Queens Pride Parade 2025 takes over Jackson Heights today. See the route, street closures and more.

Queens Pride, one of the oldest and largest LGBTQ pride parades in New York City, returns to Jackson Heights today, which means there are street closures in the area. 

The New Queens Pride Parade and Multicultural Festival are held every year on the first Sunday in June, the beginning of Pride Month. The theme for 2025 is “Defiant Joy.”

Here’s a guide with the parade route, road closures and more about this year’s celebration. 

Queens Pride parade route map and start time

The 2025 New Queens Pride Parade starts at noon on 37th Avenue at 89th Street in Jackson Heights. The parade marches down 37th to 75th Street. 

The Multicultural Festival at the intersection of 37th Road and 75th Street also starts at noon and goes until 6 p.m.  

According to organizers, a record 140-plus groups are participating this year. CBS News New York is a sponsor of Queens Pride and has a float in the parade.

Last year, tens of thousands of people came out to celebrate.

Street closures in Jackson Heights

According to the New York City Department of Transportation, these streets will be closed Sunday at NYPD’s discretion for the parade and festival:

Formation:

• 89th Street between 35th Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue

Route

• 37th Avenue between 89th Street and 75th Street

Dispersal:

• 75th Street between 37th Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue

Festival:

• 75th-76th Street between 37th Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue
• 37th Road between 74th Street and 77th Street

2025 grand marshals

The 2025 grand marshals are New York State Assembly Members Catalina Cruz and Jessica González-Rojas, who are being recognized for their work in support of members of the LGBTQ community. 

“They are extraordinary leaders who have really been at the forefront in the fight for LGBTQ equality and justice,” LGBT Network founder David Kilmnick told CBS News New York. 

The two assembly members often work collaboratively on legislation and funding. 

“One thing that we’re fighting for is to enhance our protections for providers of gender-affirming care,” González-Rojas said. 

“That’s making sure that they have the mental health services, the legal services, the support,” Cruz said. 

The Queens parade also inspired annual pride marches in Brooklyn and the Bronx, organizers say.    

Asylum seeker from Venezuela named honorary grand marshal

Andry José Hernández Romero, a gay makeup artist who came to the U.S. from Venezuela as an asylum seeker in 2024, is named as an honorary grand marshal for 2025. 

In March, the Trump administration sent Romero and 237 other Venezuelan migrants to a maximum security prison in El Salvador, CBS News reported. U.S. immigration officials cited Hernández Romero’s tattoos as evidence of an affiliation with the Tren de Aragua gang, a claim that is disputed, according to 60 Minutes. 

Parade organizers say his tattoos symbolize family and cultural heritage and are being misinterpreted. 

“A gifted makeup artist and a beacon of resilience, Andry represents the very spirit of Pride: living authentically, demanding dignity, and refusing to be erased. As he remains unjustly imprisoned, we lift his name, his story, and our voices in solidarity, demanding his safe return and the protection of all LGBTQ+ asylum seekers,” a statement on the New Queens Pride website says. 

This year marks the 33rd anniversary of the parade, which started in 1993.