Montreal – Diver/Cité, July 29 through August 5, 2007
www.diverscite.org
If you’ve never been to Montréal for Diver/Cité, are you ever in for a treat. Montréalers take great pride in their gay community and it is evident in the size and scope of their Pride week. And while 2006 experienced a drop in attendance (due, many believe, in large part to Montréal hosting the Outgames the same week), it was still considered a great success.
Each year thousands gather at Émilie-Gamelin Park to show their pride for and/or celebrate their support of the gay community.
Pride events include everything from film screenings to concerts, to Mascara, which is a hilarious drag revenue featuring some of the most incredibly talented acts I have ever witnessed. The parties, Lesbomonde and PrideBall are always jam-packed with thousands of spirited gays and lesbians rocking until sunrise.
The Pride parade takes place on the Boulevard René-Lévesque – De Lorimier à St-Hubert, and includes sponsors one would be hard-pressed to find in the US – Coca-Cola and Rubbermaid – to name a few. The Parade concludes with attendees following the final float waving rainbow flags which are given to parade attendees. The result is a veritable sea of people, gay and straight, showing their pride! Be sure to visit them online for a complete schedule of events and parties.
Toronto - June 15 through June 24, 2007 www.prideToronto.com
Toronto’s theme for 2007 is Unstoppable! which is entirely appropriate for a city that plays host to the 3rd largest pride event in North America and one of the largest in Canada. In 2006 it was awarded the Best Festival in Canada (for the 2nd consecutive year) by the Canadian Event Industry Star Awards (CEIA). It was also honored with the Golden Tupilak Award for Outstanding International Achievement from Tupilak, the Nordic Queer-Cultural Association in 2006. Toronto’s Pride Week kick-off events include a launch party, Flag Raising Ceremony, and Pride Awards and Gala Dinner. The Pride Parade is the climax of an entire week of celebration, and starts at the corner of Bloor Street East and Church Street, moves westward to Yonge Street, proceeds South on Yonge Street to Gerrard Street, moves eastward on Gerrard Street and finishes at Church Street. Thousands upon thousands line the streets, sometimes 4 and 5 people deep, to get a glimpse of some of the magnificent entries.
The entire city embraces Toronto Pride and there is the wonderful sense of community is palpable. Make your reservations early though. Organizers estimate that over 1 million people attend Toronto Pride.
Vancouver – July 28 through Aug. 5, 2007 www.vancouverpride.ca
Once considered the little brother of Canada’s other two large Pride events – Toronto and Montreal - Vancouver Pride is growing up to be quite the big boy about town. Last year, Pride Parade attendance was estimated at around 300,000, and over 100,000 people were estimated to have attended the Pride festivals over the course of Pride Week. The 2007 event promises to be even bigger, and the organizers are already counting down the days.
