Time to fly your rainbow flag high because Pride 2018 is kicking off on July 27 with a week (and a few extra days) of inclusive, celebratory events for LGBTQAI2S+ communities.
This year marks the 40th Anniversary of Pride in Vancouver, which has historically offered the most diverse festivals and parade in the city. More than 20 community events will take place throughout the end of July and into August, culminating with the epic Pride Parade on Sunday, August 5, 2018.
What first began as a modest and peaceful protest in 1978 has become one of the largest and most-loved celebrations in the city. In fact, the annual Pride parade has become the largest parade in Western Canada, and one of the largest in North America.
Last year’s Pride included more than 650,000 participants from all walks of life. This year is expected to be even bigger than before. If you are interested in taking part in one (or all) of the Pride 2018 events, a full calendar is available on the Vancouver Pride Society Website.
Some of the official event highlights include:
Vancouver Pride Premiere
- When: Friday, July 27 at 5pm
- Location: Vancouver Art Gallery
- More details: Available here
- The official kick-off party of Vancouver Pride 2018 starts with a 7-hour, 360° party circling the Vancouver Art Gallery. The event will feature life-size interactive art pieces, silent disco with multiple DJ’s, beer garden, a sober lounge, community groups and vendor village, food trucks, and a banging main stage in the Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza.
Pride at the Pier
- When: Tuesday, July 31 at 5pm
- Location: The Shipbuilder’s Square in North Vancouver
- More details: Available here
- Take a trip over to the North Shore for an all-ages dance party at Shipbuilder’s Square at the bottom of Lonsdale Avenue. This is the second year the City of North Vancouver will be holding this pride party, this time with more drag!
Terry Wallace Memorial Breakfast
- When: Saturday, August 4 at 8am
- Location: Jim Deva Plaza – 1200 Bute Street
- More details: Available here
- Enjoy a buffet by-donation pancake breakfast in Jim Deva Plaza to commemorate one of the Vancouver Pride Society’s founders, Terry Wallace.
40th Annual Pride Parade
- When: Sunday, August 5 at 12pm
- Location: Denman Street to Beach Avenue
- More details: Available here
- A celebration. A protest. A party. A place to take up space. An opportunity to don your finest and shiniest. A chance to recognize how far we have come and reflect on where we need to go from here. Ask ten different people and you will receive ten different answers on what the Pride Parade means to them.
Sunset Beach Festival
- When: Sunday, August 5 at 11am
- Location: Sunset Beach
- More details: Available here
- The Sunset Beach Festival started as an after-party for the parade, but it has grown to be so much more than that. Enjoy a festival along beautiful Sunset Beach with live entertainment, a family fun zone, a beer garden, food trucks, interactive art and more. Drop by after the Parade or come early and dance all day beside the water.
Many of the Pride events are free and Little Sister’s Book & Art Emporium, a famous bookseller in Davie Village specializing in LGBTQ2+ literature, provides sales for ticketed Pride events.
For more detailed information about Pride 2018, take a look through Tourism Vancouver’s Guide to Pride!