Montclair Pride is ready to come out!

Out Montclair’s fifth annual Pride festival returns Sunday, Oct. 11, with a community march, live entertainment, music, food and more. The celebration, titled “Come Out for Montclair Pride,” coincides with National Coming Out Day for the first time.

“There is something especially meaningful about beginning National Coming Out Day by coming together and moving through our community,” Reubena Spence, president and co-founder of Out Montclair, said in a statement. “We’re inviting people to come out, march with us and walk together into Montclair Pride.”

The festival will run from noon to 5 p.m. at Lackawanna Station. And new this year, the celebration starts earlier with the Equality in Motion March. The community is invited to gather at the Montclair Public Library at 10:30 a.m., then march together along Bloomfield Ave. to Lackawanna Station.

This year’s celebration follows an uncertain road to Pride 2026. The festival, traditionally held in June, was postponed as Out Montclair faced financial challenges and launched a fundraising campaign to help keep the annual celebration going. Organizers later announced the festival would move to Oct. 11, giving this year’s Pride a new date and a new theme tied to National Coming Out Day.

Organizers describe this year’s event as a new chapter for Out Montclair.

The Equality in Motion March reflects Out Montclair’s growing partnership with Garden State Equality and the organizations’ shared focus on connecting LGBTQIA+ communities across New Jersey, organizers said.

“Leadership means building bridges across our state and recognizing that none of us can do this work alone,” Brielle Winslow-Majette, executive director of Garden State Equality, said in a statement. “I’m proud to stand alongside the leaders at Out Montclair as we continue building a stronger, more unified movement.”

Actress, model, author and LGBTQIA+ advocate Dominique Jackson will return to Montclair Pride as a featured guest and co-host.

Other performers include drag performer and advocate Harmonica Sunbeam, singer and longtime Pride host Eddie Nicholas and Broadway performer and vocalist Brandi Massey.

Vocalist Jada Valenciaga will headline the festival. The entertainment lineup will also feature live music, drag and theater.

Beyond the performances, attendees can expect community organizations, local businesses, vendors, food and activities throughout Lackawanna Station.

The festival will also include a Montclair Pride VIP Tent sponsored by MM by Morimoto.

Founded in 2021, Out Montclair has grown into a year-round nonprofit that says it now offers more than 50 programs, events and community initiatives annually. Montclair Pride remains its largest annual celebration.

Organizers say this year’s theme is meant as an invitation to the wider community to come out as themselves, as families, friends or allies and to show up for someone they love.

Sunday, Oct. 11
Equality in Motion March: 10:30 a.m. at Montclair Public Library, followed by a march along Bloomfield Avenue to Lackawanna Station
Montclair Pride Festival: Noon–5 p.m. at Lackawanna Station, Montclair

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Georgette Gilmore is Montclair Local’s Audience and Engagement Manager, connecting readers with the stories, people and issues that shape our community. A proud Jersey Girl and Montclair resident for... More by Georgette Gilmore