Submitted by Capital City Pride
This year Capital City Pride is hosting the 25th annual Pride Festival & Parade in downtown Olympia, Washington. Kicking off Friday night, June 19 and running through Sunday June 21. PRIDE 25! celebrates a quarter century of the biggest small town pride festival in the Pacific Northwest. PRIDE 25! is a family-friendly event that is free and open to the public.
Schedule of Events:
Kick-Off: Friday June 19 7 p.m. Urban Onion Restaurant (116 Legion Way), Fire show at 9 p.m.
Festival: Saturday & Sunday, June 20 & 21 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Heritage Park, Water & 7th Ave SE
Parade: Sunday June 21, noon to 1 p.m., down Capitol Way from the Capitol to Heritage Park
PRIDE 25! brings together the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and allied communities to celebrate, promising something for everyone. According to pride chair, Anna Schlecht, “What a difference 25 years makes! We launched our small town Pride 25 years ago with 400 people marching on the capital for gay rights. Now, we are one of the biggest summer festivals around. Since then, we have made huge strides toward full equality and the greater Olympia area embraces us and the Pride Festival as part of the community. Once again, we hope to paint the town rainbow and we invite everyone to join us in celebrating our 25th anniversary of Pride!
The entertainment line-up offers two ties to the Grammys along with an amazing array of other talent. Grammy award-winner Kimya Dawson, singer songwriter whose music has been featured in numerous films including “Juno”, will return to the Pride Festival. In another Grammy connection, Pride will bring home Olympia-native Cole Hartley, who success as drag performer Alusia has taken her to the Grammy Awards as a back-up dancer for Christina Aguilera. The Pride Festival will also feature old favorites like the Kim Archer Band, an R&B band from Tacoma, one of the hardest working dance bands in the Pacific Northwest. Also returning will be Xavier Toscano and his high octane dancers from the Bay Area. Also new will the awe-inspiring Caravan of Glam from Portland, a vaudeville-meets-drag troupe who are coming off their star turn on “America’s Got Talent”. Other musical surprises are in store over the long Pride weekend.
The Pride Parade, scheduled for Noon to 1 pm Sunday June 21, is always the highlight of Pride. Entries will include flashy floats, marching contingents wearing rainbow-themed bling, rounded out by drag queens from near and far, who will serve up that marvelous concoction of Las Vegas-styled glamour on high heels. According to Gina Thompson, Parade Coordinator, “While I’ve worked on the parade for a couple years, this is my first time coordinating it. I love how our Parade not only celebrates the diversity within our community but proudly and tastefully displays it for all to enjoy.” Thompson continues, “Pride is a family-friendly event that invites the general public in not only recognizing the sacrifices and efforts that went into this cause, but also honors the achievements and the future of our GLBTQ community. That’s something that I am very proud to be a part of.”
With nearly 100 booths, a robust family activity center and the ever-popular Fabulous Food Court, PRIDE 25! will spring up like a one-weekend LGBTQ city near Capital Lake. Encircled by banners and tall rainbow flags, the Pride Festival grounds create the perfect place to honor diversity and celebrate a quarter century of Pride.
Pride Day has grown since 1991 to become one of the most vibrant community festivals in the Thurston County area. As the first NW small town pride to be hosted outside the safety of a big city, the Olympia Pride Festival has grown from a small march for equality to one of the largest festivals in the County. We now draw nearly 15,000 people into downtown Olympia for a series of events that truly brings together all parts of the community: gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and straight from around the Pacific Northwest.
For more information please visit the Capital City Pride website at www.capitalcitypride.net .
