It’s time to put on the colours of the rainbow and join in on the week-long Kelowna Pride celebrations.
“This year’s theme is ‘Together in Pride’ and we are leaning on the idea that we are together in Pride, in person again,” said Fahmy Baharuddin, Kelowna Pride Society president.
This is the first time the Kelowna Pride Society will host the celebration since 2019, due to the pandemic, and there is something for everyone to take part in.
“It’s an ongoing protest for us and the Queer community to say how important Pride is,” said Baharuddin
It all starts Monday, June 6 with a Pride Week Launch Party at BNA Brewing Company at 5 p.m. There’s a Coffee with Queers event on Tuesday at Bright Jenny Coffee where there will be live music.
On Wednesday, grab your bicycle and head over to the Rotary Centre for the Arts at 6:15 p.m. for the Kelowna Pride Bike March and social that ends at Jackknife Brewing for beer and pizza. Thursday is the Kelowna Pride Trans March and Social, the march begins at 5:30 p.m. at The Sails and goes to the Kelowna Art Gallery for a social where there will be guest speakers, performers and more.
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Saturday is the big day. It starts off with the Kelowna Pride Parade that takes off from Stuart Park at 10:30 a.m. and goes to the festivities in City Park where thousands of people will celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Saturday night take part in FruitCake: Pride Party at the Rutland Centennial Hall at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at www.rebelliousunicorns.com
Kelowna and the Okanagan have seen an uptick in events for the LGBTQ2 community and allies with drag queens and drag kings putting on shows, the Peak Pride Festival that tours the mountain resorts and more. However, Baharuddin says that protests, such as Pride Week are still necessary for the community.
“There are still people that don’t agree with the Queer lifestyle. So we need to make sure that we are progressing. But there is still work that needs to be done.”
The Kelowna Pride Society is preparing to host more than 15,000 people during the week-long protest and celebration.
For more details about the long list of events visit www.kelownapride.com
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