The annual Tucson Pride parade and festival will take over a bustling midtown area on Saturday, Sept. 29.
Think music, dancing, comedians, and most importantly, lots of community support.
βThe pride festival is really about bringing our community together to celebrate being ourselves, being accepted, and being together as one in a safe place,β said Tucson Prideβs president, Sam Cloud.
βBut this celebration is not just for the LGBT community,β she adds. βThis celebration is for anyone that supports our community.β
History
The festival started more than 40 years ago when a gay man was beaten to death in Tucson. Four teenagers were charged with involuntary manslaughter and placed on probation until they turned 21.
βThere was no designation of it being any kind of hate crime, no bigger talk about folks from our community that were dying every day,β Cloud says. βOur organization was founded on our community coming together and saying that this is not OK.β
In 1977, six people attended the organizationβs first festival. Last year, the festival welcomed more than 3,000 people. This yearβs is expected to grow even more.
βI think that speaks volumes of our community,β Cloud says.
She says the organization works to strengthen the community through acceptance. The parade and festival are meant to do the same.
The Parade
The parade is typically held after dark on Fourth Avenue. Things are a little different this year.
The parade starts at 11 a.m. near East Broadway and North Country Club Road. Itβll move south to Reid Park, where the festival will be held. Roads in the area will temporarily close.
The decision to move was made partly because of street restrictions on Fourth Avenue. But it was also changed because parade-goers thought the nighttime parade symbolized hiding in the dark.
The parade moved into the sunshine to show that attendees arenβt afraid; theyβre proud to show who they are.
The Festival
Following the parade, the festival begins at noon with dozens of exhibitors and two food courts surrounding the DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center at Reid Park. Tickets cost $20.
Local entertainers including musicians, DJs, comedians, and drag performers will be in attendance.
Cloud said that nationally known performers will take the stage in the evening.
Plus, the festival is family-friendly and even has a kidsβ section β just know that the festival sometimes gets a little more risquΓ© as the sun goes down.
For the first time, the organization is hosting an After Pride Brunch at Romanoβs Macaroni Grill in Tucson from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Tell your server youβre with Tucson Pride and 20 percent of your purchase will be donated to the organization.
