 VIP passes
• Full-page ad in annual Charlotte Pride Magazine
• 4 social media mentions
• Logo & Leadership Sponsor recognition included in Festival & Parade-related email newsletters
• Logo included on staff T-shirts
• Opportunity to contribute branded item to VIP gift bag
• 25% off any desired Charlotte Pride LGBTQ Institute trainings
FESTIVAL & PARADE SPONSORSHIP LEVELS
VISIBILITY
$ 10,000
Organizations of all sizes take advantage of this mid-tier sponsorship offering both Festival and Parade perks.
With a Visibility Sponsorship, ensure premium presence at both the Festival and Parade, while also taking advantage of exclusive perks for team members, like access to the VIP Pavilion.
Visibility Sponsor Benefits
• 10x10 ft Festival Zone space
• Upgrade to a second Festival Zone space if desired
• Group entry into Parade
• Premium placement in Parade lineup
• Logo with link on Charlotte Pride website
• Logo placed on Main Stage displays and in Charlotte Pride Mobile App
• Sponsor recognition in Charlotte Pride Magazine
• 6 VIP passes
• Half-page ad in annual Charlotte Pride Magazine
• Opportunity to contribute branded item to VIP gift bag
FESTIVAL & PARADE SPONSORSHIP LEVELS
Gain a presence at both the Festival and Parade, while supporting the work of Charlotte Pride in an impactful way.
Equality Sponsors receive many of the same benefits as higher-tier sponsors at an affordable and accessible rate perfect for small and medium businesses or nonprofits. This level can be a great entry point for sponsors who wish to join with Charlotte Pride and hope to grow their investment over future years.
Equality Sponsor Benefits
• 10x10 ft Festival Zone space
• Option to upgrade to add Parade entry
• Logo with link on Charlotte Pride website
• Logo placed on Main Stage displays and in Charlotte Pride Mobile App
• Sponsor recognition in Charlotte Pride Magazine
• 4 VIP passes
• Third-page ad in annual Charlotte Pride Magazine
• Opportunity to contribute branded item to VIP gift bag
please note
Equality Sponsorships are the lowest sponsor level at which a Festival Zone space is included.
FESTIVAL & PARADE SPONSORSHIP LEVELS
YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS.
At every sponsorship level, your generous support of Charlotte Pride ensures we can continue offering the kinds of services and support our community needs. Empowerment and Creativity Sponsor levels are perfectly suited for smaller companies.
Empowerment Sponsor Benefits $5,000
• Group entry into Parade
• Option to upgrade to Festival Zone space OR Festival Zone space AND Parade entry
• Logo with link on Charlotte Pride website
• Logo placed on Main Stage displays and in Charlotte Pride Mobile App
• Sponsor recognition in Charlotte Pride Magazine
• Quarter-page ad in annual Charlotte Pride Magazine
• Opportunity to contribute a branded item to VIP gift bag
Creativity Sponsor Benefits
$3,500
• Group entry into Parade
• Logo with link on Charlotte Pride website
• Logo placed on Main Stage displays and in Charlotte Pride Mobile App
• Opportunity to contribute a branded item to VIP gift bag
SPONSORSHIP LEVELS
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
Do you own or represent a small business or local nonprofit? You can support us in an impactful way while taking advantage of opportunities to connect with the broader LGBTQ community in Charlotte and the Carolinas.
Community Partner Sponsorship
Charlotte Pride extends a special opportunity for small locally owned businesses and small, grassroots nonprofit organizations to support our work. A $1,500 sponsorship includes a choice of either a Festival Zone space or a Parade entry. Community Partners have their business or organization name listed in our Community Partners section on our website.
Festival Zone Vendor Opportunities
Small businesses and nonprofits looking only for Festival vendor opportunities can apply for a space at the Charlotte Pride Festival. Your vendor fee is another way to give back and support the important work of Charlotte Pride, while making face-to-face connections with current or new customers and clients.
Find Festival vendor applications at charlottepride.org.
Questions? Email meredith@charlottepride.org
Parade Opportunities
Small businesses and nonprofits looking only for Parade participation opportunities can apply to march in the Charlotte Pride Parade. Your Parade fee is another way to give back and support the important work of Charlotte Pride, while joining in each year’s celebratory Parade through the heart of Uptown Charlotte.
Find Parade applications at charlottepride.org.
JOIN US
• Connect face-to-face with your target audience
• Develop meaningful connections with LGBTQ Charlotteans and Carolinians
• Grow your brand recognition, reach new customers, and develop new brand loyalty
• Provide team-building, appreciation, and volunteer opportunities for your LGBTQ employees
• Spotlight the LGBTQ community inside your organization while supporting education, visibility, and awareness efforts in the greater community
