Attending Fort Lauderdale Pride: Fashion Show, Gala, Drag Brunch + More!

We were so excited when we got asked to check out Fort Lauderdale + a big bonus was that they were having their Pride festival and their first ever parade, so you could definitely count us in!

We were up bright and early to catch our flight from London Gatwick Airport with direct service to Fort Lauderdale via British Airways.

Thanks to Gatwick Airport, our morning flight was made super easy and stress free due to Gatwick's Valet Parking. We literally just dropped our car off, grabbed our luggage & off we went to drop our bags! We'd definitely do it again.

After we were all checked in, there was still time to chill in the No.1 lounge with a glass of bubbly and bite to eat before we boarded our plane.

Approximately 8 hours later, we touched down in sunny Fort Lauderdale where we were greeted by our pals and fellow LGBT travel blogger Ryan and his boyfriend Andrei, alongside new friends, Stephen and Simon from Gay Times.

Pride Festivities:

Fort Lauderdale had so many amazing and different Pride activities to attend, there's definitely something there for everyone!

Runway Fashion Show:

We watched a Runway Fashion Show at Hard Rock Cafe, hosted by Ru Paul's Drag Race judge and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy Carson Kressley, and Drag Race star Naomi Smalls. It was so much fun and we really enjoyed seeing all the fabulous outfits on the runway, plus Carson was absolutely hilarious. It was also fantastic to see so many LGBTQ+ people represented and slaying it in the fashion industry and on the catwalk.

I mean, that is one way to make an entrance, right?

Stonewall National Museum & Archives Gala

We had the honour of attending the momentous Stonewall National Museum Archives gala which took place at The Ritz-Carlton. Weard from the some of the most influential LGBTQ+ individuals who helped pave the way for our rights we have today, including Jazz Jannings, Miss Major, Brian McNaught, Kathy Najimy and Elizabeth Birch.

We also enjoyed a beautiful sit down 4 course dinner and finished the evening off with more networking and fun.

With Carson Kressley!

Any Hocus Pocus fans out there? It was amazing to meet Kathy Najimy!

Drag Brunch:

We had a lovely scenic stroll to the Drag Brunch and used this as an opportunity to snap some beautiful photos alongside the beach on the way. We loved how easy it was to walk the strip with the beach parallel.

Rafael waving the rainbow flag with pride!

In the late morning of the parade we made our way to the The Ritz-Carlton again where we attended an epic drag brunch. It was exactly that- Drag Queens and brunch, what's not to love?

We were served up tasty eats and drinks provided by local restaurants of Fort Lauderdale and performances by some pretty talented drag queens. While there wasn't much to eat if you were vegetarian/ vegan, the carrot cake by Green Bar cafe was to die for.

Brace yourself for some fabulous drag queen entertainment! Can all brunches be like this please?

Absolut sponsored the drinks and Megan had to get a pic with the Absolut girls. We also love how LGBTQ+ friendly Absolut are and not just for pride but 12 months of the year.

Pride Parade:

We had a blast at the Carnaval Parade, which was a Caribbean and Latin American themed parade! The parade was held in such a scenic location along SR A1A and was the first parade ever held on For Lauderdale beach. This definitely provided an exciting experience literally right by the beach.

There was such a beautiful turnout of all walks of life, from locals to tourists of over more than 80,000 who all celebrated together in the spirit of Pride.

Have you seen anything cuter?!

Pride Fort Lauderdale Beach Festival

The following morning, the beach festival took place and we had a blast celebrating with our fellow LGBTQ+ pals until the sun went down.

Ryan Woods (Out With Ryan) and his sweet boyfriend, Andrei.

There were lots of stalls with products. Megan loved this jacket by Equality Apparel and they let her try it on. Also wanting this lesbian hat!

Megan in here element, capturing content.

We also got to hang out with one of our friends, Arielle, which we've known for years and she even took some fabulous photos of us on the beach, which we LOVED.

Ryan & Andrei being cuties!

Todrick Hall:

We were so excited to hear that Todrick Hall was performing and fortunately we got to hang out back stage and even meet him. He is honestly such a nice and genuine person and not to mention incredibly talented!

Where to Stay:

We had the pleasure of staying at the B Ocean Resort, Fort Lauderdale and had a lovely room which overlooked the ocean as well as the volleyball courts along the beach. It was a beautiful view and really gave us all the summer feels even though it was February.

The staff were friendly and the hotel was situated in the perfect location for the Pride festivities and it was also only a 15 minute walk from the main strip.

We don't even play volleyball, but this was enticing us!

We were so impressed with how much the decor in the hotel was very similar to our home decor and colour scheme.

Pride and Other Great Things to See/Do:

Kayaking:

There are so many wonderful things to see and do in Fort Lauderdale including kayaking! We did admittedly have to go in a tandem and Whitney did all of the work due to Megan's disability, but Megan was filming and documenting and enjoying the views. We really enjoyed our guided kayak eco-tour at Park & Ocean inside Hugh Taylor Birch State Park

It was nice to feel at one with nature as it was such a lovely experience and scenic. Plus, Whitney got a great arm workout! ;)

Where to Eat:

Kuro at Hard Rock:

We enjoyed a delicious private dining experience at Kuro located in the Hard Rock Cafe. It is South-East Asian inspired and oh my goodness it was so delicious and flavourful.

The cocktails were delicious and so beautifully presented.

Shooters Waterfront:

We enjoyed a beautiful lunch by the water at Shooters Waterfront with stunning views and a true ocean breeze.

Whitney opted for one of her all time favourite sandwiches, which is a lobster roll and she even had a taste of the shrimp po'boy as well. Megan went for one of her favourites as well, which is avocado on toast with a side of fries. This was washed all down with a blush rose and local Floridian beer.