It looks like it’s the third time’s the charm for Kelowna’s Pride Week, after being postponed twice this year.
“2021 Pride is going to look a lot different than what we’ve seen in the past,” said Dustyn Baulkham, Kelowna Pride Society.
This year there are four events to look forward to:
- Downtown Bike Derby and Beers for Queers at Jackknife Brewing Tuesday, Oct. 26
- Trans + Non-Binary Storytelling Evening and Social at the Rotary Centre for the Arts Thursday, Oct. 28
- 2021 Kelowna Pride Festival on the Rotary Commons (outside the Rotary Centre for the Arts) Oct. 30
- Pride Cabaret at the Rotary Centre for the Arts Oct. 30
The Bike Derby is subbing in for the annual Pride parade to make sure that public health orders are followed. On the other side of the rainbow is the big event on Oct. 30, a farmers market-style outdoor event featuring vendors and buskers. Then at night, it’s time for the Pride Cabaret.
“Which is a whole lineup of LGBT artists so we’ve got everything from belly dancing to burlesque to live music to drag and I’m just working on a comedian as well to really round it out,” said Baulkham.
After almost two years of lockdowns and restrictions, this year’s Pride is even more important than the last.
“We don’t get to gather like we used to. I think that’s one of the most important parts of Pride,” said Baulkham.
“It’s really important that we create visibility so that we can help those that are maybe struggling with coming out or struggling with their identity to know that there is a safe place for them.”
For Ticket information visit www.kelownapride.com. To pick up merch, visit www.rebelliousunicorns.com/collections/merchandise/pride . And to tune in online, visit www.unicorns.live/