Pride Week is returning for another year on the North Shore, and it’s going to be thriving.
Running from Monday, July 28 to Saturday, Aug. 2, pride events will blossom the North Shore into rainbow colours with events for everyone to enjoy.
The theme for this year's events is “thrive with pride.”
“Our community is done just surviving. We’ve faced hate, ridicule, and resistance at every turn – on the North Shore, across this country and around the world,” said Gary Woods, co-founder of the North Shore Pride Alliance. “And yet, we’re still here, we’re still growing, we’re still thriving.”
“This year’s theme is a declaration: we are not just enduring. We are flourishing,” Woods added. “We’ve built chosen families, shattered barriers and created joy in the face of injustice. We are loud, we are proud, and we are never going anywhere.”
Here is a rundown of everything happening next week.
A flag raising with the three North Shore municipalities will kick off the week on July 28. The District of North Vancouver will raise the pride flag at municipal hall at 8:30 a.m., followed by the District of West Vancouver at noon (12 p.m.) and the City of North Vancouver at 2 p.m.
“That way all three municipalities on the North Shore are supported with North Shore Pride Week by raising a flag for our community, which is fabulous,” Woods said.
On Tuesday, July 29 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. there will be a drag dinner show with the Parkgate Community Services Society youth centre team at the Parkgate Plaza. Lasagna will be served for dinner while Vancouver drag artists Isabella, Yuen Young and Mx.Bukuro take the stage.
People can enjoy craft beers and pride trivia at Wildeye Brewing next Wednesday evening alongside a performance from North Shore’s own drag icon Conni Smudge. The trivia event will take place from 8 to 10 p.m., and winners will also be given gift cards and other giveaways.
Come the evening of July 31 at 8 p.m., expect to see some entertainment before the screening of sci-fi movie The Fifth Element for Deckchair Cinema outside the Polygon Gallery. Woods said a couple of drag artists will perform, promising a “royal lineup of entertainment” you won’t want to miss.
Free pride bingo is set to hit the West Vancouver Memorial Library's Welsh Hall on Friday, Aug. 1 from 2 to 4:30 p.m., where drag queen Carlotta Gurl will call six rounds of bingo and perform throughout the afternoon.
And last but certainty not least, Pride at the Pier is coming to North Vancouver’s Shipyards Saturday, Aug. 2 from 5 to 10 p.m.
This year’s event will be stacked with performances ranging from drag artists like Smudge and Virginia Slim to musicians like The Squares Barbershop Quartet and even a comedy troupe. Alongside entertainment, there will be community and craft booths.
On top of the scheduled events, there will be 10-to-15-minute pop-up performances on street corners across the North Shore throughout the week to let people know what’s coming up during Pride Week.
“It’s time to come on down, be your authentic self,” Woods said. “Put on a wig if you want, do some makeup, get your drag on. But most of all, come and have some fun. Be who you are and be with the people you know, with your community that is here.”
Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
https://bsky.app/profile/abbyluciano.bsky.social
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