The capital of Alberta and the second largest city in the province, Edmonton has earned the nickname “Festival City” for its many annual events. It stands to reason that this city of roughly 750,000 has a sizeable Gay Pride Week (said to be the fourth largest in Canada), comprising a number of interesting events in mid-June. This year, Edmonton Gay Pride runs from Friday June 3 to Sunday June 12, 2016. Note that Edmonton Pride differs from many similar Pride weeks in that the main event, the parade and the celebration, take place near the beginning of the week, on Saturday, June 4, not at the end.
The 2016 Edmonton Pride Parade will return to Old Strathcona, starting at 108th Street and Whyte Avenue (82nd Avenue), and the procession will head east and then north to End of Steel Park, where the Festival will continue.
Edmonton Pride features numerous additional events throughout the week, including parties, church services, sports competitions, a PFLAG meeting, Queer History bus tours, a Laugh Outloud comedy show, Pride Youth events, and the Last day of Pride Week, Sunday, there is usually a Mayor’s Pride Brunch. In other words, lots of things to keep you busy.
Edmonton Gay Resources
You can bet that restaurants, hotels, and shops will be busier during this busy time and will largely cater to LGBT visitors. Check out local gay resources like ERBA (Edmonton Rainbow Business Association) and Gay Calgary magazine, which has a lot of information about Edmonton, for more details. Also check out the Travel Gay Canada Alberta online directory, which has extensive information on Edmonton’s gay scene; and for tourist information, the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation.
