Today, the Phoenix Pride Board of Directors has made the decision to enter into a Chapter 11 restructuring process. This decision was not made lightly, but it was made deliberately and responsibly to preserve the long-term future of the organization while allowing us to continue operating and serving our community.

Most importantly, Phoenix Pride remains fully operational. Our events, programs, and community initiatives are continuing, and all sponsorship commitments will continue to be honored throughout this process.

Many LGBTQ+ organizations across the country are facing significant financial challenges, and Phoenix Pride is no exception. Since late 2024, LGBTQ+ nonprofits have experienced substantial declines in funding, changes in corporate giving priorities, increased operating costs, and growing financial pressures throughout the nonprofit sector. At the same time, many community members who have historically supported organizations financially are facing economic challenges of their own and are simply unable to contribute at the same levels they once could.

In November 2025, we publicly shared the financial realities facing our organization. At that time, we outlined declining sponsorship revenue, reduced admissions and beverage sales, and the difficult decisions necessary to stabilize our operations. We reduced our annual budget by 22%, adjusted programming, and continued seeking new revenue opportunities. While the Phoenix Pride Rainbows Festival moved forward successfully and demonstrated the strength of our community, one successful event alone could not resolve the broader financial challenges facing the organization.

Chapter 11 provides Phoenix Pride with an opportunity to reorganize financially while continuing day-to-day operations. This process allows us to protect the mission, preserve our events, maintain our commitments, and build a stronger and more sustainable organization for the future.

As we move through this process, we are actively finalizing plans for this year’s Phoenix Pride Festival and Parade, including our new festival location. The Phoenix Pride Awards Reception is scheduled for August 9, and the Phoenix Pride Community Unity 5K is scheduled for November 15. We fully intend to continue producing the events and programs our community relies on.

Today, more than ever, the partnerships that have sustained Phoenix Pride for more than four decades are critical to our future. Sponsors have always been more than financial supporters. You are collaborators, advocates, and champions of a community that continues to need safe, affirming, and visible spaces.

If your organization has supported Phoenix Pride in the past, thank you. If you have already committed to supporting us this year, thank you. If you are currently considering sponsorship opportunities, I hope you will continue that conversation with us. Continued investment from our partners will play an important role in helping Phoenix Pride successfully navigate this chapter and emerge stronger on the other side.

We remain committed to transparency throughout this process. If you have questions, concerns, or would simply like to talk through what this means, please reach out to me directly. I will answer every question I can, and if there is information I do not have, I will work to find the answer and follow up promptly.

Phoenix Pride has faced challenges before throughout its more than forty-year history. What has always carried this organization forward is the belief that our community deserves spaces to gather, celebrate, connect, and thrive. That belief has not changed.

FREE two-day street fair set for March 28-29 at Heritage Square
Historic District in Phoenix is OPEN and WELCOMING TO ALL

PHOENIX — Phoenix Pride is less than three weeks away from kicking off the 2026 Rainbows Festival, Arizona’s largest annual LGBTQ+ and allied community street fair, slated for Sat. and Sun., Mar. 28-29, at the Heritage Square Historic District in Downtown Phoenix. The festival will run from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. on both days, and will feature two stages of live entertainment, dozens of exhibitors highlighting local businesses, community organizations and resources, and a variety of festive food and beverage options.

As in years past, the two-day outdoor event will be FREE, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC and FAMILY- and PET-FRIENDLY. The theme of this year’s festival is: “Love Lights the Way.”

As with all Phoenix Pride public events, the Rainbows Festival is open and welcoming to the ENTIRE COMMUNITY, whether individuals identify as LGBTQ+ or as an ally, or not. As in years past, admission to the festival is free and accessible, so that anyone who wishes to attend can have the opportunity.

Last year’s event was attended by more than 20,000 celebrants throughout the course of the weekend, and this year is expected to exceed that crowd.

A list of the extensive local entertainment lineup for the weekend is attached and includes significant changes to the main stage schedule. Perennial favorites and customary festival openers, local band Femme Shui, will take the Saturday headlining slot on this year’s main stage, from 5-6 p.m. On Sunday afternoon, the festival’s main stage will host superstar DJ Danny Verde for a dedicated Communi-Tea Dance, from noon-6 p.m., featuring live dancers and a lineup of dance club hits.

On Sunday morning, from 10:30-11:30 a.m., the festival main stage will host a special event in partnership with ONE Community and Respect for Marriage Arizona, to support the Arizona Respect for Marriage Pledge. The ongoing effort to pass state-level marriage equality protections for Arizona will welcome notable local elected officials, sports figures, business leaders and other dignitaries for a live signing of the Pledge on stage. To begin the event at 10:30, a panel will be held on the main stage with leaders from the coalition supporting the Act to share updates and answer community questions about the effort.

Complete details for this year’s Rainbows Festival – including admission, accessibility, parking, entertainment and other information – is available online at www.PhoenixPride.org.

“Phoenix Pride continues to lead the way in supporting the Greater Phoenix LGBTQ+ community, and we’re excited to welcome everyone to the 2026 Rainbows Festival, at a time when it is critical for our community to stand united,” Phoenix Pride’s Executive Director Mike Fornelli stated. “The current political climate, both nationally and here in Arizona, is utterly unacceptable, and continued attacks against the LGBTQ+ community, and the trans community in particular, cannot and will not be tolerated. This year’s Rainbows Festival will be a show of strength, and a powerful reminder that the LGBTQ+ community of Greater Phoenix will not back down or go away. We are here, and we will continue to stand up for our rights, and the rights of all people, until everyone is treated equally and with dignity.

“One of the ways we stand up to those who are trying to marginalize us is by gathering together and celebrating as a community,” Fornelli continued. “The LGBTQ+ community has its own vibrant culture, and the Rainbows Festival is an opportunity to both celebrate that culture and to share it, with family, with friends, with allies and with the community as a whole. We’ve made some significant changes to this year’s event, particularly with the entertainment lineup, but as always, the event is free and open to the entire community. Whether you identify as part of the community or as an ally, or not, if you would like to come participate in a positive way, you will be warmly welcomed. And more than that, so long as you’re coming with positive intent, you will be accepted and embraced and celebrated for who you are.”

The 2026 Rainbows Festival is produced by Phoenix Pride, Inc., which has helmed the event since 2012. This year’s festival is presented by Hensley Beverage Company.

ADVANCE AND SAME-DAY COVERAGE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE
2026 RAINBOWS FESTIVAL ARE AVAILABLE BY CONTACTING JEREMY HELFGOT,
BY PHONE OR TEXT AT 310-413-3360, OR VIA E-MAIL TO jm@helfgot.com.

Flagstaff, AZ — Flagstaff Pride announced today that the 30th year of Pride in the Pines will take place on June 20, 2026 at Thorpe Park, with an updated festival format designed to ensure long-term sustainability while keeping Pride accessible to the entire community.

In response to a significant reduction in corporate sponsorship and grant funding this year — a trend affecting Pride organizations nationwide — the Flagstaff Pride Board has made the decision to scale back the size of the festival production while maintaining the Parade and core community elements.

“Pride in the Pines has always been about community first,” said Zane Jacobs, Board President of Flagstaff Pride. “In our 30th year, we are returning to our roots – creating a welcoming, joyful gathering in the park that prioritizes accessibility and connection.”

What to Expect on June 20

• The annual Pride Parade in downtown Flagstaff kicking off 10am

The 2026 Pride in the Pines at Thorpe Park will include:

• Entertainment featuring local performers

• A Vendor Market with local businesses and nonprofits

• Food trucks and community partners

• A kids area

Instead of a large-scale main stage production, this year’s event will focus on grassroots celebration – similar to the early years of Pride in the Pines when a small group first gathered under a ramada at Fort Tuthill Park in 1996.

A Free Event for the Community

In a significant shift, Pride in the Pines will be free to attend in its 30th year.

However, all attendees must reserve a ticket in advance.

Why the Change

Producing Pride in the Pines requires substantial funding, including park permits, insurance, security, staging, sound, sanitation, and infrastructure. With reduced sponsorship and grant support compared to previous years, the Board made the responsible decision to adjust the event’s scale in order to protect the long-term sustainability of Pride in Flagstaff.

“Some Pride organizations across the country have been forced to cancel entirely,” said Carrie Nelson, Secretary. “We are committed to ensuring Pride continues here in Flagstaff – not just this year, but for years to come.”

30 Years Strong

Pride in the Pines began in 1996 as a modest community gathering and has grown into one of Northern Arizona’s most recognized celebrations of visibility, inclusion, and equality. Over three decades, Flagstaff Pride has played a role in advancing local 2SLGBTQIA+ protections, celebrating milestones in marriage equality, and fostering community connection.

This year’s return to a more intimate, community-centered format honors that legacy.

Community Support Still Needed

While the event will be free to attend, it is not free to produce. Flagstaff Pride continues to seek community sponsors, donors, and volunteers to help support the 30th year of Pride in the Pines.

Businesses and individuals interested in supporting the event can email Zane@flagstaffpride.org

Event Details:
June 20, 2026
Thorpe Park, Flagstaff, Arizona
Free to attend

For media inquiries, interviews, or sponsorship opportunities:
Zane Jacobs, Board President
Flagstaff Pride
zane@flagstaffpride.org
FlagstaffPride.org