Pride celebrations have become the rainbow-colored star on many a calendar. While every celebration honors the struggles of the LGBTQ+ community to secure equal rights, the events are more than just a time to remember the fight for equality. Pride events are a celebration of love and being who you are. In a bloom of colorful flags, trendy music, and endearing street performances, celebrants draw strength from one another and show that the light of passion can dispel the clouds of fear and hate.

Kids can especially learn a lot from Pride celebrations by seeing revelers embracing who they are in a world that often tries to stamp out individuality and personal expression. The following spots top our list of the best family-friendly Pride destinations in the world, celebrations of love that give hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Australia

Australia kicks off its Pride celebration in style with one of the largest Pride events in Oceania: Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. The celebration features multiple events, including the Bondi Beach Drag Races and Harbour Party, the crown jewel of the celebration is the Mardi Gras Parade, which features countless colorful floats and rousing musical performances. Plus, there are over 8,500 participants marching through the heart of the city.

After the Mardi Gras Parade, attendees can go to the Mardi Gras Party for a night of music and drag queen acts by A-list celebrities. In years past, notable entertainers that visited Mardi Gras Party have included Cyndi Lauper, Dua Lipa, and even RuPaul herself.

Johannesburg, South Africa

Johannesburg Pride continues the LGBTQ+ community’s fight for equality with the largest Pride gathering in all of Africa. Focusing heavily on inclusion, Johannesburg Pride began in 1990 both as a call for LGBTQ+ rights and a drive to end apartheid. Modern celebrations continue to embrace both facets of the original Johannesburg Pride event by calling attention to the plights of both the LGBTQ+ community and people of color. Along with placing the spotlight on the fight for social justice, organizers of Johannesburg Pride take great effort to celebrate the accomplishments of the LGBTQ+ community.

Throughout the event, guests can enjoy a carnival-like atmosphere that includes drag shows, music concerts, and art and film exhibitions. The weeklong festivities culminate in a parade that takes marchers to iconic Johannesburg landmarks like the Nelson Mandela Bridge and Constitution Hall. If you can get a babysitter for the night, some revelers head to some of the bars in the city for events that encourage inclusivity for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

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Tel Aviv

Home to one of the most thriving LGBTQ+ communities in the world, Tel Aviv pulls out all the stops for its annual Pride Parade, the largest Pride gathering in the Middle East. The Tel Aviv Pride Parade brings the LGBTQ+ community’s message of love and tolerance to an estimated 250,000 participants every June. The Tel Aviv Pride Parade takes marchers through some of the busiest sections of the city. Featuring fluttering Pride flags, colorful floats, and drag queen acts, the Tel Aviv Pride Parade has taken on legendary status in the global LGBTQ+ community.

After the parade, you’ll have your pick of countless smaller events. Beach parties are particularly popular among tourists hoping to soak up some sun while sipping colorful Pride-inspired drinks close to the waters of the Mediterranean.

Seattle

Seattle’s Pride festivities honor the LGBTQ+ community with one of the most extensive celebrations in the U.S. Featuring a month-long set of events, Seattle’s Pride Month celebration puts the focus on the love and passion of the LGBTQ+ community. Each weekend, visitors to the Emerald City can look forward to several Pride-themed events throughout the city. Whether you want to go to a street party and try some of Seattle’s best food trucks or watch a puppy parade hosted by a drag queen, Seattle has something to tickle the fancy of every supporter of the LGBTQ+ community.

The city’s Pride Month celebration reaches a crescendo with the Pride Parade and PrideFest. Boasting 300,000 attendees each year, the Pride Parade is the biggest party in the state and is followed by PrideFest, a free music festival that features local groups.

New York City

The Big Apple’s Pride Month celebration is the mother of all festivals honoring the struggles and triumphs of the LGBTQ+ community. New York City remains one of the most important places in the LGBTQ+ community’s fight for equality. Walking tours of the city showcase many of these important places in LGBTQ+ history, including the famed Stonewall Inn, a national monument. It’s also the site of the 1969 riots that spearheaded the LGBTQ+ community’s efforts at liberation. By far, the most well-known event in New York’s Pride Month festivities is the NYC Pride March.

Attracting over four million participants each year, the NYC Pride March is the largest LGBTQ+ parade in the world. In addition to seeing colorful floats and creative costumes, visitors to the Pride March also have the chance to check out a multitude of street events that dot the parade route. Whether you want to indulge in face painting, LGBTQ+ themed art, or just take snapshots of Manhattan adorned in all the colors of the rainbow, the NYC Pride March is the pinnacle of the city’s Pride Month celebrations.

Are there any other family-friendly Pride destinations that we left off the list? Tell us in the comments!