How to Celebrate Pride Month in South Carolina: 5 Ways to Show Up in June 2026
- James Agens
- 15 hours ago
- 3 min read
How to Celebrate Pride Month in South Carolina
Pride Month is here, and across South Carolina there are more ways than ever to celebrate it. For 24 years, SC Equality has worked in all 46 counties to make sure LGBTQ+ South Carolinians are seen, protected, and counted. In a state where being visible still takes courage, showing up in June is its own kind of advocacy.
Whether you're in the Upstate, the Midlands, the Lowcountry, or the Pee Dee, here are five ways to celebrate Pride Month in South Carolina — and put your support where it counts.
1. Show up at a Pride celebration near you
South Carolina's Pride calendar starts strong this June. In Columbia, OUTfest takes over the Vista on Saturday, June 6 — a free, all-day block party with live music, drag, vendors, and thousands of your neighbors. Learn more at scpride.org. In the Lowcountry, Park Circle Pride runs June 2–7 in North Charleston with dozens of events across the week. And in the Upstate, Upstate Pride SC's Colors of Pride festival lands in downtown Greenville the last weekend of June. Find the one closest to you and go. Presence is power.
2. Shop queer-owned this month — and beyond
One of the most direct ways to celebrate Pride is to put your dollars behind LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who show up for our community all year. A few Columbia favorites to start with:
Azalea Coffee Bar (Devine Street) — a woman- and LGBTQ-owned coffee bar that sources its beans from women-owned farms.
The Flying Biscuit Café (Five Points) — locally owned all-day Southern brunch in the heart of the Village.
Queer Haven Books (Main Street) — South Carolina's only independent queer bookstore, plus coffee, events, and community space.
All Good Books (Five Points) — a beloved independent bookstore.
Strange Times Vintage (Pendleton Street) — LGBTQ-owned vintage clothing near the USC campus.
Terracotta Nursery & Design — a plant shop and garden studio that grew out of Soda City Market.
Bubblee Mixologist — Columbia's award-winning mobile bar (and the team behind the Capital City Cocktail Competition — more on that below).
Not in the Midlands? SC Pride's Brave the Rainbow directory lists LGBTQ+-owned and affirming businesses across the state. Find one near you at scpride.org/brave.
3. Support the organizations doing the work
Pride is a celebration, but it's also infrastructure. The advocacy at the State House, the coalition-building, the trainings, the year-round visibility — all of it runs on community support. You can help in three ways: volunteer your time, donate to sustain the work, and share the content that keeps our community informed and connected.
If you can give this Pride Month, make a gift to SC Equality. Recurring monthly support is what keeps us present in all 46 counties — not just in a crisis, but every day.
4. Bring a Safe Zone training to your business or organization
Want to do more than display a flag in June? SC Equality offers a free 75-minute Safe Zone presentation for workplaces, organizations, and teams that want to better understand and support their LGBTQ+ members. To set up a time, email james@scequality.org. The training is free — donations are deeply appreciated, and they're what let us keep offering it.
5. Raise a glass at the Capital City Cocktail Competition
On Sunday, June 14, from 4–7 PM, eight of Columbia's most talented mixologists go head-to-head at the fourth annual Capital City Cocktail Competition, hosted by Bubblee Mixologist on the rooftop at 1122 Lady Street.
Taste every featured cocktail, vote with your palate, and celebrate Columbia's hospitality scene — all while supporting SC Equality, the event's beneficiary. Grab your tickets on Eventbrite.
Celebrate loudly. Support locally.
However you mark Pride this June, do it out loud — and know that SC Equality has been holding the line in this state for more than two decades, and isn't going anywhere. Join our network so you never miss a moment that matters, and give what you can to keep this work going.
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