Top Ten Things to do During Vancouver Pride
This year’s Vancouver Pride Parade is on August 2, but official and unofficial Pride festivities flank the parade throughout July and August. Mark Robins, owner of GayVancouver.Net (Gay Vancouver Online) and member of the City of Vancouver’s LGBTQ Advisory Committee, kindly opened his little black book to share his top 10 to-dos during Vancouver Pride 2009.
1. Wear red and ride the wooden rollercoaster with a drag queen at Gay Day @ Playland on July 18.
2. Join in the high-heel shoe toss at Picnic in the Park on July 25.
3. Laugh with “The Bobbers”, Vancouver’s only queer comedy troupe, on July 28, or sing along with “Sugarbeach”, Vancouver’s lesbian pop duo, at Pride in Art on July 29.
4. Get a taste for the upcoming Vancouver Queer Film Festival at Pride Movie Night on July 30.
5. Dance in the streets and meet up with friends at the Davie Street Pride Party on July 31.
6. Load up on carbs at the Terry Wallace Pancake Breakfast on August 1 (Terry Wallace was one of the founders of Vancouver Pride).
7. Get decked out in rainbow beads and stake out your sidewalk claim for the Vancouver Pride Parade on August 2. This year’s parade has over 160 groups marching and expects some 500,000 spectators.
8. Take in the entertainment and browse through the vendors at the Sunset Beach Festival following the parade on August 2.
9. Meet RuPaul’s Drag Race runner-up, Nina Flowers, at the Rapture party on August 2.
10. Climb aboard the MV Britannia for the final CruiseyT Pride party boat on August 3.
Vancouver’s Pride began as a small march 31 years ago and has grown into an internationally recognized parade and festival. Last year, more than 530,000 people came out to celebrate, making Pride the largest and one of the most loved parades in Vancouver.
For full Vancouver Pride details visit www.vancouverpride.ca or www.gayvancouver.net