Inject some colour into your life and head to one of Canada’s most exciting cities for this year’s Vancouver Pride Parade & Festival.
To be held this year on Sunday, 31 July, from 12pm, the annual event is a celebration of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBTTQ) community and their friends and supporters.
Promising a truly unique spirit and sense of occasion, the Pride parade has exploded since its conception 33 years ago, and now welcomes more than 650,000 people from all over the world every year. Buzzing with street theatre, costumes, floats and music, Vancouver Pride is Western Canada’s largest celebration of the LGBTTQ community.
More than 150 floats and groups will be taking place in this year’s parade, ranging from musical marching bands to community groups and dance troupes. The 2011 parade will kick off at Robson and Thurlow Streets before heading along through the downtown core of the city, along Denman Street and finishing up at the Sunset Beach Pride Festival and Beer Garden.
Community events of all sizes will be held in the week running up to the Pride parade, including the East Side Pride in Grandview Park, Commercial Drive, which will be held on Saturday 25 June between 11am and 5pm. Open to all, East Side Pride boasts a large stage with musicians, DJ’s and dancers, and a friendly, welcoming and inclusive atmosphere open to all.
Tuesday, 26 July will see the Queer Arts Festival kicking off at the Roundhouse Community Centre & Theatre, comprising visual art, theatre, dance, music, variety and comedy shows from 7pm to 11pm. Check out www.queerartsfestival.com to get more info.
Get that Friday feeling at The Davie Street Dance Party, held the Friday before the main parade, on July 29, between 7pm and midnight. The streets in Davie Village will be transformed with an enormous street party, bursting with dancers, drinkers, vendors, visitors, volunteers, partiers, players and pride goers, all gearing up for the Parade. You can see a full list of all of the events to be held in the lead-up to Pride at www.vancouverpride.ca/event-calendar.
If all this floats your boat, you’ve got to check out the Big Gay Movie, (www.biggaymovie.com) entitled Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride. This incredibly moving documentary was made by Vancouver-based film-maker Bob Christie as he followed Vancouver Pride organisers as they took their quest for awareness and equal rights around the world.
The documentary, led by Vancouver Pride Society President Ken Coolen, doesn’t shy away from heartbreak – it shines a light on the personal experiences of those who have encountered persecution as a result of their sexuality. Don’t miss it.
The Vancouver Pride Parade & Festival’s 2011 theme is Educate, Liberate, Celebrate, so come on, what are you waiting for? Visit www.vancouverpride.ca to read more about this year’s Pride Parade & Festival or follow them on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/vancouverpride.
