Fall into Fabulousness: LGBTQ+ Dallas Has an Amazing Autumn Ahead

Summer may be fading away, but Pride continues to shine bright in Dallas, where fall is ushered in by the city's second major LGBTQ+ parade of the year. Then, in the blink of an evil eye, it's time for Halloween scares and silliness, and an autumn abundance of music to set queer toes tapping.

Here's a peek ahead at Dallas' queer calendar for the coming months.

The Rainbow Two-Step: September's Pride Parade

The most vibrant queer community in Texas is so vast that it boasts TWO Pride Celebrations. If you didn't get enough Pride in June, Dallas steps up again in September with the 3rd Annual Pride on Cedar Springs Parade, a kaleidoscopic celebration of diversity organized by non-profit Pride in Dallas.

On Sunday, September 15, LGBTQ+ clubs and organizations, community-ally high school marching bands, drag queens, and queer owned businesses will travel by foot and float through the heart of the city's best known gay neighborhood, longtime home to some of Texas' most loved queer bars and gathering places.

The Cedar Springs parade is a testament to the community's desire to celebrate its own historic core after presenting a highly visible statement of strength and solidarity to the city as a whole with the Dallas Pride Parade, that was held in June at Fair Park.

The festivities begin at noon with a marketplace of queer and queer-friendly vendors featuring an array of gifts, crafts and refreshments, followed by the parade itself, along Cedar Springs Road at 2 p.m. (If you can't bear to miss out on the day's Cowboys vs. Saints game, which starts at noon, pop into Dallas Woody's for a pitcher and pigskin on TV.)

The fun marches on into the evening, as watering holes along Cedar Springs Road host parties and performances. For dance music and drag shows, hit Station 4 Dallas (that's "S4" in Longhorn shorthand); for boot-scooting country dancing check out the largest gay honky-tonk in the country, the Round-Up Saloon; and, if you're a craft cocktail fan, try a tipple at Alexandre's.

Still not done? Swing by Sue Ellen's, the Nation's largest women's bar, for some great music and meet some of the finest ladies in Texas!

Tricks and Treats for Halloween

Queer locals and out-of-town visitors will get ghoulish and foolish together on Saturday, October 26, at Dallas' most celebrated Halloween event, the Oak Lawn Block Party.

Free and open to the public, the parking lot behind JR's, Sue Ellen's, and The Mining Company is transformed into a wild masquerade, including a "costume catwalk" competition where you can get judged on your duds. Live DJ's and food and beverage booths fuel the action, which runs from 6 pm to 11 pm.

In-the-know sources predict an overabundance of Beetlejuice, Taylor and Travis, Kamala Harris, and Anxiety from "Inside Out 2" costumes, so get creative if you want to impress.

Three Months of Music with the Turtle Creek Chorale

Dallas' own Turtle Creek Chorale is the world's most-recorded male chorus. With three exciting new programs this fall, why not build a night out around one of their always memorable concerts?

On September 26 and 27, the Chorale presents "Bach to the '90s," a clever mix of music from the 1990s – as well as the 1790s and 1890s – at the Moody Music Hall.

November 2 finds the ensemble at the Cathedral of Hope for a moving collaboration on "Considering Matthew Shepard" with The Women's Chorus of Dallas. Combining spoken word and music, it's a stirring oratorio on the tragic events in Laramie, Wyoming in 1998.

The season's third program, "Wonder," nostalgically recalls the joy of childhood Christmases, with a blend of contemporary and traditional songs at the Meyerson Symphony Center on Dec. 10 and Broadway Baptist on December 12.

Pop Giants on Tour

The city's music halls and arenas are welcoming a cavalcade of LGBTQ+ favorites this autumn, so if you're a queer pop fan, your calendar's going to be poppin'.

Electronic dancemeisters Sofi Tukker play the South Side Ballroom on September 21; gay Latinx alt-pop heartthrob Omar Apollo makes a stop on his "God Said No" trek at the Toyota Music Factory the following night; and masked queer cowboy Orville Peck mosies into the House of Blues on October 7.

It's a Pop-Tart and Twinkie double feature as the roadshow combo of Charlie xcx and Troye Sivan rolls into the American Airlines Center on October 9.

The same venue hosts the mischievous musical flirtations of Sabrina Carpenter on Mischief Night, October 30; and fall colors meet "True Colors" when all-time-great ally Cyndi Lauper's Farewell Tour swings through on November 12.

Your Dallas Resource

Throughout the fall and all year round, Visit Dallas can help you make the most of the city with online listings of LGBTQ+ events and detailed information on attractions, hotels and restaurants. It's the perfect resource to plan a gay getaway here in the heart of Texas.

For more information and visitors' tips, check out https://www.visitdallas.com/things-to-do/arts/diverse-dallas/lgbtq.