New West Pride is expected to attract its biggest crowd to date, according to organizers.
Some 40,000 people are expected to come out for the week-long celebration, which kicks off on Aug. 6 and culminates on Saturday, Aug. 13 with the Columbia Street Party.
“We’re going big. I think it’s going to be absolutely amazing,” Mike Tiney, president of the New West Pride Society, told the Record. “There seems to be talk on social media about Pride, a hype leading up to it.”
This is the seventh year the Royal City has hosted an LGBTQ+ event. The festival was originally held at Tipperary Park until three years ago when it moved to Columbia Street.
Tiney credited the buzz and boost in attendance to the society’s accessibility committee, which for the first time, put together a full review of all the Pride venues. Each audit disclosed information about a venue’s parking, whether it’s close to transit, if there’s a cost involved, if there’s proper exterior signage and more.
“There were a couple comments after last year’s festival that we had blocked some ramps on the sidewalk with some vendor tents. People didn’t know if they’d be able to get in, like at Heritage Grill, the backroom had stairs,” he explained. “We do have a couple members that are in wheelchairs that are deaf and blind. We thought we really need to focus on that.”
New West Pride Week kicks off with a dance party at Brooklyn Bar (250 Columbia St.) on Aug. 6, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. The annual Pride patio party goes the next day at Terminal Pub from 1 to 7 p.m. Local brewery Steel & Oak will have two specially-crafted Pride beers on tap. After those celebrations, there’s the popular drag show at Heritage Grill. Tickets are $10 at the door, but reservations are recommended.
Other events during the week include the rainbow flag raising ceremony at city hall (511 Royal Ave.) at noon on Aug. 8. There’s also the Pride family picnic at Pier Park on Aug. 9, starting at 6 p.m. Bring a blanket, some food and take in the movie screening of Labyrinth, showing at dusk. Games, dress-up and music are encouraged.
Don’t miss out on the second annual Pride Hoedown, hosted by the Century House Seniors Gay Straight Alliance. Brush up on line-dancing, two-stepping and square dancing on Aug. 10, from 1 to 4 p.m.
The Columbia Street Party, meanwhile, will have a children’s area, five outdoor pubs, a puppet show, food trucks with shade and three stages, including an all-choir stage. Performers include Michael Fraser, Kimmoral, Miz Adrien and Top Less Love Tekno Party. At 6: 15 p.m., as a tribute to the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, the Pride society will lead a crowd sing-along of Cyndi Lauper’s True Colours.
“It’s going to be really interesting to try and pull it off, but we think we got the key players in place to actually do it,” said Tiney, adding that Pride events are still needed in today’s world. “We’re no different than anybody else and it doesn’t matter what religion or what colour we are or what our sexual preference is. We have every right to be here just as everybody else does.”
Tiney noted the support from the community has been overwhelming.
“We hit February and we already had people emailing us, asking how they could get involved. Even our sponsors. We have a whole ton of new sponsors, which is just wow, amazing,” he said.
For the full list of Pride events, visit www.newwestpride.ca.
Deck out those windows, loud and proud
Attention all New West businesses.
The New West Pride Society is once again on the hunt for the best-dressed Pride window in town. Get creative with the colours of the rainbow, make an artistic display and you could win bragging rights.
Entering the contest is easy. Submit a photo, along with your name and contact information to [email protected]. A panel of seven judges will choose three finalists and the winner will be announced at the street party on Aug. 13.
For some decorating inspiration, visit New West Pride on Facebook and click on albums.
