Every June, Loring Park trades its quiet morning joggers for rainbow flags, three stages of music, and close to half a million people celebrating together. Twin Cities Pride returns to the park on Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28, 2026, with the parade rolling down Hennepin Avenue on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you’ve ever wished you could simply walk home from the festival instead of fighting for parking, there’s a historic mansion hiding at the park’s edge that makes it possible.
A Loring Park mansion that’s practically at the festival gate
300 Clifton is the historic Eugene J. Carpenter Mansion — listed on the National Register of Historic Places and widely called the finest example of Georgian architecture in Minnesota. It’s a boutique bed & breakfast tucked into the Clifton Avenue block on the leafy southern edge of Loring Park, which means the festival grounds, the food vendors, and the parade route are all a short, walkable stroll away. Spend the day in the celebration, then duck back to hand-painted murals, carved fireplaces, and a quiet English garden when you need a breather.
Pick your room, then make a weekend of it
The mansion’s guest rooms each have their own personality — the airy Crystal Mansion and Grand Edwardian, the cozy Coachman’s and Blacksmith’s Forge, the tucked-away Hayloft, and the elegant Georgian and Estate rooms. Book directly and you’ll also get a daily $20 breakfast voucher to the neighborhood Nicollet Diner, so your mornings are sorted before the crowds wake up.
Pride weekend lands at the perfect time to enjoy the property’s best summer feature: the four-season garden hot tub under the stars. After a long, sun-soaked day on your feet, a soak in the secret garden is exactly the reset you didn’t know you needed.
And when the festival winds down for the night, you don’t have to go far for atmosphere. Downstairs, Gertrude’s Cistern — the mansion’s speakeasy and haunted video lounge — has heated reclining seats and just the right amount of playful mystery for a nightcap.
What else to do around Loring Park in June
Pride is the headline, but the neighborhood gives you plenty to fill the rest of the weekend. Cross the iconic Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge from Loring Park and you’re in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, home to the beloved Spoonbridge and Cherry and more than 60 works across 11 acres — free, and open daily. The adjacent Walker Art Center is a world-class contemporary museum if the afternoon heat sends you indoors.
Loring Park itself, managed by the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, is one of the loveliest green spaces downtown — its 33 acres hold Loring Lake, the Garden of the Seasons, the Berger Fountain, and shade trees that make for a calm morning coffee before the festivities begin. For a fuller list of what’s on around the city this season, Meet Minneapolis keeps a running events calendar, and Explore Minnesota has the official Pride details.
See the city — and its ghosts — between events
With a little extra time, hop aboard a vintage Minneapolis Trolley Tour for a scenic, ghost, or true-crime ride through the city’s most storied corners — a fun, low-effort way to see Minneapolis between Pride events. The trolley is based at the Pillsbury Club, the gloriously haunted Charles S. Pillsbury Mansion, where a speakeasy-style bar and private theater carry the same historic-mansion charm you’ll find at 300 Clifton. For more local ideas, browse the things to do in Minneapolis guides.
Traveling with a bigger group, or staying longer than a weekend? Oakland’s on 9th, a furnished extended-stay apartment hotel a few blocks away on South 9th Street, is a comfortable home base for friends coming in from out of town.
Book your Pride weekend at the park’s edge
Pride weekend rooms in Loring Park don’t last — there’s only one historic mansion B&B this close to the festival. Reserve your stay at 300 Clifton, grab your breakfast vouchers, and let the celebration come to you. We’ll keep the hot tub warm.