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Get ready for a fabulous time at this year's Pride at the Pier

The North Shore Pride Alliance is asking the community to show its support and rise up against hate
Nick Laba
Nick Laba
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North Shore Pride Alliance co-founder Gary Woods is ready to help host this year’s Pride at the Pier event on Aug. 4.Paul McGrath / North Shore News

It’s time to dust off your favourite wig and don your most fabulous getup for this year’s Pride at the Pier.

From 5 to 10 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 4, North Vancouver’s Shipyards district will rise up to celebrate the North Shore’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

This year’s event will be hosted by the North Shore’s own Conni Smudge, with drag performances featuring Carlota Gurl, Phyllis Hull, Aria Reddy and Virgina Slim. There will be musical performances from Matthew Presidente, Jason Gwen and Nicole Demers, as well as laughs provided by non-binary comedian Tin Lorica.

On-site refreshments include food trucks, cocktails and a beer garden.

In collaboration with Parkgate Youth Society, there will be a Rainbow Zone youth lounge set up in the Pipe Shop, with a prize wheel, trivia, giant Jenga, community tables and staff from North Shore Family Service’s Proud2be.

This year, Pride at the Pier is asking the community to help rise up against hate, says North Shore Pride Alliance co-founder Gary Woods.

“With all the hateful rhetoric and everything that’s been going on with the Mountain Highway overpass … and burning our flag live on Instagram, we’re asking the community to rise up,” he said. “Pride really comes from a protest, but we prefer the term uprising because we’re really just looking for our rights – there’s nothing to protest there.”

Woods is asking that people come out to show that they are friends, family and allies who accept everyone as part of the community. Other than showing up he encourages people to show up in drag if they want – “wear your favorite wigs, don some rainbow colors, you know.”

Pride at the Pier happens in the heart of Pride Week, which runs July 31 to Aug. 6. The week’s events also include a flag raising ceremony at city hall with Mayor Linda Buchanan on the 31st, pride trivia at The Gull on Aug. 1 and a special Pride edition of Deckchair Cinema with the screening of Xanadu on Aug. 3.

And, for the first time, St. Clement’s Anglican Church will usher in Pride Week with a special pride service on July 30, Woods said.