LGBTQ Pride Month In Maplewood-South Orange: 2026 Events, Celebrations

SOUTH ORANGE-MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the Township of Maplewood. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

OUT IN MAPSO is back! Our vibrant and powerful celebration returns this June to celebrate LGBTQIA+ identity, visibility, and community in Maplewood and South Orange.

This year’s theme, “Love More, Love Loudly”, centers joy, visibility, solidarity, and the power of showing up for one another. Through art, celebration, advocacy, and community connection, OUT IN MAPSO 2026 invites residents and visitors alike to lead with compassion, embrace authenticity, and love boldly throughout Pride Month and beyond, reaffirming our year-round commitment to uplifting and celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community.

The 2026 calendar features a dynamic lineup of inclusive events, including the Pride Proclamation on June 3, the MAPSO Pride Flag Raising on June 4, the Lavender Graduation and MAPSO Lavender Ball on June 6, the Youth Pride Picnic at the Gazebo on June 7, and the North Jersey Pride Festival on June 7, among others. Throughout the month, audiences can also enjoy theater performances, outdoor celebrations, athletic events, family-friendly programming, and community gatherings that highlight the creativity, resilience, and diversity of LGBTQIA+ voices across our communities.

To mark Pride in MAPSO this year, Maplewood's first out and proud elected official, former mayor, congressional candidate, LGBTQ+ activist and current Committeeman Dean Dafis says: "If we just look out for one another and pull each other up, we can get through anything — love more, love louder. We're proud, we will remain visible, our joy is our resistance."

A few highlights of our 2026 OUT IN MAPSO lineup are:

Wednesday, June 3

• 7:30 PM — PRIDE Proclamation at Maplewood Town Hall

Thursday, June 4

• 6:00 PM — MAPSO Flag Raising at Maplewood Town Hall

Friday, June 5

• 5:30 PM — MAPSO Lavender Graduation at Columbia High School (CHS) Auditorium. Sign up link: MAPSO Lavender Graduation — Maplewood Arts & Culture
• 7:30PM - MAPSO Lavender Ball at The Woodland, Maplewood

Sunday, June 7

• 10:00AM - North Jersey Pride Run at Grove Park, South Orange
• 12:30 PM — Youth Pride Picnic at The Gazebo, Springfield Ave, Maplewood

Friday, June 12

• 7:00PM - PRIDE Under the Stars at Spiotta Park

Saturday, June 13

• 2:00PM - Opening Reception: “Troublemakers” by Deric Carner at The 1978 Maplewood Arts Center

Sunday, June 14

• 12:00 PM - North Jersey Pride Festival at Maplewood Memorial Park

Friday, June 19 – Saturday, June 20

• Psycho Beach Party — interACT Theatre Productions at The Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts

Additional events and programming will continue to be announced throughout the month as OUT IN MAPSO 2026 expands its celebration of LGBTQIA+ pride, visibility, artistry, and community connection. This year’s message “More Love. Love Loudly” serves as both an invitation and a call to action for our communities to stand together in visibility, acceptance,joy, and unapologetic love. The full schedule of events will be continually updated and available at: OUT IN MAPSOandMaplewood Arts & Culture.

Please reach out to Maplewood Division of Arts & Culture Manager Andrea Teutli at ateutli@maplewoodnj.gov or (973) 843-7157 for more information.

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