Celebrating Pride Month in New Jersey

Driving around New Jersey, you’ll see your share of Pride flags waving outside downtown businesses any time of the year, but the rainbow radiates even more vividly during Pride month. To help our valued LGBTQ travelers plan an unforgettable Garden State getaway, we put together this guide for destinations to visit, places to stay, Pride celebrations to attend and nightlife to enjoy until the wee hours.

Dazzling Destinations


If you’re looking for an edgy vibe, Jersey City is the place to see and be seen. Scoring a perfect 100 in the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Municipality Database, the city has a long history of opening its arms to diverse communities, which still shines through in lasting multicultural influences. Recommended place to stay: Canopy By Hilton Jersey City Arts District (Hilton is a longtime supporter of LGBTQ equality).


Montclair is the ideal spot for enjoying an eclectic arts scene and funky downtown (and it just so happens to be another perfect HRC scorer). Recommended place to stay: The MC Hotel, Autograph Collection – a property from Marriott International, another equality champion in the hospitality sector.


Rounding out New Jersey’s trio of HRC perfect scorers is the bucolic ivy league town of Princeton. In addition to its iconic university, this destination is a haven for history, arts and culture. During your stay, be sure to visit nearby Trenton – our state’s vibrant and inclusive capital that earned an HRC score of 95. Recommended places to stay: Inn at Glencairn (with its not-to-be-missed breakfast). If all five rooms of this boutique hotel are booked, reserve your accommodations in the equally charming Nassau Inn.


Scoring a near-perfect 98 from the HRC is Lambertville. Home to myriad antique shops, art galleries and hip local eateries, this riverside community was also named one of HGTV’S 50 Most Charming Small Towns in America. Recommended places to stay: With its fierce independent streak, accommodations in Lambertville lean toward intimate inns and boutique hotels, including The Inn at Lambertville Station and Lambertville House – both right in the heart of town. If you’d like to venture a little further afield for a countryside setting, try Woolverton Inn in neighboring Stockton.


For an urban getaway that encourages getting in your daily steps, head to Hoboken. The square-mile city of trendy bars, restaurants and shops earned a respectable HRC score of 93 and has been dubbed a “Walker’s Paradise” by WalkScore. Recommended place to stay: The waterfront W Hoboken – another Marriott property.


You also won’t want to overlook these two perennial LGBTQ-friendly destinations “down the shore”…


Asbury Park boasts a thriving LGBTQ community, dynamic music scene and some of the best beaches in New Jersey. Recommended places to stay: You have your choice of two coveted hotels – The Empress and Hotel Tides – that place you steps from Asbury Park’s spirited social scene. 


For gaming excitement, celebrity-chef restaurants and glittering lights, Atlantic City is the one – it’s also played host to the Miss’d America Pageant and countless LGBTQ-favorite headline entertainers. Recommended places to stay: If you want to be in the heart of the action, book a room or suite at Borgata (to help plan your stay, visit the OUT at Borgata Blog). If the neon glare gets to be too much, you can get a good night’s sleep in nearby Ventnor City at the quaint Carisbrooke Inn. 


 


Pride Celebrations 


Get ready to blow up your calendar this June because New Jersey hosts near-daily Pride events all month long:


June 1 – 5, 2022



June 9 – 12, 2022



June 17 – 25, 2022



Intoxicating Nightlife


Around New Jersey, there are several bars and clubs that warmly welcome the LGBTQ community and are perfect for rounding out your travel itinerary – and dancing the night away. 


In Jersey City, be sure to check out Six26 (named for the date the Marriage Equality Act was passed) and Pint – or hit Club Feathers, another North Jersey hotspot that’s just a car ride away from Montclair or Hoboken. If you’re visiting Princeton or Lambertville in Central Jersey, you can choose from dozens of welcoming wine bars, pubs and taverns in the area – including Al’s Airport Inn (Ewing) which hosts their LGBTQ+ (& Allies) Happy Hour on the last Wednesday of every month along with a full calendar of live music events.


Follow your sunny days on the beach at Asbury Park by energetic nights on the town at Paradise and Georgie’s Bar. And, if you plan to Do AC, you’ll want to pack your best club wear for Kiss Kiss Nightclub at Tropicana Atlantic City and The Pool After Dark at Harrah’s Resort and be sure to throw in your favorite retro threads to grove to tunes of the 70s and 80s at Boogie Nights, also at Tropicana Atlantic City.


 


Whether you visit us during Pride month – or any time of the year – we want to be sure your experience is everything you want and more, so we recommend checking out the official websites or social media pages of the events and venues you want to attend to get the most up-to-date visitor details. Our free travel guide and e-newsletter are also top resources for planning your fabulous trip.