Guadalajara Pride is one of the city’s top annual events. Every June, Guadalajara, Mexico hosts one of the largest Pride parades in Latin America, attracting more than 100,000 attendees who gather to celebrate and raise awareness for the human rights, history, and visibility of LGBTQ+ people.

The march begins at the statue of La Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, and leads participants into the city centre, ending at Plaza Liberación with an after-party including Pride-themed shows, drag performances, and DJs. . The motto for 2024 was “10 años visibilidad, Resistencia y orgullo” (10 years of visibility, resistance and pride). 

Guadalajara is the capital of Jalisco, the most progressive state in Mexico and the first to introduce a Director of Sexual Diversity as a government position. Guadalajara also boasts the largest number of LGBTQ+ bars and nightclubs in the country, with more than 50 LGBTQ+ businesses. In 2023, Guadalajara was the host city of Gay Games, the world’s largest gathering of LGBTQ+ athletes and allies who compete across more than 20 sporting events and discipline levels.

The ‘gayborhood’ in Guadalajara is clustered mostly around downtown and just to the west in Zona Rosa. The majority of the top gay bars and nightclubs in town are in Zona Centro along Avenida Prisciliano Sanchez, where visitors will find everything from cozy lounges like Club YeYe to big dance clubs like Ruta Caudillos. Zona Rosa is more upscale and home to a diverse, rather stylish bar and restaurant scene.

The artisan neighborhood of Tonalá, known for its high quality ceramics, has been named Mexico’s first Pueblo Museo (“Museum Town”.) It is being transformed into a living museum that will feature eyecatching sculptures, urban galleries of abstract art, creative ironwork, and more. Santos Degollado, its main street, will be restored to its former status as a pedestrian-only thoroughfare, with different sections of the street designed to represent various epochs in Tonalá’s history.

Guadalajara is also the birthplace of iconic Mexican heritage including tequila and mariachi, Guadalajara is the second largest city in Mexico and considered the country’s cultural centre. Each year, tourists travel to this cosmopolitan destination to experience a plethora of attractions including nearby magical towns such as Tequila, where the popular spirit is produced; explore colonial architecture; and visit museums and small towns with exquisite crafts and artwork.

The Jalisco region where Guadalajara resides is known as the birthplace of tequila. One of the most popular day trips from the city is to the town of Tequila, offering distillery tours and tastings. Sleeping in a tequila barrel room is a reality at Matices Hotel de Barricas, located in the blue agave fields just outside of Guadalajara. It’s the only hotel within a tequila distillery (La Cofradía). The barrel rooms are all the same size, each named after a different La Cofradía brand. For those staying at the hotel, the following is included: a tasting and tour of La Cofradía’s distillery, meals, and transportation to/from downtown Guadalajara (45 minute drive). Extra activities and offerings the hotel has include mountainside hikes, designing own tequila bottle, horseback riding, and more.

Guadalajara is the capital of the state of Jalisco, which is located in the centre of Mexico, 350 miles west of Mexico City and 200 miles east from Puerto Vallarta along the Pacific Ocean. The metropolitan area of Guadalajara consists of four urban districts – Guadalajara, Tlaquepaque, Tonala, and Zapopan – and three suburban districts, Tlajomulco, El Salto, and Tequila.

Guadalajara Pride is an LGBTQ+ non-governmental organization that organizes many other events leading up to the official Pride celebrations. Find out more info Guadalajara Pride on their Facebook page,or website – NotStr8ight 

Travel to Guadalajara is easily accessible via the Miguel Hidalgo International Airport (GDL), which is located 24 miles from the city center of Guadalajara, with non-stop daily flights from major markets across the United States and Canada.

For more information on Guadalajara, please click here, follow on Instagram @GoToGuadalajara, Twitter @GoToGuadalajara and Facebook @GoToGuadalajara.

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist based in Toronto with a focus on tourism, lifestyle, entertainment and community issues. He has written several travel articles and has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He’s willing to take on any assignments of interest, attend parties with free booze, listen to rants, and travel the world in search of the great unknown. He’s eager to discover the new, remember the past, and look into the future.