Calgary gets set for 22nd Annual Pride Parade
Posted Aug 30, 2013 12:30 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Organizers expect 35,000 people to turn out Sunday for Calgary’s 22nd Annual Pride Parade and street festival, which would make this year’s event the largest ever staged in our city.
The growing crowds are in step with increasing support for the pride movement in our city.
TD is on board as title sponsor for Pride Week this year and dozens of other high profile corporations are lending their support to the event as well, stark contrast to the first Pride event in 1991, where somewhere in the neighbourhood of 50 people turned out.
Pride Calgary President, Stephen Wright tells 660News, Mayor Nenshi will be back to lead the route and he’ll be joined by Premier Alison Redford.
“I think she’s the first premier to ever march as the part of Grand Marshal in a parade and it’s great to see the government’s support,” says Wright. “Mayor Nenshi will be in the parade, he’ll be at the festival, and they both will be giving speeches at the festival, so to see their participation, it’s fantastic.”
The parade starts at Noon Sunday at Stephen Avenue Mall and winds up with an outdoor festival at Millennium Park and Wright says all Calgarians are welcome to join in on the celebration.
