Hundreds lined the streets of downtown Lethbridge for the 2019 Pride Fest, including members of the LGBTQ community and allies showing support.
This year’s Pride parade on Saturday was the largest one Lethbridge has ever seen.
“Just to walk through the parade this year and see so many people standing on those sidewalks, cheering us on, and wearing their Pride colours, it was really, really overwhelming,” said Austin Walsh, a member of the Lethbridge Pride Fest board.
The parade ended at Galt Gardens but the festivities didn’t stop there. The celebration included drag performances, food trucks and entertainment for the whole family.
Although the turnout for Pride Fest continues to grow each year, it wasn’t always like this. When the festival first began 11 years ago, only about 100 people showed up.
“When I was younger, there wasn’t a lot of visibility and that was the most important thing to me,” said Levi Cox, co-founder of Lethbridge Pride Fest. “To bring this downtown and bring visibility to our queer community, because that representation makes you know you are OK and you’re not alone.”
Alberta Liberal Party leader David Khan, who was at the festival and has attended the event for the past few years, said representation in events like these is important.
“It’s really important for younger people to make sure they feel at home and… have a sense of community,” he said.
WATCH: Lethbridge one of 50 cities to raise Pride flag this week. Danica Ferris reports.