BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — WNY Pride Week 2019 is officially underway.
Events will be held at various locations and venues throughout Buffalo for a week's worth of celebration, advocacy and community engagement.
This year's celebration kicked-off Tuesday with the raising of the LGBTQ Pride Week and Transgender Pride Flags in Niagara Square
Organizers have launched a new website this year, to serve as the main resource for Pride Week events, click here to check out the full schedule of festivities.
"The mission of Buffalo Pride Week is to uplift the LGBTQ+ community by raising awareness for and providing access to diverse events that bring people together in the spirit of celebration, advocacy and community engagement," said Justin Azzarella, vice president of community development, Evergreen Health. "The growth of Pride Week over the past few years has been tremendous and we knew we needed to make sure we are staying true to the spirit of the event. The new website was created to align with this mission and better meet the needs of the LGBTQ+ community and its allies."
This year's Pride Parade begins at 12 p.m. on Sunday at the corner of Elmwood and Forest Avenues in Buffalo. More than 150 organizations are expected to participate.
"This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising in New York City, which is considered to be the event that was the catalyst to the gay liberation movement," said Azzarella. "The Parade theme is 'Keep Making History' because we wanted to give participants the opportunity to express what this historic event means to them and also send a message that we're still moving forward on the path to creating affirming and safe communities for LGBTQ+ people."
The Pride Festival follows the Parade from 1-7 p.m. at Canalside.
