I had the opportunity to work this festival and I had a blast. Super hot but beautiful day at Cobbs hill. So many food trucks to choose from and great drink options ( our beer was the best lol) The entire festival was organized and well run. Loved the theme outside bar, it was Alice in wonderland. Lots of hanging cards and just a great outdoor vibe in a comfortable Lounge... nice clean air conditioner bathrooms too! read more

ROC Pride Festival - Festivals Near Me - Rochester, New York

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2022 festival was a bust! There was no shade anywhere and the space felt cramped. The vendors felt like they were all on top of each other. The stage was in the middle of everything making it tough to watch since people were constantly walking through people. Everything was crowded and there wasn't any space designated to just chill. It felt like everyone was trapped in a relentlessly sunny corral. Hopefully in the future they'll consider some seating or at least including shaded areas. read more

A fun time, as usual. Great food truck options. Main stage was kicking and the Mocha tent was a highlight. read more

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It's been a few years since we've attended Pride Fest. Last time, it was still at Genesee Valley Park. I had purchased our passes ahead of time and even with that, there were lines everywhere with no clear indication about which line was for people with tickets and who still had to pay. We certainly weren't going to stand in a crazy long line if we didn't have to! So, we went to one area and the person there let 2 of us in (we had 5 people) but stopped my wife and 2 kids because another staff person was confused. But, after a minute, it was figured out and we were all admitted. After that initial confusion, it was all good. I was happy to see a large array of food trucks! There was a covered area with tables where people could chill and eat. A large vendor area- I'm a sucker for a snappy t-shirt! And good music! All in all, a good time was had! Love that kids are free too! read more

"Pride comes before a fall" is very true in Rochester, since our Pride festival is in the summer. This years festival was in Cobb's Hill Park. The grounds felt a bit discombobulated compared to the ones held at Genesee Valley and MLK Manhattan Square Park. However, once you got your bearings, it wasn't that difficult to navigate. There were vendors, lost of shady areas, food trucks, and two stages to enjoy. I particularly enjoyed the drag show. The ladies brought it!! Worth the price of admission for just that. I loved the fact that there were plenty of port-a-potties, and quieter spots were easier to find (I need breathing room) I didn't care about the fact that the amenities were in the super sunny and exposed area of the park (the baseball field). On a hot sunny day, it made you think twice before getting a beer (which you could get outside the fenced area), or food, or watch the special events. But still, I braved the sun for the queens! and the beer read more

ROC Pride Festival - Really Yelp?! You too?! - Festivals Near Me - Rochester, New York

Literally the worst ever. No shade lines to long. I had kids with me. Will never come to another.

I was in the parade and I'm sorry I missed the festival later. It was so hot! I was so amazed by the people on the sides, they gave out water bottles, cups of water and I even had someone put an ice pack on my neck to cool me down. It was fun and friendly! I met a lot of really nice people. It's so nice to see people come together and just have fun, no matter of sex, preference, or age. I'm proud to say,we in Rochester, have the parade and festival. Oh and a shout out to the police and volunteers for making it all go so well. read more

Moving the Pride Festival to Cobb's Hill was a great idea! There seemed to be a lot less congestion from former years (and shade with the trees). On Saturday the entrance fee was $10, and Sunday is was $5. There were lots of tents with vendors, health care advocates, theatre groups, etc. lined up by the shade. The stage was on the other side with singing groups, drag shows, and show numbers. Near the stage there were lots of delicious options with food trucks like Bento Box, Le Petit Poutine, etc. The beer and liquor tent needed a little bit of work. The organization was a little rough, and they didn't have enough bartenders working. There was a small beer garden area, and you weren't allowed to leave the beer/liquor garden with drinks. The thing was, there was a beer sales tent on the other side that wasn't fenced in. So if you were buying beer, you might as well get it from the non-fenced in area. It just didn't make much sense. I understand why you need to have both offered because you are buying for multiple members of a party, but it just needs a better system for the next year. It was kind of hard finding the entrance as well, next year some signs with arrows should be put up. Parking was not too difficult. They had lawn games, and a zumba tent on the farther side of the park, with bumpin' music. In general, Pride was a great time, and the new festival site was wonderful! read more

Pride is one of the most important events of the year for the LGBTQ+ community, which must be a lot of pressure for the committee of staff members and volunteers who plan the events that fill pride weekend. I appreciate the work they do, and appreciate that the festival exists for our community. Visibility remains important during a volatile time in our history. This is the second year that Pride was at Cobbs Hill, and although the large space is nice, it feels very spread out. I work with a volunteer organization that has a tent, which wass placed in the trees (awesome for shade) but being in the trees means you're far from every other event and on a sloping hillside. It was a challenge to get a critical mass of people by the booth. The entertainment this year focused on a local group of artists, and while this was fun I missed some of the big acts that have come in the past. Neighboring cities are pulling in huge names for Pride events that are often low cost (Pride was $10 for Saturday, $5 for Sunday and pre-sale made Sunday free). I didn't go Sunday because I needed to recoup and didn't want to drop another $100 to eat and drink the same stuff from the previous day. On the plus side I heard a ton of positive feedback on the parade which was very large and well attended. I was also pleased and impressed to see the numbers of people who attended! The beer and wine salesmen were awesome and it was great to see many friends enjoying the day. read more

The Rochester gay pride parade was yesterday (duh) and we went for the second time since moving from the gay mecca, San Francisco. For the second year we hung out at Mag Pie on Park Ave and our favorite bartender was working, shout out to Kimmy, she rocks. The people around us for the most part were gay but there were quite a few straight people there too and I found everyone to be happy, friendly and quite normal actually. The parade this year seemed more lively probably has a lot to do with gay marriage becoming a reality in NY State, never thought I'd live to see that happen in NY. I am not a big parade fan but I try to make it to at least one Pride parade a year. Normally at the front of the line are the dykes on bikes, motorcycles actually- this year there were 6. Really? in SF, CA there would be thousands of lesbians revving their engines and showing their breasts, ha...not here. Next up Bob Duffy, man he is one tall fella. I like it a lot when I see public officials in attendance. Gays vote, they know it, bravo Mr Duffy. I have to admit, i get all emo when I see the PFLAG contingent. I do every year. My partner knows this and he looks over every year to see the tear or two roll down my face as they pass. (Parents, Friends of Lesbians and Gays) I love seeing the moms carrying the "I love my Gay son". It's pretty cool. I could go on and on and tell you about the drag queens and the over the top people but I won't. I will however voice one very specific COMPLAINT. Why the hell do they have the after party/festival in a parking lot on a very HOT summer afternoon in JULY???? This is an AWFUL location. It's blacktop people, its 90 degrees outside, WHY? I felt like I was being braised right there in the heat and humidity. It was terrible. This festival should be located in a park with GRASS. Rant over. Check out the gay pride parade next year, it is a fun time. read more

Well, this new venue certainly sucked. It looks like they deliberately spread out all the vendors just to make the walk to see what was available even longer than usual. Add to that the dust blowing up from the baseball diamond, the poor mixing from the soundboard, and the second stage that was hidden about 1/4 mile away through the bushes where nobody knew it was there. Oh, and the 'beer corral', where those HAD to consume their beer in the blazing hot sun, with nowhere to sit. What a poorly-done disaster. read more