Pride in Dallas is putting a familiar name front and center this fall, renaming its annual September parade the Michael Doughman Parade on Cedar Springs and locking in Pride week for Sept. 13-20, 2026. The parade is set to roll at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 20, with organizers also announcing “Pride Lives Here” as next year’s theme, according to Dallas Voice.
Board Announces Dates And Tribute
In a Friday press release, the Pride in Dallas board said the renaming is meant to honor Michael Doughman’s decades of organizing and community work and to serve as a permanent tribute to his leadership. The board set Pride in Dallas week for Sept. 13-20 and said the celebration will feature vocal performance programming and collaborative partnerships with nonprofit organizations designed to spotlight both local and national artists, according to Dallas Voice.
Who Michael Doughman Was
Michael Doughman spent years as executive director of the Dallas Tavern Guild and was a lead organizer for Dallas Pride, helping shape both the parade and its festival over many seasons. He announced his retirement in the fall of 2018, and the organization and local reporting have long credited him with building out the parade’s logistics and many of its charitable programs. Dallas Pride documents his role in the parade’s recent history along with the shifts that followed his tenure.
A Community Tribute
Pride in Dallas Executive Director Vincent DeLuna said in the release that the board’s decisions are about more than just scheduling.
He added that the new “Pride Lives Here” theme is meant to underline the idea that Pride is not confined to a single weekend but exists year-round in neighborhoods and shared spaces, as reported by Dallas Voice.
What To Expect In September
The lead-up to parade day will feature staged performances, community-focused programming, and partnerships with nonprofits, all building toward the Sunday procession down Cedar Springs. Organizers are planning after-parties and market-style programming around the strip and say they want to elevate both local and national artists while using nonprofit collaborations to deepen community connections. Full schedule details and participation information are available through Pride in Dallas.
Why This Matters Locally
Cedar Springs and the Oak Lawn area are widely regarded as the historic heart of Dallas’ LGBTQ+ life, and Pride in Dallas was created in part to re-anchor major celebrations along that stretch after larger Dallas Pride events shifted to Fair Park. Naming the parade after a longtime organizer is both a memorial gesture and a clear statement about which neighborhood organizers see as the city’s visible, queer-facing gathering place…