Pride Pilgrimage: Cheapflights.com Offers an Array of Celebration Options

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwired - May 18, 2016) - Eye-popping costumes, marching bands and drag queens -- they're all part of Gay Pride events celebrating the vibrancy and diversity of the LGBTQI community. The parties are legendary in New York, London, Toronto and San Francisco, but what if you'd like to try something a little different? Or to put together a pilgrimage to an array of Pride celebrations?

The month of June kicks off an entire summer of celebrations with everything from beach bashes and glitzy parades to more sophisticated celebrations in communities all around the world. To help you scratch more than just the surface of the Pride season, the travel experts at Cheapflights.com, the online leader in finding and publishing travel deals, have gathered their list of 11 off-the-beaten-path celebrations (each paired with an insider tip). With events from Denver to Dublin and points in between, there is no shortage of places to don your rainbow-hued garb and join in on the fun.

Kick off summer at one of these Pride events happening in June:

• Tel Aviv Pride, Israel - June 1 to 5, 2016 - The Tel Aviv Pride Festival is quite an event with festivities starting in late May and continuing through most of June. This year's theme is "Women in the Community." Arrive in Tel Aviv by June 1 to attend the Eurovision event at Gan Me'ir Park, a free concert put on by former Eurovision winners. The next day, check out the Forever Tel Aviv Waterpark Pride Event at Shefayim Water Park for 12 hours of non-stop fun with world-class music. The parade begins on June 3 at 10 a.m. in Gan Me'ir Park and runs through the city before ending with a famous sunset beach party at Charles Clore Park. Both the parade and party are free. On Sunday, head to TLVFest, the international LGBT film festival that takes place from May 29 to June 7. Pro Tip: Purchase the Pride Pass for an all-access pass to 100+ events including the waterpark, film festival and much more.
  
  
• Sitges Gay Pride, Spain - June 16 to 20, 2016 - While PRIDE Barcelona is well known and worth the trip, there is another Spanish Pride celebration worth checking out. Sitges is a beach town just south of Barcelona that has become known as one of the most gay-friendly places in the world. The first Sitges Pride was held in 2010 making it a fairly new festival, and it has since become a five-day event packed with festivities in a dedicated Gay Village right at the seafront. The Gay village is open every day of the festival starting at 5 p.m. with an early opening of 3 p.m. on Sunday for the Parade warm-up. Most of the events at Sitges are ticketed so think about purchasing tickets ahead of time to avoid showing up to sold out events. If you're looking to combine gay pride with a beach getaway, Sitges Pride should be at the top of your list. Pro Tip: Buy tickets early to the WET-Sitges Pride Pool Party -- it usually sells out and you'll want to be there.
  
  
• Denver PrideFest, Colorado - June 18 to 19, 2016 - Denver PrideFest may be one of the oldest and largest Pride festivals, but it's still not as well known as some of the other U.S. Pride celebrations. The official festival begins June 18 but festivities begin the week before. Kick off the weekend Friday night at the Denver Wrangler GLOW party (no cover charge) where you can rock out to the latest hits with DJ Barry Harris. Also check out Tracks, which has events all weekend long. While there is a cover at Tracks, you can save by buying tickets ahead of time. For the greatest savings, get a weekend pass, which will get you into all the events all weekend, starting on Thursday. On Saturday, the PrideFest festival takes place at Denver's Civic Center Park featuring two stages from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and it's free. The parade starts bright and early at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday and ends at the Civic Center Park where the festivities will continue. Latrice Royale and Nina Flowers will perform on Saturday and CeCe Peniston and Cazwell will perform on Sunday -- be sure to check them out. Keep in mind, while Denver has legalized recreational use of marijuana, it's still illegal to smoke in public. Pro Tip: Arrive at the GLOW party in a Lyft and get a FREE drink -- just show your receipt with 1700 Logan as the destination.
  
  
• Dublin Pride, Ireland - June 22 to 26, 2016 - When you think of Dublin, Pride probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. However, there's more to this Irish city than Guinness, Jameson and St. Patrick's Day. The Irish have some of the most liberal attitudes towards the LGBT community, and last year Ireland became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage on a national level by popular vote. The Dublin Pride Festival takes place over five days and is a free event, though some hosted parties may charge admission. The parade takes place on Saturday, June 25, starting at 1 p.m. in the Garden of Remembrance, and the Pride Main Stage will be set up at Merrion Square. The smaller size of this celebration is heavily outweighed by the friendly and inviting atmosphere of this event. Pro tip: There are plenty of LGBT venues on Capel Street, Parliament Street and South Great George's Street so you'll be spoiled for choice for parade after parties. Pick up the Dublin Pass for your stay for a complimentary airport transfer, and have access to bus tours and free entry to over 25 of Dublin's most popular attractions, sights and landmarks.
  
  
• Nashville Pride, Tennessee - June 24 to 26, 2016 - Nashville Pride has been growing each year, keeping pace with the Nashville's increasingly vibrant gay scene, home to an array of bars and clubs such as Play, Tribe, Blue Gene's and Lipstick Lounge. Festivities start on Friday evening with the Pride Concert at 6:30 p.m. in Public Square Park. You can buy advanced tickets that also include admission to the Festival the next day for $20. If you skip the concert, admission to the festival on Saturday is only $5 at the gate. While there isn't a traditional parade, the Nashville Pride Equality Walk takes place on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. and is open to anyone. The festival goes from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with events hosted by various bars and clubs following. Pro Tip: Sign up for the VIP list at Tribe and Play before you go to get discounted admission and information on their events. Just text "TRIBE" or "PLAY" to 83361.
  
  

After the sequins settle on June's events, the party moves on to Pride celebrations in San Diego, Calif; Calgary, Canada; Austin, Texas; Manchester, England; and Chicago, Ill. Advance planners can tee up Sydney, Australia's Mardi Gras, one of the world's most raucous events, which will take place in February and March in 2017. For dates and details on all the events, check out Cheapflights.com's complete Pride pilgrimage: 11 off-the-beaten-path celebrations at www.cheapflights.com/news/gay-pride-pilgrimage.

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