The inaugural Pride in the Sky festival was a tremendous success in 2024, welcoming thousands of participants to the Walkway Over the Hudson for a celebration of the unity, diversity and freedom that make the Hudson Valley such a wonderful place to visit. Organized once again by Big Gay Hudson Valley, the second-annual event, set for May 18, 2025, promises to be even bigger! (Note: The festival was rescheduled from May 17 because of the threat of storms).
There will be community festivals with vendors, LGBTQ+ pride groups, and LGBTQ-owned and allied businesses and community groups on both sides of the Walkway. The festival is free to attend. Click here to register.
Here is what to expect:
• Start the day off on the right foot (or the left foot, whichever you prefer!) at the Pride Fun Run and Walk starting at 10 a.m. on the Highland side of the Walkway. Participants can either go halfway across the Walkway and back (1.2 miles) or all the way across to Poughkeepsie and back (2.4 miles).
• Pet owners are invited to bring their furry, four-legged loved ones out for the special Proud Pet Paw-Rade at 4:30 p.m. Colorful costumes for pets and their owners are encouraged.
• Performances, including live music, burlesque and drag, will be highlighted throughout the evening at four different locations along the Walkway's 1.26-mile span. Food and beverages will be available on both sides of the Walkway.
• Just before sunset, two groups of flag marshals will step off from each side of the Walkway and parade two of the world’s largest Pride flags to the center of the bridge. A 16-foot-wide, 500-foot-long portion of Gilbert Baker’s original eight-color Pride flag will step off from the Dutchess County side, and a 16-foot-wide, 125-foot-long community-supported and newly created trans pride flag (the world’s largest) will step off from the Ulster County side.
• The Mid-Hudson Bridge will be illuminated in rainbow colors for Pride In The Sky starting at dusk.
• Shuttle buses will be available on both sides of the Hudson River from 4–10 p.m. to allow guests easy access to the Walkway from additional parking lots, including the Poughkeepsie Metro-North train station. A handicap accessible bus will also be available on the Poughkeepsie side.
• UPDATE: The public sails and other events scheduled for May 17 aboard the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater have been canceled because the boat and crew will not be in Poughkeepsie on May 18. Drag Story Time with Katarina Mirage, which was originally scheduled to be held on the Clearwater, has been moved to the Walkway's West Pavilion in Highland at 2 p.m. The bird watching event with the NYC Queer Birders, originally scheduled for the morning of May 17, has also been canceled.
A refurbished railroad bridge built in 1889, the Walkway rises 212 feet above the majestic Hudson River. It's the longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world and offers a bird’s eye view of the river and its surrounding highlands.
Attached photos of Pride in the Sky 2024 by Tanner Townsend courtesy of Big Gay Hudson Valley
