Throughout June, cities all over the U.S. will celebrate strides made by LGBT community members. And New Jersey plans some celebrations of its own.

There’s so much to do, and it’s impossible to be everywhere at the same time, but here’s a pretty comprehensive list of what to expect in the Garden State, from festivals, to movie screenings, galas and everything in between.

This year we see the return of some big-time events, as well as a few firsts.

First weekend in June

June 1-June 30: Out of the Shade writing project - Garden State Equality encourages LGBTQ youth of color to submit “stories, poems, and prose” about their lives for the “Out of the Shade" writing project. The project is open to young people ages 14 to 24 who identify as both members of the LGBTQ+ community and as a person of color. You can submit works of any literary genre. The deadline for submission is June 30. Submissions will be considered for a published anthology created by Garden State Equality. For project guidelines, click here.

May 31: Equality Ball 2019 - Kicking things off this year is the third annual Equality Ball at Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park. The event is the largest fundraiser of the year for Garden State Equality, a statewide LGBT advocacy and education organization. Last year Gov. Phil Murphy spoke at the gala. Tickets for the event cost $750, but according to the event’s website, they’re all sold out. It starts at 6 p.m. https://www.gardenstateequality.org/ball

May 31: Cresskill’s LGBTQ Youth Gay Prom - Dozens of teens are expected to pack the Cresskill Congregational Church on Union Avenue for the Youth Gay Prom. Something tells us they’ll be dancing the night away. It all goes down at 7 p.m. You can RSVP on Facebook. The event is hosted by Rainbow Cafe Northern New Jersey.

Loving it!!! Gay Prom 2014 Posted by Rainbow Cafe NNJ on Friday, June 20, 2014

June 1: North Jersey Pride Run 5K - It’s a race around Grove Park in South Orange. Celebrate Pride and be active too with this annual event. Adults, children, runners, walkers, and pets are all encouraged to attend. There’s a separate race for children ages 3 to 9. The last day to register online was May 27, but you can still sign up in person on race day (for a few dollars more). According to the event page, race day registration for the Kids’ Race costs $10, and it costs $30 for older participants. So far North Jersey Pride Run says nearly 300 people (adults and kids alike) have signed up. The run begins at 8 a.m. Proceeds will benefit the RAD family program and LGBTQ youth social programming, organizers say.

June 1: Drag Queen Story Hour and Brunch - The Hudson County Democratic Organization’s LGBTQ Caucus is kicking off Pride Month with this event in Hoboken. It’s scheduled to take place at the Antique Bar and Bakery from 10 a.m. to noon. The event will feature Harmonica Sunbeam who was met with a mini protest at a similar event in the city earlier this year.

June 1: Union Township’s Inaugural Pride Flag Raising - In a first for Union Township (founded in 1667), the LGBT Pride flag will be raised at Union Town Hall. A ceremony will begin at 11:30 a.m., and the flag will be raised at noon.

June 1: Glen Rock Pride in the Park and Flag Raising - Another flag-raising ceremony will take place on the first Saturday in June and this time in Bergen County. The ceremony takes place at Wilde Memorial Park and starts at noon, featuring keynote speakers Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, Garden State Equality Public Health Advocate Bianca Mayes, and Glen Rock High School Alliance student leaders. Afterward is Glen Rock’s Pride in the Park. It’s a family-friendly event. You can expect a DJ spinning tunes, rainbow face painting, a poetry gallery, and more. This portion runs from noon-3 p.m.

It passed! The Glen Rock Council just unanimously approved adding a second rainbow flag to fly at Borough Hall for the month of June! What a beautifully inclusive statement they made tonight. Thank you Madeleine Brennan and the other GRHS Alliance chapter members who came out to support this action. Posted by Glen Rock Pride on Wednesday, March 27, 2019

June 1: Club Good Vibes’ PRIDE DAY - According to Club Good Vibes’ Facebook page, the nonprofit organization was founded “out of a need for my child to feel he wasn’t alone.” This year’s pride event at Hillside Hose Company No. 1 in Morristown will be a day dedicated to arts and crafts. Get there at 2 p.m. to decorate sneakers with rainbow colored paint. Attendees can also paint rocks with “affirming and meaningful pictures or words." It costs $20 per painter ($40 max for families). https://allevents.in/mobile/amp-event.php?event_id=200017212549931

June 2: 28th annual Jersey Pride Celebration - It’s perhaps the largest LGBT Pride festival in New Jersey during the month of June. The celebration calls Asbury Park home (a New Jersey town known for being welcoming). If you’re looking for a parade with beach vibes, then this is the event for you. It kicks off at noon at Town Hall and sashays its way down to the festival grounds at Sunset and Ocean avenues, with an amazing view of the Atlantic Ocean serving as a backdrop. Live performers include France Jolly and Betty. One of the Garden State’s most well-known LGBT clubs, Paradise, recently celebrated its 20th anniversary and will also host Pride events throughout the weekend.

Jordin Sparks, Happy Pride! Posted by Jersey Gay Pride Festival on Sunday, June 5, 2016

June 3-June 9

June 3: Viewing of “Stonewall Uprising” in Florham Park - This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City. It was a pivotal moment in the LGBT rights movement, and the Gay Activist Alliance in Morris County is screening the 2010 documentary about the experience at the Florham Park Diner. Space is limited so people are asked to reserve a spot ahead of time. Dinner will be served around 7 p.m. https://allevents.in/morristown/dinner-and-stonewall-uprising/200017310059606

June 5: Livingston Township Pride Celebration -This three-part celebration has something for all ages. Starting at 6:30 p.m.Livingston Public Library will host a Rainbow Storytime for kids in grades K through five. At 7 p.m. folks will march across the street to Livingston Town Hall for a Pride Flag Raising Ceremony and Celebration from 7:05 until 7:45 p.m. Click here for more information.

June 5: Rainbow Story Time - Here’s another event for all ages. Rainbow Story Time is set to take place at the Cherry Hill Public Library at 7 p.m. According to the library’s website, community members will “read books about families, friendship, love, and all the different and unique things that make us special.” Attendees are encouraged to wear their favorite outfits. The library will also host a few other Pride events throughout the month, and you can find out more here.

June 6: Plainfield Pride Block Party and Flag Raising - Join folks in Union County at Plainfield City Hall for their second annual Pride flag raising at 6 p.m. This will be followed by a block party that runs from 7 to 9 p.m. https://outinjersey.net/events/plainfield-pride-2019/

The City of Plainfield Invites you to a Flag Raising Ceremony to 𝗞𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗢𝗳𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵! On Thursday, June 6th at City... Posted by City of Plainfield, NJ - The Queen City on Thursday, May 30, 2019

June 7: Union County Flag Raising and Tribute to Stonewall Riots Pioneer - Join folks in Union County at 1 p.m. for a Pride Flag Raising at the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth. The ceremony “will feature a tribute to the early transgender, gay rights and AIDS activist, Marsha P. Johnson, a 1963 graduate of Elizabeth High School, highlighting her insistence on the urgency of resistance to advance civil rights protections for LGBTQ people.” Union County will host other Pride events throughout the rest of the month (including a teen Pride event) and you can find information about them here.

June 8: PRIDE NIGHT: Cocktails for a Cause - This is a night of drinks, gourmet appetizers and fun hosted by the New Jersey LGBT Chamber of Commerce and the Pride Network, which are both raising money to “support LGBTQ business owners and youth leaders.” If you don’t have plans, you’re encouraged to stop by Six26 Lounge in Jersey City from 8 to 11 p.m. The event also features a drag show hosted by Olivia Lux. Tickets cost $20. https://www.meetup.com/Hammonton-Gay-Meetup/events/261299725/

June 8: Pride Night at Lakewood BlueClaws - What better way to support the LGBTQ community than a night at the ballpark. This is the first Pride Night for the Lakewood BlueClaws minor league baseball team. A portion of ticket sales will go toward supporting “safe inclusive sports” in New Jersey schools. Garden State Equality is also hosting the event, which runs from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $10, and you can find them here.

June 8: HiTOPS Trans Youth Forum: This forum create for and by trans and non-binary youth is open to the public from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. There will be workshops centered around transgender depiction in the media, life after transitioning, mental health, relationships, being a supportive family member, and more. You can register for the event here. It’s being held at West Windsor Plainsboro South High School. You can also get a free haircut! https://www.njtyf.org/

June 9: North Jersey Pride Festival - North Jersey Pride will celebrate nine years on the 9th of June. The celebration is a followup to the Pride Run earlier in the month (see above). The free festival runs from noon until 6 p.m. at Memorial Park Amphitheater in Maplewood. Check out live music from local and national artists, more than 100 local vendors, a diverse array of food trucks, and the “Rainbow Kids Zone." In the past some major names, such as Sen. Cory Booker, have spoken at the event. North Jersey Pride will host a slew of other events throughout the month, which you can check out here.

June 10-June 16

June 10: Inaugural LGBTQ+ Pride Night at Trenton Thunder - More minor league baseball action, this time in the capital of New Jersey. The New Jersey LGBT Chamber of Commerce is hosting Pride Night at Arm and Hammer Park starting at 5:30. Tickets are $20 are include a ticket to the game, a food voucher, early entry into the pre-gam happy hour, and more. The first 25 pre-registrants will receive a Trenton Thunder Pride hat. The pre-game event will have a special guest, Billy Bean, who is Major League Baseball’s first Ambassador for Inclusion. Bean is a former baseball player who publicly came out as gay in 1999.

June 13: Stonewall Uprising Book Signing with LGBT activist Mark Segal - Commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots with someone who was actually there. The Ocean County Library - Toms River Branch will host LGBTQ activist Mark Segal, who will tell his story of being present during such a crucial moment in LGBT history. His book “And Then I Danced: Traveling the Road to LGBTQ Equality” will be sold (and signed) at the event. It happens from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. You are asked to register here.

June 15: Union County Pride in the Park - Head to Rahway River Park from noon until 5 p.m. for a day chock full of live entertainment, crafts and games. This free event is hosted by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. (Rahway)

June 15: Plainfield LGBTQ+ “Come As You Are” Adult Prom - I couldn’t find a lot online about this event, but it’s pretty self-explanatory right? A post on the Queen City Pride Facebook page says the Plainfield PRIDE Committee will host the Adult Prom at the New Plainfield Cultural Arts Center from 6 p.m. until midnight. It’s free, open to the public, and free HIV testing will be available.

June 17-June 23

June 17: North Jersey Pride’s “Aging in Place: A Primer for LGBT Seniors” - Older members of the LGBT communities can attend this event to learn about issues around caretaking, wills, power of attorney, and more. This is a free workshop co-sponsored by Garden State Equality, the Township of Maplewood, and SOMA: Two Towns for All Ages. It takes place at The Woodland in Maplewood from 1 to 3 p.m. https://www.northjerseypride.org/events-1/aging-in-place-a-primer-for-lgbt-seniors

June 20: An Evening with George Takei: Where No Story Has Gone Before - Hear well-known actor and social justice activist George Takei speak about his family’s experience as Japanese Americans with internment camps during WWII. He will also talk about his fight for LGBTQ rights in the U.S. This event happens at State Theatre in New Brunswick beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $29 to $89. Before the event, the venue will host a Pride Night Party with drag queen host Pissi Myles. https://www.stnj.org/event/george-takei

June 22: Princeton’s First-Ever Pride Parade - The town of Princeton is set to host it’s inaugural Pride Parade this year, put on by the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice. The parade (which starts at 11 a.m.) will stroll down Witherspoon Street in the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood.The deadline to sign up to be in the parade is June 3. For more information, click here.

June 22: Toms River’s Inaugural Pride Festival - Another community will celebrate its first Pride Festival. If you had fun at Jersey Pride in Asbury Park earlier in the month, you can stick around Ocean County for Toms River’s Festival running from noon until 8 p.m. The afternoon event is hosted by Exit 82 Theatre on Robbins Street. The day will also feature a “Spill the Tea” party meet and greet, Drag Bingo, Family Pride, and Open Mic session, and more. To find out details about those event, click here. Also, for the first time ever, the Pride Flag will be raised by town officials.

June 24-June 30

June 23: Mass of Accompaniment and Inclusion - A mass will be held at Saints Peter and Paul Parish in Turnersville for the LGBT Catholic community, families, friends, and supporters in faith. It begins at 6 p.m. and will be followed by a small reception.

June 24: Screening of “Growing Up Gay” - The First Reformed Church of Pompton Plains hosts a screening of the film, which focuses on British musician Olly Alexander. It highlights mental health and bullying in the LGBT community. The screening begins at 6:30 p.m. (Pompton Plains)

June 26: Marriage Equality PRIDE Celebration at Six26 Lounge: Six26 is a relatively new rooftop bar in Jersey City, but it is already hoping to make a big impact. The bar was named after the date that marriage equality become the “law of the land” in 2015. On the four-year anniversary, Six26 has a celebration planned. You can find out more information on their website.

June 29: The World Pride Pioneer’s Ball - Kevin Omni and friends are hosting a ball at the Don Rickey Catering Hall in Newark on the same weekend as World Pride in NYC. Doors open at 3 p.m. and tickets cost $30 before 5:30 p.m. ($35 afterward).

June 30: Our Lady Of Grace Catholic Church Pride Mass - Join LGBT members of the faith community for Our Lady of Grace’s second annual PRIDE Mass in Hoboken. Mass starts at 9 a.m. Afterward attendees are encouraged to march in the World Pride March in New York City with the LGBT Catholic and Friends group. This event is open to the public.

Councilman DeFusco speaks at Catholic Church LGBTQ Pride Mass As I reflect on this month of pride, I was proud to stand for the LGBTQ community and proud to speak at Our Lady of Grace’s first ever Pride Mass — a groundbreaking service for the Hoboken community and the Catholic Church as a whole. We must all always reflect on how goodness and togetherness, reaching out to those who are different, even though we may not always agree, in the spirit of love is what makes us a better community. What makes us different is exactly the grey area where love matters most, where we have the most to offer one another as neighbors. #Love #Pride #NewEnergyNewIdeas #Hoboken Posted by Councilman Mike DeFusco on Tuesday, June 26, 2018

BONUS (aka later in the summer)

Pride Month is in June, but the fun doesn’t stop there. Newark will host its annual Gay Pride Week in July. Jersey City’s 19th annual LGBT Pride Festival is slated for late August.

Tennyson Donnie Coleman may be reached at tcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @TennysonTV. Find him on Facebook. Have a tip? Let us know at nj.com/tips.