Calgary Pride – Parade + Festival

The Cause

Calgary Pride has a remarkable 27-year history and is an important cultural institution, which highlights diversity and tolerance in our City. We support a historically vulnerable population of the Calgary community, and highlight current LGBTQ2S+ discrimination, moving the human rights conversation forward. In solidarity, we are a venue for celebration, fostering resiliency and acceptance for those who may feel isolated or disconnected due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Finally, There is a strong and growing tourism component creating both direct and indirect economic benefits.

Calgary pride week culminates in the much anticipated Festival and Parade. It is Calgarys largest free outdoor event celebrating and recognizing the challenges and achievements of the gender and sexually diverse community members and their allies. Calgary Pride has grown to over 60,000 participants in the last 5 years, and is considered to be Canadas fastest growing pride event.

Beginning with a parade of over 170 local entries marching in recognition of our historical oppression and hard earned freedoms, followed by a festival featuring a main stage with 25 local performing artists, 150 market place exhibitors, and a family play space boasting inflatables, face paining, crafts, and story times. There are no other free to attend major LGBTQ2S events that take place in Calgary on an annual basis

Who Will it Benefit?

This project strengthens a historically marginalized community, that often finds itself displaced and without support. For example LGBTQ2S identified youth have higher rates of suicide and homelessness than their straight identified peers. Calgary Pride offers an opportunity to publicly celebrate and recognize the important contributions members of the gender and sexually diverse community make to the very fabric of our culture. It is an opportunity for individuals, businesses and the dynamic demographic of Calgary citizens to unify in cultivating a city where we all enjoy the same universal rights.

Calgary Pride is the only annual event to take place that is able to support the vast demographic of our community, and their allies. It is of utmost importance that we provide space to further foster learning opportunities within our communities, and to extend our deep gratitude for the challenges that we have overcome. As our prime minister stated in his apology speech November of 2017 "We must remember, and we will remember. We will honour and memorialize the legacy of those who fought before us in the face of unbearable hatred and danger."